New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-11
PRINTING OFFICE REPORT.
PRESIDENT GIVES 1T OUT.
Lanston Contract StandS-Gross In
Justice in Tests, Says Commission.

which he had received from officials OF the Mer-
genthaler typesetting machine company
against TIE award CT q contract by Frank ~.
Palmer the Public Printer. TO the Lanstoa
Monctype 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
a view Of ascertaining whether the charges e
fayoritism and corruption in the letting OF the
contract were substantially founded
AS heretofore told the President decided af-
ter an examination Of the Keep report. that
the contract for the Lanston machines should
stand. The Keep Commission reported that
if the contract could be set aside. such course
would be desirable" : ough the commission
states expressly that o corrupt considera-
ton payment or pronlis passed from the Lans-
ton Monotype Conpan to the Public Printer
or to any person in tht government service
It was developed by she investigation. how
ever that two important assistants OF the Public
Printer were indirectly interested in the Lanston
company. their wives beitg stockholders there
in The commission shog s that fair and i'm
partial test of the Lanstt and Mergenthaler
machines was not made I'd reports that the
purchase of large of Lanston ma
chimes was "improvident'' aid Indicated great
partiality and bias the / of the Public
Printer The commission res ths purchase
as NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
THE PRESIDENTS MEN INDUM
The report OF the commissiol 5 voluninous.
containing about sixteen thousa e words Ac-
companying it is a memorandum By President
Roosevelt in which he approves he report. ex-
cept as to the disposition of the contract for
the Lanston machines. which he has directed
shall stand. The text OF the Presidents mem
orandum follows:
Oysfar Pav Sentau7oe- Iqn5
The conclusions of the committee are hereby
approved save the latter part of Conclusion
tion as to the validity of the contract in ques-
ton II it had not been for the conduct of the
MergenthaIer company in preferring the charge
discussed by the committee In Conclusion :,
that of corruption should agree with tie COM
mttee that it would be desirable to set aside
the contract, If such a course were lesas But
second only to corruption in a public officer in
point of iniquity comes making a base1css
charge of corruption and this is what the TOM
mttee finds the Mergenthaler company has
done in this case. its comments being in par
In the light of the failure of the company to Eee
that the Charge was made reekiessiy and ts M
genthaie Ter company should oe SeVere.y n lima,
cation to the President Of the United states mae &
also to the Lanston Monotype Company to say. that
no evidence was produced by the Mergensnias
in the Course of its hearing. tending to show ans,
Whatsoever made by the Lanston company. or any
of it's officers agents TO any person in the soy-
n
Had not this charge of corruption been Inade
I should have entirely agreed with the con
clusion of the committee that if it were possible
(Which n is not) il would be desirable to cancel
the contract in question
Public Printer Palmer has been removed from
office The cases of ',e subordinates alluded ~
I'm the report must he taken up in connection
with the discipline and reorganization OF 1h1
bureau when Mr. Palmers successor assume n
office. THEODORE RooSEN Eli Eli
The Keep Commission appointed scfue
time ago to make q general investigation of the
business methods in all the government depart
nents. with a view to simplifying and improving
them Its report into the affairs of the Govern
nent Printing Office is signed by G. II Keep.
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. Chairman:
r H. Hitchcock. First Assistant Postmaster
General; Lawrence o. Murray. Assistant secre-
tary of Commerce and Labor and James r.
Garfield Commissioner of Corporations in the
Department of Commerce and Labor.
THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE COMMITTEE
The general conclusions of the COMMITTEES i
the report made public to-day are summed w
as follows:
First-The contract of the 10Th of June was
duly executed by the Public Printer ana the
Ianston Monotype Company before 1ts SUBJECT
matter was called 10 your attention and before
therefore. any orders were or could De ISSUED
To DELAY action The law gives the Public
printer full discretion to make such Contract.
and his contracts for machinery do not have 10
be approved by any superior officer or by the
Joint Committee Printing. We know OF no
ground upon which the contract can be success
fully attacked Its validity is. however, more
properly question for your legal advisers than
for this committee. If it could be set aside,
such a course would be desirable.
Second-NO corrupt consideration, payment or
promise passed from the Lanston Monotype
son in the government service
Third-The action of the Public Prlnter in
based largely upon a report from his subordi-
mates. claiming superiority for the Lanston
machines. which report was based on unfair
tests and imperfect records and was unjust
to the Mergenthaler machine.
Fourth-Two important assistants Of the Pub
lie Printer holding positions as chiefs OF division
in the Government Printing Office. and con-
nected in important ways with such report. were
indirectly interested in the Lanston company.
their wives being stockholders therein
Fiftn-Both the Lanston and Mergenthalsr
machines have done excellent work IN the Gov
ernment Printing once, and both are needed
there. and in our judgment. both should have
been purchased; but further than this we ex-
press no opinion to their comparative merits
for particular classes of work.
Sixth-The purchase OF fOrty-hve Larston
machines. costing about $4,000 for work on
Patent specifications. without any test OF the
EIersenthaler machine on this work although q
request for fair test OF the TWO ulacniees on
this particular work had been made by the
Mergenthalar company, and although the Public
Printer had promised the Mergenta4ier cen-
pany careful consideration OF the merits Of the
two machines on this work. an i'm provident
purchase. and indicates great part1ality and bias
on the part OF the Public Printsr. We consider
IL ma nipistration.
Seventh-The openly srowed eelief Of the
Public Printer that the Mergenthaler Linetype
Companv had been at the bottom OF the move
nent to secure his removal from efdcs. ard the
strong support he received from Mr.. Dove. presi-
dent of the Lanston company. and from General
Nfirhener his intimate personal friend Of twen-
" years standing. counsel FOR the La1ston eoyl'-
pany. had put the Public Printer n q conditier
of mind which rendered him incapable OF i'm