Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-30
OPENING THE INQUIRY
Meeting of the Keep Investi-
eating Commission.
HEARING WAS SECRET
PUBLIC PRINTERS ORDER OF
LANSToN MACHINES.
Charges by Representatives Of the
Rival Company to Be Thorough
ly Probed.
HEARING WAS SECRET

The Keep commission that is examining
into the administrative methods of the gov
eminent under direction of the President
today began its investigation into the
order for the purchase of seventy-two
Lanston typesetting machines by the pub
lie printer. The commission met at 10
o clock and remained ir session until 1890
with only an interval or a recess. which was
devoted to divisions of the printing office in
which typesetting machines are used. 1t
was an Interesting inspection. as many of
the commissioners had never before seen a
typesetting machine, and in fact. to some
of them.he printing office itself was YER
liable wonder.
The commission only got its bearings on
the investigation it will make into the
type machine contention. 1t heard the two
sides to the controversy. and determined to
go into it very fully. The Mergenthaler
company was fully represented. Mr.. Philip
I. Dodge, its president, was there as were
Mr.. A. s. Worthington and Mr.. F. D. Nc
kenney, their attorneys; Mr.. Edward V.
Murphy and Mr.. j. L. Kennedy. The Lans-
ton company was represented by its attor-
ney, Mr.. Larsen OF New York
When the commission adjourned at 1890
O'Clock Mr.. Keep, the chairman, declined
to make any statement in relation to its
proceedings. and every one who had been
the dire penalty of not being allowed to re-
turn to the room if he should be discov-
cred giving out single fact concerning the
proceedings.
after time had been given for luncheon, and
will remain in session until about
o'clock.
Whether or not the commission will meet
tomorrow had not been determined at the
morning session. 1t is likely that it will to-
day adjourn until Monday. Its sessions are
being held in the Office of the public print
er's private secretary.
Scope Of the Inquiry.
The first work was to outline some plan
for an investiga ton. 1t was today under
stood that there will be a full inquiry to
show the ground which the public
printer ordered the seventy-two machines.
1t will be shown that that course was taken
by him upon the recommendation of fore
men In divisions In which these machines
are In use, but without general discussion,
and after 1t had been understood by peo-
| pie Interested in such machines that no
more OF them of any make would be pur-
| chased this year. The public printer HIM
| self will tell the commission what he knows
about the machine and reasons for pur-
chasing 1t at this time.
The investigation is to go beyond that.
| IL Will be carried on by calling experts in
the office to testify concerning the merits
accurate records have been kept in some
of the divisions in which these machines
are in use that will allow a close estimate
to be made as to the cost of doing work
under the two methods. These records will
PROBABLY become part eff the records OF
the commission. PR
third important subject for investiga-
ton in this connection will be in regard to
the ownership of stock of the two COM
panies by officials of the government print
ing office.
This will bring up a trying issue. as 1t
has not yet been determined whether the
stock books of the companies will be called
for, in order to ascertain just who were the
owners of record al some given date in the
past. 1t is openly asserted that many
blocks OF Lanston stock held by men
in the government printing office who might
have Influenced the choice of Lanston ma
chimes. The stock being low-priced one.
II is SAID. many men of small means have
purchased II in the past hoping that II
might get established on basis that would
make 1t soar somewhere in the vicinity of
Mergenthaler, which would make fortunes
for them.
1t is also said that some blocks of Mer
genthaier are held in the Office, but these
have been cases of ownership of long stand
ing.
Comparison of Machines.
But the most important feature of the in
vestigation today lies in the fact that the
commissioners will be obliged to make an
official determination which of the two ma
chimes Is the superior one. as there will be
no possible result that they can reach In re-
lation to the case without such determ-
nation.
The investigation begun today is not re-
garded as one that will be difficult
There are said to be certain distinct facts
In connection with the ordering of the
seventy-two additional Lanston machines
which will determine their relative value
In comparison with the Mergenthaler. All
the witnesses desired are within the build
Ing which the commission is holding its SEES
sions. They will all be called on to tell
what they know during the next few days
The proceedings of the investigation are
being recorded by stenogra pliers, and will
become part of the general record Of the
commission.