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Show S5 Republican Arraignment of Postal Authorities Fall Harmless Harm-less in Light of Truth. QUOTES FROM LATE THEODORE N. VAIL Four New Places Filled ByvRe-nublicans ByvRe-nublicans No Attempt at Political Espionage. WASHINGTON, June 13. Postmaster Postmas-ter Genpral Burle3on Issued a stato- ment today declaring that "in the light J of tho truth" the "arraignment of the 1 postal authorities" by the Republican I pnrtv platform adopted at Qhicago ' "falls harmless at their feet." j Replying lo the declaration that the present administration destroyed tho ! "efficiency of the telephone and telc-I telc-I graph service when controlled by the government,' Mr. Burleson quotes from statements of the lato Theodore ! N. Vail, president of the American 'Telephone fc Telegraph compan, i President Carlton of the Western Union Telegraph company, and others to show that tho wire properties were aucesfully administered by the government. govern-ment. Denies Republican Insinuation. Mr. Burleson says the Republican organization in a tentative draft of its platform made n sinister insinuation" that durng government control the wires were used for purposes of "political "po-litical patronage" and "political en-plonage." en-plonage." He declaros that of tne four new places created for the wire administration, three were filled witn Republicans, and challenges the Republican Re-publican organization to prove that there was '"even an attempt at political po-litical espionage." Taking up the platform's declara-j tion commending the Republican con- j gress for increasing the pay of postal employes, Mr. Burleson says that m- j stead of adopting his plan, "which ! would have resulted in an Increase of ' salaries of postoffice clerks and city ! letter carriers' Halaiies to a maximum basis of $2,062 yearly, and like increases in-creases to those in the other line3 of postal activity," congress granted a i "horizontal increase, which gives somo 1 an increase not deserved, and denies to thousands of faithful and efficient J employes Increases commensurate I with their work, and to which they are fairly entitled." Denies Congress Reduced Postage. Referring lo the statement- in the proposed first platform plank made public at Chicago that tho Republican congress reduced postage costs, Mr. Burleson sas congress not only did not make a.iy such reduction, but I failed to take favorable action on his recommendation that the postage on drop, or city letters, be mado one cont insted of two 'after an acknowldgment that, it should be done." |