The evening times., 1899-03-15
THE PRINTING BUREAU.
Charges In the Report of IA Commit
tee Of Enquiry.

tee Of Enquiry.
Some interesting disclosures of the busi-
ness methods of the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing and the conduct of certain
officials in that Bureau during the last ad-
ministration have just come to light.
Soon after Mr. Gage took charge of the
Treasury Department a committee con-
sisting of Charles Lyman, c. H. Brown,
and Arthur Hendricks was appointed to
make thorough investigation of this bu
reau. While the general tenor of their re-
port has been known, the testimony >n
which it was based has not been public
until yesterday, when it was issued as
Senate document.
One of the most serious allegations made
was that undue advantage was given to
certain manufacturers Of inks in dealing
with the bureau. On this point the COM
mttee found that the f. w. Devoe and
c. 7. Reynolds companies had enjoyed an
undue advantage in their dealings with
the bureau in the matter of supplying
Treasury mixed black" postage stamp
red" and national currency brown" inks.
The committee found that several ap-
pointments to places in the bureau had
been made in violation of the civil service
rules. Peter c. Balm, formerly superin-
tendent OF = division bureau, who told
about removals for political reasons. testi-
fed TO the removal OF ID. Nj. Davis, Re-
publican, wko acted as disbUrsng clerk
and said:
His place was filled by A. G. Morgan,
Democrat of Kentucky, and father-in
law of the Chief of the Bureau. He was
given a place as chief clerk and disburs-
ing agent a place hitherto unknown, and
raised 10 50 900. He had an accountant
and he still performs these duties
q. Who j. that accountant? A. Mr. Lamasur
Mr.. Morgan has never made pay roll and never
performed any other duties of a clerk; cler
ical work His duties as ''chief clerk are sim
ply drawing a salary.
Q. What is he supposed to do? A. Pay the
employees. These his only duties and the
clerk does that.
Z. F. Gibbons was the clerk who, it was
testified, made out the pay rolls for Nor
gan When he was called to the stand he
| testified that Morgan advanced as much as
81, 500 at time to his son-in-law. the
Chief Of the Bureau, on his salary account
I! and that he made advances to others. He
said that Irwin, an employe, who was a
first cousin of the Chief of the Bureau.
was appointed without a civil service eX-
animation. and other employees testified
that Irwin loaned them money at rates of
10 per cent per month and more.
Irwin denied that he had charged inter
est and Morgan testified that he did not
fringement Of the law.
The committee asked Mr. Gibbons about
| the relations of Mr.. Morgan with some Of
the women in the Bureau. and the witness
made esricus charges of improper conduct
against the disbursing clerk
G. ". Castle custodian Of dies, rolls. and
plates. had similar charges preferred
against him by Nathan King. who had
. been removed from the position of captain
2 of h4 Esrls srh Of h., 1
The charges He is still employed as Il
clerk in the Treasury Department. but
Morgan is out of the service
Very few copies of the testimony taken
by the committee have found their way
into the hands of the public Employees
OF the department gobbled them up as fast
as they came of the presses Perhaps it
was desire TO keep the story en- famiI!e:
/ perhaps they were only actuated by a de-
| sire 10 enjoy some entertaining reading
Among the witnesses who gave testimony
/ before this commission was Annie f. Phil
pott. She was one of the women employ
ed in the department, in charge of the
women who clean up. Some OF her testi-
mony contains sensational allegations
against G. W. Castle.
Mrs. Julia Shields, another witness, said
that Castle left notes and flowers for one
of the girls He frequently sat down be-
tween two OF the girls. On another occa-
sion he Tipped the slipper off one girls
! foot, just in spirit of fun.
The document carrying the testimony
contains 594 pages. 1t covers details of
many transactions, some of which seem to
carry violation of the civil service rules
The officers of the American Federation of
| Labor are particularly interested in the
matter. because of their opposition TO
Claude NJ. Johnson, the chief of the divis-
/ ION. They expect TO use some of the tes-
timony in their operations against him