The sun., 1919-10-01
ACCUSES BURLESON
OF DEFYING HOUSE
Postmaster General Holding
Up 786 Appointments,
Says Lehlbach.
CALLS NOTE CAMoUFLAGE
Has Injected Partisan Politics
Into Service, Chairman
Charges.
spsciar pespa,cs to Tnn srx.


General Burleson has injected partisan
politics into the postal service to such an
extent that 7s6 Presidential appointse
post Offices are without postnasters.
Representative Lehlbach IN. HI, chair
man of the House Committee on Reform
in the Civil Service. charged on the noor
OF the House to-day.
These offices apparently are left un-
filled because Of Mr.. Burleson'e desire
to name men for political advantage
and unwlllingness to yield to tho Presi-
dents order" which provides that the
first "eligible" certified by the Civil Ser
vice Commission because Of high ratings
shall be appointed Mr.. Lehibach
charged. A number Of these have been
vacant for more than a year. the Rep
resentative added.
while II was well known" he said,
"that in a number of cases vacancies
have been untitled for year or more
because OF the Postmaster GeneraIs
failure to coerce the Civil Service COM
mission to change Its ratings IN COM
plisnce with his desires, 1t was not be-
had developed to such astounding pro-
portions that 7s6 of the most important
offices throughout the country had been
left without permanent appointees.
Mr. Lehlbach's statements were In
reply to a recent communication sent 20
the House by Mr.. Burleson in reply 10
House resolution asking information on
his reported refusal to abide by the
Executive order The Postmaster-Gen-
fVpRn
Mr.. Lehlbach asserted, and was an at
tempt to camoufiage the situation In his
favor.
Sees Effort to Camouhage.
"In this letter to the Speaker by
means of which Mr.. Burleson seeks 70
camoufiage his disobedience to the man
date Of the House he points out that
| all post office nominations made since
the Executive order of March 81, 1917,
recurring the naming OF the highest ell
gible certified for the office by the Civil
/ Service Commission have been made in
| compliance with tho terms or that Or
| der" said Mr.. Lehlbach.
This has never been questioned No
! one has suggested that he submitted Tor
appointment persons in direct dehance
| of the Executive order. The charge Is
| that he has refused in very many In
with this order where such compliance
would not coincide with his personal or
| political desires. He admits there exist
| 7s6 vacancies in postmasterships OF the
Presidential class which apparently are
left untitled because of his unwillingness
| in that appalling number or cases 10
yield obedience to the President.
He speaks Of 4S6 of such cases being
still in the hands of the Civil Service
Commission. It will be interesting to
note should he eventually comply with
| the House resolution, how many OF these
cases are there because of reference by
the Postmaster-General on the ground
that the original ratings were improper
"Postmastcr-G General Burleson in his
communication to the Speaker Septem-
ber "a seems to labor under the misap-
prehension that he need not furnish the
House information II has by resolution
requested him to furnish because In his
Judgment the committee originally re-
porting the resolution and recommending
its consideration did not have jurisdic-
tion. The Post Office Department, like
any other Government department., Is re-
sponsible to Congress, which regulates
| the manner in which 1t shall function
and appropriates the necessary funds.
Reminds Him of Duty.
Congress may even go so far as to
remove the head of this department II
he is guilty of such malfeasance as to
| justify such condign punishmehS. And
| when upon the suggestion that the Post
| master General is guilty of maladmin-
istration the House orders him to furnish
| facts upon which II may base its Judg-
ment It Is plainly his duty to furnish
them However. the Speaker most prop
erly referred the resolution and the
House acquiesced in the jujrisdtction OF
the committee when 1t accepted the re-
port"
Regarding delay since 1918 In appoint
| ing a postmaster at Newark Mr.. Lehl-
bach answered the claim of Mr.. Burle-
I son that Frank ]. Boch, Republican and
| the highest eligible, was not nominated
! because during his previous term under
| spectors had found him guilty OF undue
| political activity.
1.-THE fact of this case" Mr.. Lehlbach
said, "are these When the charge was
lodged against Postmaster Book two
post office inspectors were sent to New
ark to make an Investigation. These in
spectors falsified certain statements on
the basis of which they made their re-
port, which was approved by the chief
| inspector. When the papers were sent
to the Civil Service Commission its sus-
picions were aroused and a new inves-
! tigation was ordered
''This disclosed that the statements
OF several persons had been altered. and
affidivits were obtained showing that this
was the case. Upon this showing the
case against Postmaster Book was dis
j missed. It is we'll to note that in this
case the Postma ster-General did not
press the Civil Service Commission for
| a reversal of its Judgment. but per-
| mitted Mr. Book to servo without u1les-
! tion for the remaining three years of his
term. One OF the inspectors guilty of
falsifying has since been promoted"
,HOUSE PASSES COLD