The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-09-15

Dispute Wa Primarily a Fight Bc.
tween MerScnthaicr ami Lan<son
C 1, e Machines. putli- t'rintcr
Palmer Nss Ctyin. Former a <mare
Deal.
Oyster. Bay. L. l.. September To-
President Roosevelt today made pub
lie The report of the Keep commission
on its recent investigation Of affairs
in the government printing office a
Washington. The inquiry was male
by SPECIAL direction of the President
on account Of a protest which he Fad
received from officials OF the Mergea-
thaler Typesetting Machine COMPANY
against the award OF a contract by
Public Printer Frank ". Palmer I
the Lanston Monosygs Company for
72 machines Of its make.
The President decided, after an ex-
animation of the Keep report, that
the contract for the Lanston machines
should stand. The Keep commission
reported that il the contract could be
set aside, such a course would be ad-
visable,' although the commission
states expressly that mo corrupt con-
Iteration, payment or promise passed
from the Lanston Monotype Company
to the public printer or to any PER
son in the government service"
It was developed by the invesIiga-
ton. however. that two important as
sistants of the public printer were IN
directly interested in the Lanston
Company, their wives being stock
l~zo 800; - Tho anpanalCGln
shows that a fair and impartial test
of the Lanston and Mergenthaler ma
chimes was not made. and reports that
the purchase of so large a number or
Lanston machines was 'improvidenI
and indicated great Partially ana
bias on the part of the public printer"
The commission regards the purchase
as NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS."
The text of the Presidents memo
| randum upon the report follows:
Oyster Bay, Sept 8, 1905.
THE conclusions of the committee
are hereby approved, save the latter
part OF the conclusion first. 1t does
not appear that there is any question
| as 10 the validity of the contract In
question. If it had not been for the
conduct OF the Mergenthaler COMPANY
| III DI6lSIIlAS TIC Shdi &c uioSN1oNN ~
the committee in conclusion two, that
of corruption. | should agree with he
committee that it would be desirable
to set aside the contract, if such course
were legal. But second only TO cor
ruption in a public Office in point %
INQUIRY, comes making a baseless
charge of corruption, and this is what
the committee finds the Merganthale.
Company has done in this case. its
comments being in part:
"In the light of the failure OF the
company to produce evidence of sucf
corruption. it must be held that thf
charge was made recklessly and tn
Mereenthaler Company should n
severely condemned for including
i such a charge in a formal communfca
ton to the President of the United
States made as a basis for official &C,
ton on his part. 1t is fair also to n
Lanston Monotype Company to say
that no evidence was produced by tn
Mergenthaler Company, o was IN,
obtained by the committee in IN
course of it's hearing, tending to shoV
any promise, payment or consldera
ton of n kind whatsoever made b!
the Lanston Company, or any OF <
officers or agents, to any person IN IN
government service.
Had not this charge of c%orruptic,
been made | should have entirel.
agreed with the conclusion of the com
, mittee that if 1t were possible (Which
it is mott it would be desirable to can
] eel the cotrnact in question.
public Pritner Palmer has been re
| moved from office. The case OF tn
/ subordinates alluded to in the repor
must be taken up in connection WI
, the discipline and reorganization 0
Il the bureau when Mr.. Palmer's success
i sor assumes office.
Il THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Referring to the allegation that Us
car ]. Ricketts, was the candidate O
: the Mergenthaler Company for publ
printer, the report says: question
were asked of the public printer, Nj
: Dove and General Kitchener, as t
what grounds they had for thinkln
that the Mergenthaler Company wa
l behind Mr.. Ricketts,. The reasons CIV
en- were of an unsubstantial cnarac
| ter and it is only just to Mr.. Rickett
to say that there is not in the .V'
l dence taken before this commute
anything to show an illegitimate con
nection between Mr.. Ricketts, and III
Mergenthaler Company"
u Byron w. Bonny, in charge OF IN
!, record and clerks division of the gov
/ erament printing office, and Alder
Cottle, chief of the fifth division, ar
mentioned as the men whose wiVe
held shares in the Lanston Company
Cottle was one of the three men "a
pointed to investigate tFpesetting ma
chimes in 1904.
The investigation as TO the comIai
alive cost of composition as anon
hand, Mergenthaler adm Lanston ma
chimes. the Keep commission state'
was made at the request of the puoll
rx..n4nr w II Tar