The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-12
SCANDAL EVERYWHERE
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE INVOLVED.
Do They Mean to Go to the BOtton of Its-Evidencc of Lax Discipline and MaladministratiOn Easi-
 ly Obtninable.


Washington Special to New York
 World.
 The star chamber proceedings of the special commission appointed by the President, to investigate the contract awarded by Public Printer Palmer to the Lanston Monotype Company for seventy-two additional machines tend to justify one of two conclusions in the public mind. Either the scandal is so bad that the commission dares not let it become public. or an effort will be made to whitewash the affair. If this commission will go to the bottom 1t will find laxity of discipline and ma1administration of the affairs of the biggest printing establishment on earth on the part of its responsible heads, if one-tenth of the rumors cur rent are correct.
 The Investigating commission IS composed of young and energetic men, all personal friends of the President. If they wish to set things right, The World is able to give them few sug- gestions to that end; and President Roosevelt has said that he wants the facts. It may be discovered that the evil in the big printing office Is due primarily to a want of familiarity with details by the responsible head.
 Advent of the LanstOn Machine.
 The Lanston machines were first in- stalled in the government printing of- flee last year in the Patent Office Ga- zette division, of which Mir. Hodes is foreman. F4rmerly the Gazette and Specifications divisions were one, and Hodes was assistant foreman. Through his influence and in opposition to all the officials of the office the Gazette was made a division of itself.
 Twenty thousand dollars was ex- pended in 1903 in new equipment for the Gazette division. New type, new iron frames and racks, new composing sticks, etc, were purchased, and the division was put in shape for better work than ever before. This new equipment was hardly installed before the campaign for the Lanston machine began. and eighteen of these machines were placed in the Gazette division for trial. These were followed soon after by ten other machines, and the costly type and other supplies were either thrown into the metal pot or sold as junk. ..
 Making "RecOrd."
 Public Printer Palmer states that he awarded the contract on the merits of the machine as reported to him by those having them in charge, If the commission cares to examine into how the record made by these machines was secured t/can easily get this in- formation. as The World has
 
 figures in the report to the Public Printer was made by one of the young women of the composing force under conditions of the most favorable char acter. This young woman, whose name has been frequently mentioned in connection with this matter since the investigation bega. would make an excellent witness. Machinists and re- pairers. it is alleged, were under posi- five orders to comply with her com- mands, and whenever her machine got out of order all work was stopped un- til it was readjusted. This young wo- man, 1t is also alleged, carried the keys to the keyboard room. and ex- ercised the functions of foreman and was recognized as the deputy boss of the machine operators.
 Operators Entertained.
 Last winter, after the Lanston ma chimes had been in operation som' months, the representatives of thu company arranged a theatre party fo