Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-11

commission went to the open space and
turned a somersauit The chairmans turn
came He went out as IL to join theothers,
but he hesitate
Say. boys" said he. Just consider how
il is with me. You know I'm from Buffalo.
They do say there that the city Is repre-
sented on the part of the democrats by
the distinguished Grover Cleveland and on
The part OF the republicans by-well. let
that mass: II NAV be idle talk but you
know how ones friends will say compl-
mentary things of you. Now. would you
ever expect Grover Cleveland to turn a
somersault? Don't you think am as pig
headed as Cleveland"
What's that they say about a fool
changing his mind and a wise man sticking
to HIS mlstakesy' Inquired Mr.. Hitchcock
But whether fools or wise men j
am inclined to change my mind. Have any
Of you fellows ever read what the Consti-
''Harping on the Constitution" exclaimed
the chairman. Say. Hitchcock don't you
Join the soreheads who harp on the Consti-
tuition You've got job.
Sure" shouted all the commissioners In
chorus. we've al got jobs. To Alexan-
dria with the Constitution
Then the chairman. with solemn mien. an
nounced:
BY the blue flash we stand adjourned"
As he did so he touched with the fore
finger of his right hand small dish con-
tanning a chemical mixture. A cloud OF
blue smoke arose and the room was vacant.
Al that instant each of the commissioners
was i'm his respective office. with eyes pinned
dc to official documents.
Today's Testimony.
A big steamer trunk, heavily laden with
documents. was a feature of the Keep in
vestigating commission at the government
printing office today. The mysterious trunk
arrived in front of the big building in an
express wagon soon after the morning ses-
sion of the investiga tors had commenced
The heavy receptacle with It's secret con-
tents closely guarded by Captain OF
nYrh IIaTf nh
forts of two stalwart men to get 1t TO the
elevator.
As the men bearing the steamer trunk
approached the secret chamber, wherein
sonnet hing is taking place. the two co ored
guardians swung open the heavy door ana
It disappeared, the door being quickly
closed after the entry of the trunk hearers
Inside the trunk is said to be documentary
testimony as to the efficiency of the Mer-
genthaler machines. testimonials and speci-
mems of the work of the Mergs as COM
pared with the Lanstons
1t was learned that the Mergenthaler
people are having their last inning TO-DAY,
begin their evidence in rebuttal tomorrow
All the Merg. witnesses in the big printery
have teen called. II is said and today out
side testimony was adduced
Foreman Fisher.
One of tie last witnesses on the Mergen-
thaler side of the controversy was FORE
man Fisher of the Congressional Library
branch of the government printing ONCE.
As announced in advance by The Star yes
terday. he was called to tell what he knew
of the merits of the Mergs.. four Of which
are at work in his office.
Mr. Fisher was not called upon to make
a comparative statement as to the prod
net of the MergS and LanStoRS. In fact, ne
acknowledged that while he knew In a
general way about the Lanston machine,
he had never seen one in actual operation.
therefore he could not make comparison
between
When asked the direct question as 10 the
merits of the Mergs, as illustrated by the
four machines in the Library Dranch, Mr.
Fisher replied:
The Mergenthalers do satisfactory work
in my department and are well adapted to
that class of straight-away matter.
He was not asked If the Mergs would do
tabular work but confined himself to de-
scription of the library cards. which are
printed in almost every known language on
the globe in his office.
Nearly all the commissioners and the at
torneys for both typesetting machines took
a hand in examining and cross-examning
Foreman Fisher. and he was said to be per-
spring copiously when he finally emerged
from the secret chamber. OF course, Mr..
Fisher. in common with the other wit
nesses. declined to talk about his testimony.
but an inquisitive little bird which entered
the room of mystery unobserved brought
the tidings outside
Output of Library Cards.
From another source it was learned that
Foreman Fisher testified. in addition to the
above that the output of hand-set library
cards was from IS to 90 a day. while the
Mergs produced daily from 50 to 60 cards.
The record for one day is lis cards. he said.
This was made one day last winter.
One trouble experienced with the Mergs
at the library branch is the large number
of accented letters that employed on
the cards printed in the several foreign
languages Sometimes from four to six ac-
cents appear in each line. When one is
reached the operator is compelled to stop
his machine and put it in by hand from
side sort case The Lanston people claim
that all these accented letters can be in
cluded in the keyboard of their machines
1t is understood the question of rush
work and extra rush work be-
fore the commission today. The Merg rep
resentatives claimed that their machines
were away ahead of the Lanstons such
matter. and supported their statement by
pointing out the many newspapers that use
the Mergs on what was termed all rush
work
In this connection it developed that when
rush job is sent to the government
printing office II is not trusted to either
OF the machines, but is set by hand. usually
in the first division, under Foreman Bowen.
1t sometimes happens that copy for an
entire book Is received by the public printer
in the morning and 1t is necessary TO have
the completed volume the same evening or
tn following morning.
In such emergencies the copy is cut into
small takes and taken out for compost
tlon by the hundreds of compositors who
soon have the volume in galleys ready for
the prO0freader and later the makeup This
testimony is said to have established the
necessity for always maintaining a consid-
cradle force of compositors to do hand-set
work. In the face of this assertion the
Merg people again point to the afternoon
newspapers where late copy is given out In
small takes and rushed through with the
greatest rapidity possible
Operators on the Lanston.
The statement having been made that
three persons required to operate
Lanston machine, the representatives of that
company have made the explanation that
the Lanston requires an operator for each
keyboard one skilled laborer at S2JO per
day for each two typecasting machines
and one corrector for each four key boards
1t was said today that the Lanston peo-
Pile are preparing TO spring some surprises
on the commission when they have their