The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-09-11
CORRUPTION
CHARGES
NOT PROVEN

OYSTER Bay. L. L.. Sept. u--President
Roosevelt today made public the report
Of the Keep commission on It's recent IN
vrs.igation OF affairs in the government
pr,nting office at Washington. The In
ouiry was made by special direction OF the
President on account OF a protest when
ma had received from officials of the
M~eruenthaier Typesetting Machine Com
rnnv against the award OF a contract by
Public Printer Frank w. Palmer 10 the
Ianston Monotype Company for q ma
chimes OF it's make. .
nv order OF the President the contract
with the Lanston company was held up
until an investigation could be made with
A view 90 ascertaining whether the
charges OF favoritism and corruption In
the letting OF the contract were substan-
TALLY founded. As heretofore chronicled,
the President decided after an examina-
ton OF the Keep report that the contract
for the Lanston machine should stand.
The Keep commission reported that II the
contract could be set aside such a
course would be desirable" although the
commission states expressly that mo
corrupt consideration payment or promise
passed from the Lanston Monotype Com
parry To the Public Printer or TO any per
son in the Government service"
II was developed by the investigation,
however, that two important assistants OF
TIE Public Printer were Indirectly Inter
ested In the Lanston company, their
wives being stockholders therein"
The commission shows that a fair and
impartial test OF the Lanston and Mergen-
thaler machines was not made. re-
ports that the purchase of a large num-
Der of Lanston machines wa IMPROVE
dent" and indicated great partially and
hiae on the rt ~ the pnhltN Printer -
The commission regards the purchase as
"naladministration."
The report OF the commission is volu-
minous, containing 1900 words. Accom-
panying II IS a memorandum by President
Rockwell, the text OF which follows:
THE conclusions OF the committee are
hereby approved, save the latter part OF
conclusion hrst. IT does not appear that
there is any question as 10 the validity Of
tho contIactt in question. II Il had not
been for the conduct OF the Mergenthalo-
company in preferring the charge discuss.
ed by the committee on conclusion two.
that OF corruption. ] should agree with
the commission that IL would be destraols
to set aside the contract II euch a course
was legal But, second only TO corruption
In a public officer In point OF i~nigu!ty
consists in making O baseess charge of
corruption, and this is what the commit
SIGN finds the Mergenthsler company has
Zone In this case. It's comments being IN
part:
I'm thu light OF the failure CT the
company To produce evidence Of such
corruption, Il must be held that the
charge was made recklessly. and the
Msrgenrhaler company should be severely
condemneo for including such a charge In
e formal communication 10 the President
Of the United States, made as a basis for
Official action on his part. II is fair. also.
10 the Lanston Monotype company tn say
that no evidence was produced by the
Merg%Dthaler company, nor was any oh
tatned by the commission In the course az
its hearing. tending TO show any promise.
payment or consideration OF any KIM
whatever made by the Lanston company.
or any OF It's officers or agents, TO any
rerson In the government service
Had not this charge OF corruption been
made ] should have entirely agreed with
the conclusion OF the commission that IL
IL were possible (Which IL Is not) II would
he desirable TO canoel the contract In
question.
"fubiio Printer Palmer has been re-
moved from Office. The cases Of the sub
ordiuates alluded to IN the report must be
taken up In connection with the discipline
and reo eanizaton OF the bureau when
Mr.. Falnler's successor assumes office"
The report Is signed by c. II. Keep, as
sistant secretary OF the treasury. chair
man. F. II. Hitchcock. first assistant
postmaster general: Lawrence o. Murray,
assistant secretary of and la
Dor. and James r. Garfield, commissioner
Of corporations in the department OF COM
meroe and labor.