Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-02
INQUIRY CONTIN q Els
THE TYPESETTING MACHINE IN
VESTIGATIoN.
Three Witnesses Examined by the Keep
Printing Office Yesterday.

The probing OF. the Keep investigating
committee into the award OF the contract
for Lanston typesetting machines In the
government printing Office continues.
Yesterday morning the committee met at
the government printing Office promptly at
8:3O o'clock. Contrary to expectations.
Public Printer Palmer was not called to
the stand. his testimony of the day previous
being considered all that was required OF
him at this time. Later he may be asked
some further questions.
Members Of Committee.
Yesterday the committee appointed by
the public printer to investigate the gen.
eral subject OF typesetting machines was
called and questioned at length. One OF
the members of this committee Is dead.
Those heard yesterday were Messrs. Bush
nell the first called. He told Of the
formation of the committee and MS APP
pointment, and in reply to queries stated
how he had arrived at the decision to rec
ommend the Lanston machine. He based
his opinion, 1t Is said, upon the reports
submitted to him by the chiefs of the sew
eral divisions. and these reports demon
strated the superiority of the Lanston ma
chine over the Mergenthaler. AS far as he
knew no other consideration entered into
the matter. The desire was to carefully
weigh the relative merits of the two ma
chimes and make recommendation ac-
cordingly. This the committee did. He
exhibited the figures presented to him by
the foremen, it is said and pointed out for
the benefit of the committee the COMPARE
sons made between the work of the two ma
chimes. He acknowledged, so 1t is stated,
that he Is not practical printer, but added
that that did not affect his Judgment.
which was based entirely the reports of
the several divisions. He had not been an
m TIM nfF1
great while.
Mr.. Tapley was called and corroborated
the testimony given by Mr.. Bushnell. He,
too, stated he was not practical printer.
Mr.. Mears' Testimony.
The attorneys for the Mergenthaler. 1t Is
said, then called Mr.. w. A. Mears for the
purpose of showing that the local stock
market early in June had Information that
the government printer proposed to install
the Lanston machine in the government
printing office. Mr.. Mears was on the
stand nearly half an hour. He is said to
have frankly stated that early In June Ian
Ston stock showed some activity, This was
due maybe to the story afloat at the time
that the government printing office, after a
test of the Mergenthaler. had decided to
install the Lanston machine. Rumors were
always in evidence in the stock market and
while this one may have had its effect upon
Lanston, there the other rumor con-
corning Mergenthaler, which no doubt af-
fected both stocks Asked to what rumor he
referred. he added his reference was to the
increased capitalize ton. which amounted
to S5,000,000. and which, it was stated, the
Mergenthaler proposed to spend in acquir-
ing the Lanston machine.
AT 1870 p. m. the committee adjourned to
meet Monday at $50
There are all sorts of rumors rife at the
government printing office. Some of the
friends of the public printer declare the in
Vesugation Is the work of some few men
who have been endeavoring to get Mr. Pal
mers position for some months. One of
them said to Star reporter yesterday:
This investigation will ne a good thing
for the public printer. In the first place, he
IS right, and has done nothing that will not
Dear the closest scrutiny. He knows where
this thing emanated, and may be depended
upon to have something to say and do later
Combined efforts to remove him have been
made from time TO time, and nothing Is
lost sight of to strengthen their case. It's
Jealousy in its meanest form"