Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-30
MANIFOLD CONTRACT
Chief Subject Of Discussion at
Post Office Department.
STOCK DISTRIBUTION
THAT MATTER MAY BE INQUIRED
INTO.
Three Specific Charges Being 1nvesti-
gated at Home of Company
in Pennsylvania.

The contract with the General Manifold
ing Company of Franklin, Pa, was the
chief subject of discussion in relation to
revelations in the Post Office Department
today. When seen by Star reporter POST
master General Payne said there was MOTH
ing to be given out in relation to that In
vestigation. He supposed the inspectors
were at work on the case, but as to that he
had no personal knowledge. There was
nothing to do but to await their reports of
facts concerning the charges.
Distribution of Stock.
The really interesting development today
concerning these charges is an entirely new
one about which Mr.. Payne said he had no
information. That is in relation to the dis
tribution of the stock of the General Mani
folding Company. The stock of that COM
pany, it is understood, has never been on
the market, and yet at least several people
in this city hold 1t. While no names are
mentioned in this connection it Is said that
the holders of the stock are men who might
be of service to any enterprise by the mere
knowledge that they were interested in 1t.
The question that has arisen is whether any
one in the Post Office Department is on the
list of stockholders Of the manieoldlng COM
pany.
1t is likely that before the investigation
now being pursued goes much farther that
will be subject to be looked into Just
how the department can ascertain that
fact is not now clear. All persons inter-
ested in the letting of the contract or who
might in any way be of influence in bring
ing about the selection of that paper it is
suggested might be asked to state under
oath whether they directly or indirectly
stock,
1t is suggested that the holding of stock
under such circumstances would probably
not be in the name of the benefciaries but
in the name of some one else or in way
TO make quite sure that the mere record
would be of little service in an investiga-
ton.
Three Specific Charges.
Such investigation as is to be made into
the contract with the manifolding COM
pany will first be completed in Franklin
so far as possible. There are three specific
charges that will be examined there. 1t
is said that the son OF Chief Landvoigt OF
the classification division of the office or
the third assistant postmaster general is
employed by the General Man1fold1ng Com
pany. Such employment would not In IT.
self be sufficient for the department to
draw conclusions Of improper conouct on
the part Of Mr.. Landvoigt, but 1t Is re-
garded. If the report should be shown 10
be true as unfortunate that sucn pos
sible cause to bias judgment shouid exist
Mr. Landvoigt was not at MS once to-
day.
labor unions have made the point that
both non-union and child labor are en-
ployed in the Franklin works that manu-
facture the manifolding paper. Ihese
charges will be reported on, out, OF course,
their bearing on the matter will be or an
entirely different nature from other charges
concerning the question Of preference In the
letting of the contract. The company mas
denied that 1t has ever employed hoh- ohAoA
or child labor.
1t is not generally understood that the
manifolding paper involved is OF a very
different kind from that generally known
to the public The superior nature or TINS
paper is quite generally acknowledged as
far as convenience of handling is con-
cerned The paper has come into use quite
extensively on railroads, where several
COPIES of an order are needed and are to be
written rapidly and under circumstances
that do not always permit of the handling
Of carbon paper independently from the
paper on which the writing itself appears
Formerly the manifolding paper was pre-
pared by the department under the old
style of doing such work. Books were pre-
pared of thin paper and there were at
tached to the book separate leav>s OF car
bon paper which could be used time and
again by being placed between the leaves.
Nearly all the department stores of this
city now use that system.
The Present System.
The system, patents for which are held
by the General Manifolding Company. pro-
vides leaves for manifolding, one side of
which is to be written on while the other is
covered with a carbon coat, which acts on
the sheet of paper below it exactly as would
the separate sheet of carbon under the old
method. The changing of the carbon sheets
tho Of
receipts for which these books are chiefly
used by the department., is carried on by
carriers at the doors of houses in wet or
windy weather it is a difficult task to
change the carbon sheets. At any time the
fingers are liable to become smeared by the
carbon paper.
When the change to the patented paper
was made manifolding books were IN ex-
tensive use for giving receipts for regis
tered letters at the houses of patrons Of
the Office. The patented carbon paper be-
ing controlled by the Franklin company, 1t
was question of either having that COM
pany furnish 1t or not secure 1t at all. 1t is
stated that If the department should today
cease buying the paper from the Franklin
company it would have to go back to the
old and less convenient method
AS the manifolding books were furnished
to the department when the change from
the old to the patented system was adopted
the new carbon was slightly less in cost. II
is said. than were the manifolding books
formerly in use and which were superseded
by the new system. Since then the govern
ment printing office has improved the bind
ings so that the cost Is slightly more than
formerly, but that Is merely differences
brought about by making better bound
books.
Mr.. Payne's Brief Trip.
Postmaster General Payne will leave here
Thursday afternoon to visit Mr. Roswell
Miller In his home in the Catskills He will
be accompanied by Mrs. Payne, and will
not return to this city until next Tuesday.
Mr.. Payne declared that he was unable to
say where Mr.. Miller's house in the Cats
kills is located, as he is to be met in New
York city and to be taken to the retreat.
where he will have a quiet Fourth of July.
During that period First Assistant POST
master General Wynne will be acting post
master general.
Question Of Metcalf Reinstatement
Closed.
The Postmaster General stated that for
the present the question of the reinstate
ment Of James T. Metcalf. superintendent
Of the money order division. was closed.
The question of the contract for money
order blanks will be decided tomorrow,