Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-11

the Lanston company. Mr.. Palmer said
that. being subject to interruption at his
ONCE. it was more convenient for him to
transact the business at Mr.. Doves house.
Mr.. Dove testified that he spent four days
each week in Philadelphia. and had other
business interests in Washington, which
made II more convenient for him to have
the public printer call at his house. Com
menting on these meetings, the report says:
whether the motive for the meetings at
Mr.. Doves house was to prevent knowl-
edge of the negotiations from reaching
other persons. and especially to prevent
such knowledge from reaching the Mergen-
thaler Linotype Company. or whether these
meetings were based upon the business
convenience of Mr.. Dove, or whether both
reasons were in mind, is a matter for con-
lecture.
IF one object was to keep the negotia-
lions quiet. the purpose was fully obtained.
as the Mergenthaler Linotype Company APP
pears not to have known that any nego-
tiations for the purchase of machines were
proceeding until the announcement of the
matter was made in the public press.
Important Purchase.
I'm view of the fact that the purchase OF
machinery thus agreed upon on the 18th OF
June was one of the most important in the
history of the government printing office;
in view of the request of the Mergenthaler
company, as expressed in Mr. Dodge's let
ter to the public printer asking to be adj
VlSeQ Wnetner dQQltlOnal purchases VI ~ pc
setting machinery were in contemplation,
and of the public printers reply thereto
that he was not yet ready to take the mat
ter up, but that when the time came the
comparative merits of the two machines
would have his careful consideration, and
in view of the intimate political and per-
sonal relationship between the public print
er and Gen. Kitchener, the counsel for the
Lanston Monotype Company. 1t is our opln-
ion that this purchase should not have been
negotiated at the private residences Of Mr..
Dove and Gen. Michener, but at the gov
eminent printing office, and that the meth
cd followed in this case was highly I'M
proper; also that the Mergenthaler Limo
type Company should have been informed
that the purchase of additional machines
was under consideration and should have
been given an opportunity to be heard.
ut has been necessary in describing the
circumstances attending the execution OF
this contract, to mention the name of Oscar
]. Ricketts,, foreman of printing, in con-
nection with the movement to have him ap-
pointed public printer, and to refer to the
opinion avowed and expressed by Mr.. Pal
mer and Gen. Kitchener and Mr.. Dove to
each other, and to members of Congress,
that he was the candidate of the Mergen-
thaler Linotype Company, and that this
company was the principal interest and in
f1uence behind his candidacy. Questions
were asked of the public printer, Mr.. Dove
and Gen. Kitchener to what grounds they
haa for thinking that the Mergenthaler
company was behind Mr.. Ricketts,. The
reasons given were of an unsubstantial
character, and it is only just to Mr.. Rick
etts to say that there is not In the evidence
taken before this committee anything to
show an illegitimate connection between
Mr.. Ricketts, and the Mengenthaler Com
pany; nor is there any proof of any act of
Mr.. Ricketts, in connection with the Mer-
genthaler and LanSton machines in the
government printing office which. in our
opinion. is to Mr.. Ricketts, discredit in
consistent with preference on his part for
the Mergenthaler machine, based on his
honest belief as printer that this machine
was better adapted than the Lanston ma
chine for much Of the work in the govern
ment printing office.
Ricketts, Not Consulted.
1.-The important fact brought to light in
connection with this matter is that Mr..
Ricketts,, while holding the position of fore
man of printing, and being In immediate
charge Of the work done there in the de-
partment of composition, and the only off,
Ger whose duties gave him Immediate super
vision of both machines, was in no manner
consulted by the public printer in an i'm
portant purchase of machinery, for the rea-
son, avowed by the public printer. that
he considered Mr.. Ricketts, prejudced in
favor of the Mergenthaler machines, and
that he was satisfied from informatio that
came to him that the Mergenthaler COM
pany had been the principal influence be-
hind Mr.. Ricketts, candidacy. Such dissen-
sion in great government bureau between
the head of the office and one of his prin-
cipal assistants could not fail to be preju-
dical to the proper conduct of its business.
1T developed in the course of the testi-
mony taken by the commission that sew
eral persons in the government printing Of
flee were, at the time covered by our in
Quiries, interested in the stock of the Lans-
ton and Mergenthaler companies Both of
these stocks are dealt in on the Washington
stock exchange. and 1t is not surprising that
in a body of men as large as that employed
in the government printing office, whose at
tention is naturally directed to typesetting
machinery, some speculation in Lanston
and Mergenthaler stocks should be found.
The committee considered such matters of
no Importance, except in the case Of per-
sons whose acts exercised an influence upon
the reports submitted to the public printer
about the typesetting machinery or per-
sons who occupied important positions in
the government printing Office and might be
regarded as assistants to the public
printer"
Ownership Of Stock.
The Keep report says the ownership of
stock in typesetting machine company
may not be violation of the Revised
Statutes, but its ownership by the wife of
an assistant in the office, where such as
sstant is in a position to exercise infu-
ence upon the opinion of the public printer,
constitutes gross improperly.
ord clerks division of the government
printing Office, suggested a method of
computing measurements in the test of
composition cost between the Mergen-
thaler and the Lanston machines. His
suggestion was acquiesced in by Mr.. Rick
etts. On the stand Mr.. Bonney testified
that he had never held stock in either
company. but the admission was drawn
from him that his wife had formerly held
stock in the Mergenthaler company. This
she had sold year ago. Later, she pur-
chased Lanston stock, selling the latter
three weeks before Mr.. Bonney appeared
before the committee. one had bought
the stock her husband testified, with her
indeDendSnt means.
Albert Cottle, chief Of the fifth division,
where ten Lanston machines are located
stated that he had heard his wife held
100 shares of stock in the Lanston COM
pany, but he was not sure about 1t, as
she had an Independent income and did not
always consult him as to her investments.
Mr.. Cottle. the report says, was one of
the three members of a committee ap-
pointed by the public printer to investigate
typesettlng machines in the early summer
of 1904.
He was says the report, lone Of the
men mentioned by the public printer to
Gen. Kitchener as friend whom Gen.
Kitchener was free to consult with out