Evening star., 1925-03-30
Six Accused of Trying to
Influence Legislation Are
Restored to Duty.
SAVED FROM DISMISSAL
BY SERVICE RECORDS
All Veterans in Department-Eew
Points to Mitigating
Circumstances.

Postmaster General New today di
rected the restoration TO duty, with
demotion, of each of the six postal
supervisory officials suspended Janu-
ary for their connection with ef
forts to influence legislation at the
time of consideration of the postal
pay increase bill.
Peter McGurty, who was assistant
superintendent of mails at New York,
at S4,100 yearly, was reduced to as
sistant superintendent OF mails there
at s3,5oo.
Reduced in Rank.
James n. Greig, postal cashier at
Boston, at s4,100: was reduced to
money order cashier there at s3.7oo.
Peter wiggle, assistant postmaster,
Detroit, $4,000, was reduced to as
sistant superintendent of mails there
at s3.5O0.
Harvey NJ. Title, assistant post
master, Springfield, Ohio, $1,000, was
reduced to money order cashier there
at $4,000.
Louisville, s3,S00 was reduced TO
superintendent Main Street station
there at $500.
William Sansom, assistant super
intendent of delivery, Chicago, s4,190,
was reduced to railway mail service
clerk, grade 5, at s2,45o.
Had Good Records.
The Postmaster General in his order
said the officials had been in the serv-
ice a long time, ranging from 1S to 81
years. and in fixing the penalty the rec
ord of each had been taken into full
During consideration of the postal pay
and rates bills four of the officials were
detailed to assist the joint committee of
the Senate and House in the considera-
tion of facts, figures and conditions re-
lating to pay of postal employees.
In this connection they had to deal
with Edward H. McDermott, assist
ant secretary of the Senate commit
tee, since dismissed. According to
each of the officials, the Postmaster
General stated, McDermott began
mediately and they insist he was
persistent and merciless in his de-
mands upon them.
Mitigating Circumstance.
II believe this to be true" the
Postmaster General said, and accept
it as a mitigating circumstance, and
yet it cannot be held to relieve them
from the just criticism which their
conduct brings upon them. They be-
gan to pay money to McDermott and
continued it until they had paid him
various sums aggre eating $3.50,
each one of the six playing a part
1T is not believed that they con-
templated the use of the money paid
to McDermott in an effort to corrupt
members of Congress. but the conclu-
sion that they did expect il to buy
favor from McDermott as secretary of
the committee cannot be avoided. That
they fully realized not only the i'm
propriety but the illegality of their
conduct in paying him money is
plainly evidenced by their own cor
respondence which discloses their at
tempts at secrecy"
THE Postmaster General had no
doubt whatever of the rapacity of
McDermott or that he so pursued and
bounded these men that they were
afraid of his displeasure and resent
ment in case OF their refusal to ac-
cede TO his demands, but this does
not excuse their misconduct. Their
remedy was to have Immediately re-
ported McDermott to the Postma ster
General or to the Senate committee
whose secretary he was, and in either
case il is certain that McDermott
would have been instantly dismissed,
as We in fact was when his part in
the affair became known later"