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Show TULLOCH'S STORY PUNCTURED BY SMITH representations I did nothing. He does, however, say; "I was credibly informed at the time that the matter so prepared, with perhaps other evidence, was laid before Postmaster-General Smith by Fourth Assistant BriBtow. who requested the appointment of a commission to investigate the office of the First Assistant Postmaster-General. This was refused by Mr. Smith, who looked upon it as another manifestation of the relations between Perry 8. Heath and Mr. BriBtow' "In reply, I refrain from making the obvious ob-vious comment and content myself with paying that the statement that Gen. Bris-tow Bris-tow made- any such request and that I refused re-fused it Is entirely untrue. Very respectfully respectful-ly yours. CHARLES EMORY SMITH. "WASHINGTON, June 1. Postmaster-General Postmaster-General Payne has made public the reply of former Postmaster-General Charles Emory Smith to the charges of former Cashier Tullo'ch of the Washington Wash-ington city - postbffice, regarding the postal administration. Smith says he investigated the allegations of Irregularities Irregu-larities when they were made, and that the evidence adduced In most cases was believed to be a justification of the transactions complained of. adding that the criticisms betrayed a lack of knowledge of conditions incident to the Spanish war and the measures necessary neces-sary to meet the requirements. Mr. Payne said that Mr. Smith's letter let-ter practically closes the Tulloch incident, in-cident, although other documents on provide at once for the prompt handling of the mail of thi large body of soldiers and their millions of friends at home. Any failure to do no would have justly excited universal condemnation. No Special Appropriation. At the outset no special appropriation was available, and the means had to be provided from the general postal appropriations. appro-priations. -Afterward Congress made a epeclal appropriation for the military postal pos-tal service, to be expended entirely at the discretion of the Postmaster-General. In meeting the demands of the service and making good out of one fund what had been temporarily and unavoidably drawn from the other, changes and transfers and special employments were made which might not be understood by those who had only an incomplete knowledge of the facts. It was found expedient as a matter of practical administration to treat the camps and afterward for a time the offices of Porto Rico as branches of the Wash- 1 ington orrice, as tnoee or Cuba were . treated as branches of the New York of- I flee. This involved the enrollment of the men employed in Porto Rico on the Washington Wash-ington office. For some time some extra help needed In the department was pro-Aided pro-Aided for in the same way. Out of these facts Ignorantly grew some of the allegations allega-tions of irregularities. Compared with the magnitude of the military service, not many new appoint-ments appoint-ments were made. It was the policy of the department to select trained and experienced ex-perienced men already in the service and detail them for the military and Island work. 1 During two years Congress appropriated appro-priated l.vw.000 for the military postal service, ser-vice, to be expended at the discretion of the Postmaster-General. Of this amount $244,606.55 was spent and the remainder, i $260,3:3.45, was covered back Into the treasury, the subject will be made public. These Include the replies of former First Assistant As-sistant Postmaster-General Heath and of the Fourth Assistant Postmaster-General, Postmaster-General, the report on the former Investigation In-vestigation of the Tulloch charges, to which Mr. Smith refers, and the reports of the postofflce inspectors and civil service representatives who Investigated Investi-gated the Washington postofflce. Owing Ow-ing to the great volume of the documents, docu-ments, Mr. Payne said that all the documents except Mr. Heath's reply would be briefed, although the documents docu-ments themselves would be open to public Inspection If wanted. Had Been Investigated. The first answer of Mr.1 Smith to the Machinists on Roll. 1 Some reference has been made to the fact that a few machinists appeared to be enrolled on the clerical roll. This may possibly have grown out of one of my acts. After examining the subject I determined de-termined to cut down the annual rental of cancelling machines used in the post-offices post-offices ot the country to an extent which effected a saving of about $100,000 a year In the eggrerate to the Government. In consideration of this agreement the department de-partment agreed to take care of the machinists. ma-chinists. This required three or four machinists, ma-chinists, who should travel from office to office tor the purpose, and direction was given that machines already familiar with the work should be employed. I am frank to say that I do not now recall Just how they were enrolled, but It was thought that it could be lawfully done in exempted places and no more red tape or form was allowed to stand in the way of what waa believed to be for the good of the service. The examination cf the alleged Irregu-laritiej Irregu-laritiej in connection with the Washington Washing-ton ofrt-:e, as already stated. Justified most of them. I should not be altogether candid can-did if I did not say that in some cases I was not convinced of the necessity or propriety pro-priety of the transactions. These questionable ques-tionable transactions consisted for the most part of placing on the roll a few persons, the need of whose services was not clearly shown. When these facts de- Tulloch charges will not be made public. pub-lic. Mr. Payne explained that Mr. Smith had forgotten about Mr. Tul-loch's Tul-loch's charges, and the investigation he ordered, and that until the papers were accidentally found by Mr. Francis Fran-cis W. Whitney, secretary to Mr. Payne, it was not known that the charges had been Investigated at the time. These papers showed that Mr. Smith had divided the charges Into groups, noting directions for Investigation Investiga-tion as to each group, and subsequently subsequent-ly recording against each group the results re-sults of the Investigation. These results re-sults constitute "the exhibit" to which Mr. Smith refers In his letter. Mr. Payne said that Mr. Smith in his prior letter had evidently forgotten the Tulloch Tul-loch charges, and did not recall the name or the fact that he had investigated investi-gated the charges. Mr. Smith's second letter in full follows: Mr. Smith's Letter. Philadelphia, May 27. 1D03. Hnry C. Payne, Postmaster-General, Washington, D. C.: Sir: I am in receipt of your letter of the 210th instant. Inclosing a copy of a letter addressed to you by Mr. 8. W. Tul- loch, respecting the conduct of the Post- ornce atpxnmeni una me vvasmngion City postofflce during the years 1&9S and 1899. in reply I beg to say that the allegations alle-gations of irregularities made by Mr. Tulloch Tul-loch on his retirement from the position of cashier of the city postofflce were duly examined at the time. They were taken up item by item and the facts in each case were ascertained. The rult of that examinations ex-aminations was embodied in a full exhibit of the alleged irregularities and of the explanations In each Instance, which is on file in the department To this exhibit I refer as embracing a particular and detailed de-tailed anxwer to Mr. Tulloch's statements. Without undertaking to repeat here its specific and minute evidences, let me say in general terms that in moat cases it presents pre-sents What was said to be a Justification of the transactions complained of. The transactions mostly grew out of the conditions con-ditions incidental to the opening of the Spamsn war and the criticisms betrsyed a want of knowledge both of the conditions and of the methods adopted to meet their requirements. The war was declared April 21, 1S9S. Within a. few weeks an army of 250,000 men was raised and or-1 or-1 dered in camps. It became necessary to i - veiopea tue proper oincers ivere instructed instruct-ed that every proceeding which could not be justified should be remedied and stopped. Searching Inquiry Had. It is proper for me to add that Mr. Tulloch's Tul-loch's allegations were the subject of an Independent and searching investigation by tha comptroller of the treasury, who made 'a minute examination of the vouchers vouch-ers and authority of the expenditure of the several cases, the result of which was that hts disallowance amounted to $932. a considerable part of which sum was afterward af-terward allowed on further Inquiry. Of the results of his Investigation I was fully apprised. About the same time Fourth Assistant Poatmaster-General Bristow Informed me that inspectors had found the same ap-pnrent ap-pnrent or actual irregularities in the Washington office. I advleed him, according accord-ing to my recollection of the investigation investiga-tion which the comptroller of the treasury had made and of the steps which were being be-ing taken to rectify any wrong. In Mr. Tulloch's letter he does not repeat his earlier ear-lier statement that when he made his i |