Evening journal., 1905-07-03
ROW AMONG UNCLE
SAM 5 PRINTERS
Contract for Seventy-two
Type-setting Machines
Causes a Rumpus
PRESIDENT IS HOLDING II UP
BY william Won smith.

trying 20 break into the Government
Printing Onice first. because of She large
profits on the sales of their machines and
secondly because of the advertising prcs-
tige TO be gained from their installation
IN this office, the greatest in the world,
and conducted 10y the United States Cow
ernment As the machines were bound TO
displace "a number of compositors the pro-
iect was bitterly fought by Columbia 1Sp-
ographical Union and It was not until
lduring the winter year ago that tho
typesctting machine companies succeed
ed in their efforts.
An eX-presdent OF the Columbia Typo !
graphical Union was the agency throuea |
which this was accomplished and the |
Mcrgenthaler Company paid him "a fat
commission, when he landed "a contract
for a number of the machines. At The
Worlds Fair. Foreman Ricketts,. of the
Government Printing Ohice was a mcm-
ber of the board of awards and a lead
ing New York paper which uses the Lam
ston machines and whose owner Is re-
puted TO have considerable stock I'm that
concern, intmatcd rather broadly that
Mr. Ricketts, for reasons of his own.
thaler SO broadly. in fact. that Mr.. Rick
et;s thought his reputation had been
damaged TO the extent of 100000 and
brought suit against the paper Tor that
amount As the paper has no business
e representative in this district ne has as
= yet been unable TO obtain satisfaction.
a Until the last few days the Mcrgen-
s thaleI people thought they had monop-
g oily at the Government Printing Ohice and
e 10 was great shock 10 them when Public
r Printer Palmer announced he had given
contract To- the Lanston Company for
{ q machines. simultaneously the stock of
! the Lanston Company boomcd from
4 about l3 10 H. its par value being so The
\ Mergenthaler Company Immediately set
= up the plea that the Lanston people had
Obtained the contract by undue influence
TO which Mr. Palmer replied that he had
awarded the contract ON It's merits and
that If some Of the employees Of his Office
! suspecting his intentions. had sufficient
forethought 10 purchase some Of the stock
In the company and thereby pront. Il was
none of his business as he had too much
to do supervising some three thousand
employees TO inquire into investments OF
their savings
= The Mergenthaler people however.
thought differently and exerted sufficient
J. influence at the white House TO have the
n contract held mp pending an investiga.
e tion by the committee appointed to plar
? the reorganization of the DEPARTMENTS
2 Parenthetically it may be remarked that
s il this committee undertakes 10 investi.
/ gate an such matters IT'S work of plan
e ming "a reorganization viii proceed very
! slowly.
O Washington is deeply Interested in this
matter The printers hope il will result in
q both machines being thrown out and a
return 10 strictly hand composition.
=, Much Of the Mergenthaler stock is held
! in this city by persons possessing consid-
cradle local and political Influence and
fortunes We're made by those who carly
invested in the invention of the old Ger
. man, who profted little, Probably the
e bulk of the Lanston stock is also held
here the president Of the company be-
ing a local coal merchant. As an evil
e dence of the public belief that the Merg-
[ enthaler Company possesses the most Gin
huence," it may be noted that since the
Lanston contract was held up the stock
has steadily receded. II the contract is
finally approved however, there is reason
10 believe the two companies viii ANAL.
gamate, which is what the Lanston peo.
pie have hoped for.
The alleged excessive speeding Of an au.
tomobile occupied by President Roose.
welt and others one Sunday recently wa.
mentioned in this correspondence. Mr.. b
Pickman Mann OF this city, fails to Sc,
why the chauffer Of the Presidents auto.
mobile should be allowed to violate In,
speed laws Of the District OF Columbl.
which are so strictly enforced against
private citizens and therefore has ad
I dr. ssed The commissioners Of the IBIS
trict of Columbia calling their attention
to the alleged violation and suggestins
that IL be well to enforce the law impair
TALLY. Il can conceive Of nothing whicf
tends more 10 breed a disrcspect of IN,
law than the exception OF a disregard 70,
y it on the part of those 10 whom it's ad.
ministration is conhded." He admits thai
it is none Of his particular business ex.
cert as a resident OF the district T. cal
for an impartial execution of the law
The situation is one OF great deiicac,
and will be diplomatically handled by tn,
Commissioners.
Mr.. Mann calls for the disciplining OF
the police who permitted the law to b,
violated as we'll as the prosecution OF tn,
. chauffer. TO discipline the police would
. be To admit the chauner was violating
the law. presumably with the approva
q. Of the President OF the United States
!, while 10 prosecute the chauffer would bl
: an unhcard Of procedure. n is quite prob
= able the matter win be allowed 10 drol
~ and Mr.. Manns protest be practicanl
y IGNORED. II will bo remembered l.y old
Va timers that President Johnson was onc
u fined for failing to have the snow prompt
ld ~ removed from I'm front of the Whit
20 House grounds. and that President Gran
OF was similarly punished for fast drivin
H. on Pennsylvania avenue.
ur In times past many queer things hav
happened ia securing appointments {
Government positions in this city an
many schemes have been restored to fo
. the purpose OF securing positions. Their
'e' was a time when politicians had a pul
iin and party work was "a prerequisite for
ng place and then came the wave of civ
he service reform. and after years OF al,
rs cussion it was announced that merit
ne and not "pull' was 10 rule thereafter.
Us Vow it is the high jumper. the crac
~ osrsman. the expert pitcher or catche