Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 36, Number 172, 30 April 1911 — Page 6

PAOE SIS

THE RICHMOND PALLADIUM AND SUN-TELEGRAM,

POST OFFICE DEPT. IS TO BE PROBED Political Machine of Hitchcock Is to Be Thoroughi ly Inspected.

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Y RODERICK CLIFFORD Washington, April 29. The political machine that rostmaster-Ceneral Hitchcock is building up by means of bis authority at the head of the post office department Is in line for an investigation by the Democratic house. Behind the apparently routine resolution of Representatives Saunders, a 'Virginia Democrat, calling for an investigation of the methods of this de

partment, is a well-laid plan to probe

deep Into the machine building actl Titles of the postmaster-general. The Democratic house has determln

' d upon a number of investigations of

(the various departments, but is Is ad snltted that there Is no one depart

'tnent In the Government service (where the searchlight will be turned Ion with more pleasure than In the

post office department, presided over i by the former chairman of the Na

tional Republican campaign commit'tee. '

i. For many months there have been reports that Mr. Hitchcock, with an ye to 1912, has been quietly laying

bla plans for the capture of delegates.

particularly In the south. That the

Democrats are aware that the post

office department may well be put

i under the probe Is Indicated by the

sweeping terms of the Saunders reso

lution, which the Virginia member has introduced only after a careful investigation of conditions1 in his own state,

and a conference with other Demo

crats who have seen the growth of

the machine In their own sections. Oees to the Root

' The Saunders resolution which Is

different from all other resolutions

asking for Investigation, goes to the

root of the question by asking:

Whether postmasters throughout I the country, first-class and otherwise,

are giving the proper attention to

their offices?

Whether It is not a fact that many

of these postmasters accept their

trust from the Government as a "side'

line," to be conducted In connection

with private business? Whether It Is true that many post

masters spend much of their time

campaigning for the eRpublican cause to the detriment of their official bus

iness?

For what reason various postofflces

have been discontinued, or , moved, upon orders from Washington, without consulting the wishes of the patrons

of the office.

The Saunders resolution authorizes the house committer y. postofflces

and post roads to b;.a an Investlga

Itlon of these and a number of kindred

1 matters. The Investigation of this

committee will be conducted Independent of others that concern the ad

ministration of Postmaster General

Hitchcock now under fire because

ipostofflce employees have been re-

I fused permission to organise Into un

ions, or to affiliate themselves with

ithe American Federation of Labor..

Mr. 8aunders and other Democrats fee! that, right under the eye of the

I Democrat house, the wily postmaster general la putting In order a political j machine, the full force of which will (be felt when the Republicans come to

nominate a candidate for president

I two years hence.

Not only that, but it Is claimed that

kthe service Is being crippled. . It Is

claimed that In many towns, men are

named for postmasters who have prl

ivate business that required all their

time. It Is openly charged by Mr,

Saunders that. In bis own state, Vir

ginia, there are men holding commls-

talons as postmasters at Important of-

Ktces, whe spend practically no time

I at their governmental duties. The

real work. It Is alleged, is left to su

bordlnates, while the politician-post

masters, secure In the knowledge that

they can deliver a certain number of delegates when the time arrives, con-

Itnt themselves with looking after oth

r matters.

Name Politicians.

It Is claimed that the postmaster

geueral has named for the office of

postmaster, bankers, lawyers, mer

chants, and other who regard their

allegiance to the postal . service as

- secondary to their own private Inter

ests. It Is claimed that these polltl

clan-postmasters show great activity

In organising their friends in support

of the Republican cause, that they are

chairmen of county or city Republican committees, and that much of the

time la spent In campaigning.'.

'.. 'How much time do these postman-

. ters spen upon personal vacations

; and how much In speechmaklng and

'campaign arguments?" la one of the questions which the hosue pnstoffica

committee is asked to determine In

i Its sweeping Investigation.

, If the committee should find that

the Dolltlcal machine which the post

master general is supposed to be perfecting la such that it Interferes with the duties of public servants, then th

committee has the jurisdiction to rec

otnmend suitable reforms, and. It they

are not forthcoming, the Democratic

bouse will be In no mood to countenance Increased appropriations tor

the postofflce department, or to have

patience with a postal deficit.

' The Saunders resolution is destined

to stir up trouble. The Virginia mem

her. In speaking today said:

- "The time has come for an Invest!

Cation. I have been watching condl- ' tlons la my own state, and I have

some very Important revelations to make to the committee. I know that Oere are postmasters In my state who are seen seldom about their .offices. They are oft In charge of campaigns, rounding up votes, making political

arguments, or laying plaas for the fu

tore. The work la left to subordinates "It is also Urn that the bouse

should Inquire Into the promlscous

i saoouUaaaUoa of omcee. Under the

Hitchcock plan, offices are abandoned or moved on the word of a Republican

referee, who sometimes lives a hundred miles or more from the community affected. Every few days, the post office department will order the

the discontinuation of a postofflce,

moving it from one community to an

other, all because political expedien

cy demands such a move, in my opin

ion. The conditions that exist In oth

er state.

I do not know to just what extent

this political machine has progressed, nor the reason for the strange things that are happening, but one of the most important things that the committee on postofflces may turn its attention to now, is a wholesale inves

tigation of the peculiar state of af-

Undesirable Conditions'

"I have ascertained that many post

masters have become chairmen of po

litical organiaztlons in their neighbor

hood, that the office is held in con

unction with and because of their poitical influence, and that this has an

Influence In the appointments. Such

conditions sliould not be tolerated. If the postofflce committee begins to in

vestigate this subject, . they , will find

many reforms that can be Instituted.

It has been noted of late that, as

the date for the next national cam

paign approaches, the postofflce de

partment is very active in the ap

pointments in the South. Seldom a

day passes but that a number of fourth-class postmasters are named in

the Southern states, and many of the nominations are changes. The subtle hand of the postmaster general, already on the hunt for Taft delegates In 1912. is believed to be behind the avalanche of nominations and changes.

The postofflce department seems to

be particularly under fire these days. Resolutions have already been Introduced in the house authorizln an in

vestigation of Mr. Hitchcock's con

duct of the office along general lines.

One investigation has already been

authorized by the Democratic leaders.

This has to do with the manner in which appropriations for the postofflce department have been expended.

In addition, the bouse also proposes

to ascertain If the department has discriminated against the rural free delivery service, the mail carriers, who want to organize; and the personal of

the department as a whole, which is demanding better pay and shorter

hours. Now comes the resolution di

rected personally toward t lie political

astuteness of the postmaster general, and his apparent inclination to turn the postmasters of the country into political agents for the Republican

party.

CHINESE UPRISINGS BECOMING SERIOUS (American News Service) . Hong Kong, April 29. Advices from Canton state that Gen. Chung of the Imperial army was slain while fighting the rebels. The Viceroy's residence is reported to have been dynamited and the Viceroy to have fled for protection. Two British torpedo boats departed from here tor Canton today.

Shanghai Li., April 29 The Taoti of Canton, it is reported, baa been assassinated by the rebels. She gates of the city have been closed. - The mutiny among the soldiers is spreading.

Washington, April 29. The gunboat

Wilmington has been ordered to Canton, China from Nagasaki.

COX WAS A wn

In a Lively Skirmish in Cincinnati Court.

(American News Service) Cincinnati, April 29. Republican Boss George B. Cox won a victory today when, after a heated " clash in which Prosecutor Henry T. Hunt refused point blank to proceed under the court's decision. Common Pleas Judge William L. Dickson' ordered Hunt's motion of bias and prejudice designed to disqualify him to preside in the trial of Cox for perjury In the public gratuities fund probe by the grand jury, striken from the records. Prosecutor Hunt started' to argue his right to elect on which one of the two indictments for perjury -Cox should be tried. : . - -. ; "You must either produce proof or withdraw the charges," said Judge

theorized to hear argument on the charge. It was then that Judge Dickson said: "In view of the prosecutor's plea to

proceed I shall order the charges of j

Mas ana prejuaice sine Ken irom wo Hie." : ; Judge Dickson then ordered argument to proceed upon the Cox motion to quash aa applicable to both indictments.

SEVEN PRISONERS EFFECTED ESCAPE

Dickson.

, Water Colors. . Figments have been used from the earliest times and are now used by all savages for decoratlTe purposes. But tbe paint used in Babylon and Nineveh and in Pompeii was composed of pigments mixed, not with oil, but with water to which had been added a little glue, egg albumen or perhaps some times casein, which is albuminous matter from milk or tbe gluten from cereal grains. Glue, however, which was well . known to tbe ancient Egyptians, was the most used binding material. Such paints are now known as fresco paints or water colors.

Cause Far Speed. . "Mr. Buyzen is at the edge of a town with some gear trouble," says the assistant, turning from the telephone. "He wants us to send out there and fix the machine for him." "All right, but we needn't hurry. He has paid for tbe machine," says the agent. "But he says he is whlllng away the time reading advertisements of other makes." "Tell the repair crew to disregard tbe speed laws' and get out there immediately." Judge.

"I shall prove the charges before

Judge Hunt If your honor please," he

insisted. Judge Dickson ' was not au-

(American News Service) Sutton, W. Va., April 29. Seven prisoners, among them two desperate characters charged with murCer escaped from the county jail early today and fled into the mountains. George Dishants is held for murder. He refused to flee and warned the sheriff of the escape of the other prisoners. A

posse with bloodhounds is in pursuit i

and a battle is expected as the refugees, secured several rifles and revolvers in the jail office."

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