The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-01-09

+. 0. CHIEFS
IN PAY PLOT.
Gave Cash to Aid Bill Asking
Raise is Charge
SENATE AID IS ousTED
Was To Be Paid To Speed Action On
Measure But Baked At "sIow
Salary" New Is
~ Told.
SENATE AID IS ousTED

WaSlluELOus--SlX prominent post
Office officials in different cities were
suspended by Postmaster General
New, following disclosures of their
completely in the payment Of money
to e. H. McDermont, connected with
the Senate Postoffice Committee, to
influence postal pay legislation.
Those suspended we're:
PETER McGURTY, acting super
lntendent of mails. New York.
JAMES E. GREIG, postal cashier,
Boston.
PETER wIGGLE, acting postmas-
ter at Detroit.
HARVEY M. TITLE. assistant
postmaster, Springfield, Ohio.
J. j. FIELDS. superintendent OF
mails, Louisville, KY.
WILLIAM SAMSON, assistant SUI
perintendeut of delivery, Chicago.
The suspensions followed a COM
plete investigation by Postmaster
General New, after conference
with President Coolidge, relative to
rumors of money having been used
in the course of consideration OF
the bill to increase the pay of postal
employees.
That measure was vetoed last June
by President Coolidge because it did
not provide the source of income for
the s68;O00,OO0 required to put il
into effect.
Since then tremendous pressure
has been brought to bear upon SEN
ators to override the Presidents
veto. The question of overriding
the veto will be voted on this week
under special agreement of the
Senate.
Disclosures of sinister influences
back of the postal pay bill, alleged
to have been unearthed by Inspectors
C. HI. Clarahan of New York and
r. M. Bates of Milwaukee created a
sensation at the Post Office Depart
ment.
While investigating the McDermoi
case the inspectors reported:
1--WE learned that the executive
committee Of the National Associa-
.tion Of Postal Supervisors made q
present of $1,000 to Frederick G.
Riedesel, clerk to the House Com
mittee ON Post Offices and Post
Roads, who had also furnished them
Information from time to time and
who was evidently favorable to their
cause.
I'VE learned from Fergus r. Ellis.
worth, assistant cashier, Milwaukee
postofice, secretary of the Postal
Supervisors Association, that the
$1,000 paid to Riedesel was purely
gift and was not solicited by him.
In letter of July Z, 1924, McGurty
is said to have sent to Title the
following postscript:
"tI believe that you should handle
the Riedesel matter in the same way
by having Fred submit bill for
services and expenses incurred
This postscript indicates that
Riedesel knew he was to receive the
present before it was made. We did
not make further investigation OF
this matter"
A short while ago, afidavits charg-
ing McDermot received money from
certain organizations Of postal en-
ployes to speed action on the Postal
Pay bill were fled with President
Coolidge.
The President turned the matter
over to the Department of Justice
and Attorney General Stone, after an
Investigation, reported McDermot had
violated no Federal statutes.
However, after the facts were laid
before Senator Sterling, of South Da-
kota. chairman of the Post Office
Committee, he dismissed McDermot
In the report Of the postal inspec.
tors they point out that McDermot's
first activity in connection with the
postal pay bill was to have certain
postal supervisors details to the
Senate Committee to aid in the prep
Rration Of the bill. For his services
McDermot was to be paid by the
Association of Post ONCE Supervisors,
It was said.
The inspectors said the first al
legged clue Of the transaction was dis
closed when McDermot became dis
satisfied with the slowness with
which money was being paid to him.
They declared the six supervisors
directly implicated proved unwilling
witnesses and at first made mislead-
Ing statements until Fields and San
som made clean breast and told the
facts.