Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-15
is NEARLY CONCLUDED
Taking of Testimony by Keep
Commission.
PALMER AND RICKETTS,
BOTH ON THE STAND AT YESTER-
DAYS SESSIONS.
Speculation as to the Outcome IN the
Great Government Printery-An
Autopsy Expected.
PALMER AND RICKETTS,

The taking OF testimony at the goVern-
| ment printing office in relation to the pur-
| chase of seventy-two Lanston typesetting
machines is now drawing to a close The
| testimony has very fully developed the
relative merits of the two rival typesetting
machines. But this testimony is so con-
| ficting that it is now realized no commits
| sion OF inexperienced men can give an opin-
| ion which will prove satisfactory to the
| two companies interested.
| For this reason there is now considerable
! discussion as to the probability in the near
! future of having some sort of test of the
| relative efficiency of the machines that will
| produce results that will command the con-
| fidence of every one. How that test viii
| be made is not yet known. That IL VIII
| have to be made in the near future is con-
| fidenty believed by men who are prominent
| in the affairs of the government printing
| office and who have carefully followed al
| the developments in the Lanston scandal.
| 1t is question. however, whether the
| contract made by the public printer will be
permitted to be fulfilled or will be Cancelled.
| That, it is quite generally believed, will be
| determined by the President himself. The
| Importance of the government printing
| office scandal is, in the judgment of tho
commission. and 1t is understood like view
| Is taken by the President, lifted above the
| mere amount of money involved in this con-
| tract for typesetting machines If there is
! believed to be sufficient evidence TO prove
| that the machine was recommended for ad-
| ditonal use by men who would be finan-
| cially benefited by its purchase II Is likely
| that the contract will be withdrawn.
| That would be the course to be taken, II
| is believed by men in close touch with the
| commission. without regard to the relative
| merits of the machines. The final influ-
ence in the matter, however, will be the
| President. it is understood to be the pur-
| pose of the commission to send the testi-
| mony with its conclusions to the President
| lat nv stp "a a *
| The President himself is expected TO read
| the report of the proceedings and he VIII
| act according to his view of the propriety
| of the course that has been pursued in
making this contract involving $231,o00.
Today's Testimony.
Now that the secret sessions of the Keep
investigating commission are drawing to
a close the quidnuncs in the government
printing Office are discussing what will be
| the final outcome of the inquiry
'It viii prove to be an autopsy on some
of the officials" said a weH-posted
| ploye today, land are specializing as
| to who will be the official corpses'
! The usual secrecy surrounded the in
| QUESTION chamber and the inquisitors to-
| day and the employees of the government
| print shop talked with bated breath about
| what might be transpiring in the chamber
| of mysteries. Even the familiar figure OF
| the black cat and its companion, the bob
| tailed feline, were missing from tnelE Ia
| miliar haunts today, and laborer sug-
| gested that the animal might have been
| kidnapped for judicial reasons.
| Word leaked out from the closely guard
| ed room that the commissioners were
| Fastening along with the idea of conclud-
| ing the probing process this evening or
| Monday by the latest In the fnal inning
| both the Mergenthaler and Lanston repre-
| sentatives are trying their best to come
out with the best showing possible.
The Mergs.' great play will be to secure.
afa f1,as Inner n
! the seVenty-two Lanston machines, which
| will mean practically an Endorsement on
| their type-setter The Lanstons, on the
other hand, claim this cannot be accom-
plished as the contract has been entered
into and the machines have been installed
and at work.
| The attorneys on both sides today dis
| cussed the statements of Public Printer
| Palmer and Foreman of Printing Oscar j.
Ricketts,, and more expert testimony faNor-
able to the Lanston side of the controversy
| was introduced.
Referring to the matter of box headings,
| a Lanston representative said:
THE 331 600 ems of box headings that Mr..
| Ricketts, says were pick-ups and ought not
| be credited to machine composition were
| no, so credited. They charged up
| against the cost of the work. credited to the
| time-hands and the keyboard operators only
! got solid type"
Yesterdays Testimony.
| In the course of his testimony yesterday
| before the heep cOIliIllSSlOH MI. OSCAR Js
Ricketts,, foreman of printing. related some
| spicy happenings. Several newspaper ar
| ticles bearing on his candidacy for public
| printer were read. at least one from each
| of the three local papers. Mr. Ricketts, said
| he had not encouraged the printing of those
| articles, had more than once asked that
| nothing be said in the newspapers about
| his candidacy, and, in fact, once had told
| the writer of an article in an afternoon
| paper that the eulogistic statements about
| himself were not warranted. Attorney Lar.
| kin wished to know why these different
| newspaper articles had not been publicly
| denied by Mr. Ricketts,, but the latter said
he was too busy to do that
Telephone From White rouse.
Then Mr. Ricketts, described the circum-
| stances surrounding telephone message
| he had received from the White House, just
as President Roosevelt was departing on
| trip to New England colleges, requesting
that he hold up the contract for the seven-
| ty-two Lanston machines. Assistant Secrc-
| tary McGraw was at the White House end
| of the wire Mr. Ricketts, Informed him
| that he Ricketts) had no authority In the
| matter and that he had better call Public
Printer Palmer. This was done. Mr.. Palmer
| told Mr.. McGraw that 1t was too late Tho
| contract had been awarded, but the requi.
sition was held up. Friday evening, aIter
| the Presidents return from New England,
| Mr.. Ricketts, went to the White House on
| official business In connection with printing.
| and while there discussed the Lanston mat
ter with Secretary Loeb. Mr.. Loeb said the
| scandal was out, but as they had no time
| to Investigate the matter II had been DC.
| cided to turn 1t over to Postmaster General
| Corteyou for inquiry.
| 1t was then developed that 1t was the
Presidents original intention to have MT. |,
Cortelyou conduct the investigation put
as Mr. Cortelyou was too busy to undertake
it. the matter was turned over to the Keep
commission.
Amount Of Tabular Work.