Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-09-11
KEEP REpUnl ISSUED
Roosevelt Makes Public Print
 ing Office Inquiry.
THE LlNSTOS CONTRACT HOLDS.
President Approves Commission's Findings, but Decides to Let Pre- yious Arrangement For Type
 setting Machines Stand.

setting Machines Stand.
 OYSTER BAY, N. Y, Sept. It. President Roosevelt has made public the report of the Keep' commission on its recent investigation of affairs in the government printing office at Washington. The inquiry was made by special direction of the president on account of a protest which he had received from officials of the Mergen- thaler Typesetting Machine company against the award of contract by Public Printer Frank W. Palmer to the Lanston Monotype company for seventy-two machines of its make.
 By order of the president the contract with the Lanston company was held up until an investigation could be made with view of ascertaining whether the charges of favoritism and corrup- ton in the letting of the contract were substantially founded.
 As heretofore chronicled in these dis patches, the president decided, after an examination Of the Keep report, that the contract for the Lanston ma chimes should stand. The Keep com mission reported that if the contract could be set aside such course would be desirable" although the commis- sion states expressly that mo corrupt consideration, payment or promise passed from the Lanston Monotype company to the public printer or to any person in the government service"
 It was developed by the investiga- tion, however, that two important as- sistants of the public priEter were in directly interested in the Lanston com pany, their wives being stockholders therein" The commission shows that a fair and impartial test of the Lan- ston and Mergenthaler machines was not made and reports that the pur- chase of so large number of Lanston machines was 'improvident" and in- dicated great partiality and bias on the part of the public printer" The commission regards the purchase as "maladministration."
 The report of the commission is voluminous, containing about 16,000 words. Accompany it is a memoran- dun by President Roosevelt, in which he approyes the report except as to the disposition of the contract for the Lanston machines, which he has di- rected shali stand. The text of the presidents memorandum follows:
 "The conclusions of the committee are hereby approved save the latter part of conclusion first. It does not appear that there is any question as to the validity of the contract in ques- tlon. If it had not been for the con- duct of the Mergenthaler company in preferring the charge discussed by the committee in conclusion second. that of corruption, I should agree with the committee that 1t would be desirable to set aside the contract if such a course were legal. But second only to corruption in a public officer in point of iniquity comes making a baseless charge of corruption, and this is what the committee finds the Mergenthaler company has done in this case, its com ments being in part:
 } "In the light of the failure of the company to produce evidence of such corruption it must be held that the charge was made recklessly. and the Mergenthaler company should be se- yerely condemned for including such charge in a formal communication to the president of the United States his part It is fair also to the Lanston Monotype company to say that no evi- dence was produced by the Mergen- thaler company nor was any obtained by the committee in the course of its hearing tending to show any promise, payment or consideration of any kind whatsoever made by the Lsnston com pany or any of it's officers or agents to any person in the government service
 Had not this charge of corruption been made I should have entirely agreed with the conclusion of the con- mittee that if it were possible (which it is not it would be desirable to can- eel the contract in question.
 Public Printer Palmer has been re. moved fro. office. The cases of the subordinates alluded to in the report must be taken up in connection with the discipline and reorganization of the bureau when Mir. Pslmer's sue cessor assumes office"