The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-18
Manifold Company Asks
Full Investigation.
REPLY TO BRISTOW
Mr.. Morton Presents Statement to
the Senate Committee on Post
Offices and Post Roads in
Answer to inspectors
Report.
Especial to News and Observer


Washington, D. c., Dec. 17.-Hon
George L. Morton, Of Wilmington, N. c.,
special representative of the General
Manifold Company, has made statement
to the Senate Committee on Postoffces
and Post Roads in answer to the report
OF Mr.. Brstow as to the dealings of the
Manifold Company with the Postotfice
Department. After describing this 81,
SOC, 900 corporation of Franklin, Pa, and
its product, he among other things, says:
In the general course OF business,
sometime in 1900, exhibited some OF this
patented paper to the officials OF the
Pcstoffce Department. 1t was imm"
diately approved by the Chief OF The
Bureau OF Postoffce Supplies, by the
superintendent OF the Registry System,
Mr. Landvoigt, and by the Third Assist
ant Postmaster General, Mr.. Madden. Mr.
Madden instructed Mr.. Landvoigt to give
me two or three Of the government torms
that we might make up a few sample
books upon your papr, and these were
furnished by the General Manifold Corr
pany III August, 1901, and were taken by
ne to the annual convention of First
in September of that year, and tney vita
out exception, as l remember, approved
OF these books and asked Mr. Lanuyolgt.
Superintendent of the Registry SYSTEM
to supply their offices with books made
up on our paper The House Committee
on Postoffices and Post Roads saw that
the use OF our books would save Congress
from making large increased approprla-
ucns for adultional clerk hire, and Con-
gress placed a clause in the Sundry Civil
pill authorizing the Public Printer to
Duy these books made up on our paper
upon the requisltion OF the head OF any
OF the Executive Departments OF the gov
ernment. Consequently, l IcIaim tnat
our paper was not adopted by MIR Land
yoigt, Superintendent OF the Registry
System. as Mr.. Bristow's report indicates,
but that its adoption was Jointly made
by all the officials of the Postoffce De-
partment, by Congress, and by The First
Class Postmasters CT the country.
Every requisition for books of any
kind was made or the Public Printer, who
in turn sent these forms to the General
Manifold Company and asked us to make
price on rhe goods required, and in
each and every instance the Public Printer
has received our prices and accepted them
before placing the order with us.
''As the company gained in experlenc;
the fact developed that the basis of fig
uring cost and selling prices was lncor
rect and that the company had been doing
business with the department up to that
time at a total loss Of many thousands
OF dollars, not only of profits. but m
actual loss entailed by selling the books
below the cost of manufacture.
Notices were sent to all the sales
agents of the company at the time, can
ceiling all price lists put out krior TO
that date and lnstructing the agents be-
fore taking new orders, or recorders from
OH customers to submit the matter OF
prices to the company Tor revision. Then
too, the PostOfhce Department makes
separate acquisitions ior ali books used
at the large postofiiceS throughout The
country. sometimes only three or four
acquisitions would be received by us at
d ti1ae, the aggregate number OF books
being, perhaps, hIUy or one hundred. At
other times we might get fifteen, or TWEEN
ty, or even thirty acquisitions at a time,
the total OF all OF the acquisitions ag
gregating two or three hundred or two o.
three thousand books, and our custom
has been and is yet In cases OF this Klnd,
10 figure our price on the total number
Of books running through our presses at
one time so that where the acquisitions
were punched and sent in large quantities
the prices have been lower than where
the acquisitions wer snt in twos and
thre and the aggregate OF the books very
small.
THE report fails to inform the public
that the requistion for the Atlanta, Ca.
books were probably sent in at the same
time with large number OF acquisitions
for other offices while those for Ogden,
Utah. were sent III with a very small
batch. This also pplies to the comparl-
son OF the prices OF books for tho Boston,
Mass, office.
"The figures of $41 1924 for books for
the fiscal year, 1902, furnished by the
Public Printer does not include the cost
of the interviewing carbon paper neces-
sary for use in conjunction with these
books, adding this, which should be done,
runs the figures up to nearly $500 and
deducting the 10 per cent. which the Pub
lie Printer adds to every invoice we make
tie Department for MS services as Pur-
chasing Agent amounting to about $4,000
from the total OF $84 900, which it is stated
the books cost for the fiscal year 1903,
leaves SIS, 600. So the real difference in
the cost between the fiscal year 1903 and
the fiscal year 1902 is only the difference
..1...o~.1 Geo nn0 IN, wound p,1fo 1aor- and