6 4.5. COMMITTEE ON EXPENDITURES IN THE / POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 109 TO INVESTIGATE THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT JANUARY 13, 14, 15, AND 16, 1913 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1913 NOTE. The following exhibit, No. 318, follows line 6 on page 694 of these hearings. EXHIBIT No. 318. No. 1.-Hand power, with motor attached (American Postal Machines Co.). Disconnected and operated by hand. TEST: APR. 16, 1912. BOSTON POST OFFICE. 2 m. 2 m. 2 m. 7 m. 10 m. 1 m. 1 m TEST: APR. 16, 1912. WITH MOTOR (ONE-EIGHTH HORSEPOWER). COMMITTEE ON EXPENDITURES IN THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C., Monday, January 13, 1913. The subcommittee met at 10.45 a. m., Hon Walter I. McCoy presiding. Mr. BRITT. The witnesses for the department, not having had an opportunity to review and correct possible errors in their testimony, reserve the right to file with the committee for the record a statement of errata or any matters not correctly reported which they deem material. Mr. McCoy. The reporting is very good, and I think you will find very few matters for correction, and I think the more orderly method of procedure would be to have the witnesses call attention to it by reference to the pages of the printed testimony, because it may be necessary to follow up their correction with certain other questions in order to get the things straightened out, but they will have that opportunity. Mr. BRITT. It is only a matter of method. I offer for your examination and for the record, if you wish so to use them, two files of the 823 correspondence with the Universal Stamping Machine Co., of 180 Broadway, New York, submitted in response to your letter of request. [passing papers to Mr. McCoy]. Mr. McCoy. All right; thank you. A letter was sent out by the committee that is, by the chairman of the Committee on Expenditures on January 11 to Mr. Hitchcock, requesting certain information. Has that been produced? Mr. BRITT. What information? Mr. McCoy. Well, it is quite a long letter. There is the copy of it [passing letter to Mr. Britt]. Dr. GRANDFIELD. The reply to this letter has been prepared and will be over to-day, I presume. Mr. McCoy. All right. We hope that if the Postmaster General does not receive answers to all these communications that he sends he will not think it is lack of courtesy, but we are sometimes forgetful. I will just read this letter of January 7 from the Postmaster General, addressed to me as subcommittee; I will not offer it as an exhibit. [Reading:] OFFICE OF THE POSTMASTER GENERAL, January 7, 1913. Hon. WALTER I. McCoy, Chairman, etc. MY DEAR MR. MCCOY: Dr. Grandfield and Mr. Britt have informed me that you are of the opinion that you can not complete your inquiry into the rental of canceling machines by this department by January 15, the time originally fixed for awarding the contracts for the rental of such machines. In order that you may have the additional time required to bring your inquiry to a conclusion, I have decided to postpone the awarding of the contracts until the 25th day of January. Yours, very truly, FRANK H. HITCHCOCK, There was a request also for the papers in Mr. Slack's matter. Mr. BRITT. That letter would regularly go to the chief clerk of the department, but it has not been brought to my attention. Has it been brought to your attention, Doctor? Dr. GRANDFIELD. Nor to mine. Mr. BRITT. That, I assume, will be answered in due time. Mr. McCoy. Here is a letter. Letter from the Postmaster General addressed to Walter I. McCoy, chairman of subcommittee, etc. That will be Exhibit 336. It is dated January, 1913. EXHIBIT NO. 336. Hon. WALTER I. MCCOY, POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, Chairman Subcommittee of Committee on Expenditures in the Post Office Department, House of Representatives. MY DEAR CONGRESSMAN: With reference to your communication of the 30th ultimo, regarding a number of employees in the Chicago post office who have invented time-saving devices during the last five years, and to the department's letter to you of the 3d instant on the subject, I transmit herewith copies of two letters from the postmaster of Chicago, together with the information desired, as submitted by the employees of the Chicago post office through the postmaster of Chicago. Yours, very truly, FRANK H. HITCHCOCK, Then I offer as Exhibit 337 the request of this committee for certain information, which request is referred to in Exhibit 336. Exhibit 337 will simply be the six requests that were made for information. EXHIBIT NO. 337. 1. Will you kindly obtain for the use of the Post Office Expenditures Committee a list of names of all employees in the Chicago post office who during a period of five years past have invented time-saving devices in whole or in part. 2. A statement of the positions occupied by such inventors, respectively. 3. A statement as to whether or not these inventors have applied for letters of patent upon their inventions; and if so, a list of the letters obtained issued, if any, by number, and a list of the applications where no patent was issued, also by number. 4. A statement as to which of these inventions, if any, has been assigned, and to whom, with the dates of the assignment. 5. Information as to whether or not any of said inventors have worked upon such inventions during hours while they have been employed and paid by the Government. 6. The terms upon which such assignments or transfers of invention have been made, and especially whether any of the inventors has received or is now receiving a royalty or compensation, and if so, how much? I offer copy of letter January 5, 1913, addressed to the Postmaster General and signed by Mr. Campbell, postmaster at Chicago. That will be Exhibit 338. Hon. F. H. HITCHCOCK, EXHIBIT No. 338. Postmaster General. Washington, D. C. CHICAGO, ILL., January 5, 1913. SIR: In response to your telegram of January 3 and letter of same date, in which you request certain information for transmission to Hon. W. I. McCoy, chairman of the subcommittee of the Committee on Expenditures, relative to labor-saving devices invented during the past five years by employees of this office, you are respectfully advised that every effort has been made to secure this information promptly. However, the employees did not have the necessary data at hand and had to proceed to their homes in order to locate the documents in regard to patent numbers and date of assignments, thus accounting for the slight delay in submitting report. In reply to questions Nos. 1 and 2, you are advised that, as far as I have been able to learn, after careful inquiry, the following is a complete list of such employees: George A. Gasman, assistant superintendent of mails. John T. Lynch, assistant superintendent of mails. P. J. Madigan, foreman mechanical department. John M. Henderson, clerk, mailing division. E. Z. Wilkoshesky, clerk, registry division. In reply to inquiries Nos. 3, 4, and 6, will state that I have no personal knowledge in regard to these matters which refer to patent numbers, date of issuance, and particulars in regard to assignments and royalties, and have therefore requested each employee to submit a statement as to the facts. These statements are inclosed herewith, and it is believed that they contain such information as is desired by Mr. McCoy. In reply to question No. 5, you are advised that, in accordance with the policy of the department and long-established practice of this office, employees have been permitted during business hours to do such work as would be necessary in |