New-York tribune., 1905-07-27
FIGHT OVER TYPESETTING MACHINES
RhAAhh4a6LE STATE OF AFFAIRS SHOWN TO EYJsT
IN GOVERNMENT PRINTING nrn1cU

pIL.ters In the Government Printing Office Ex-
- were also brought from New-York publish
l.s houses. like Charles Boutwell, superintendent
"a VIC De Nlnne company, and Oswald Maune
Crr.,eehoent Carna,s OF the Unity Press Publishing
SIonpany. who displayed samples OF Mergen-
T.aler I, work. both in books and tabular matter
s re experiences OF these and other big publish
- .s Hfils as Ia using the Mergenthaler machines
were detailed. The Lanston company also
Drought on a few experts. among them ex-Rep-
err n-,, D . Little L l. Redheld and Rob
- % Dprurnrnond. all OF New-York Paul Nathan
~ 81 me nrm OF Wood g. Nathan selling agents
Ut - me S Lanston In New-York. was present at
os. .s.x oA Ihe hearings but he not allowed 70
oesuy as an expert. He told the commission
Tt Taat ne knew about the introduction OF the
A-snstons In the Government Printing Office.
While many other topics were touched on the
Mergenthaler officials and attorneys earnestly
- sSusht 10 prove before the commission that
tlIeiF thachlnes were far superior and that
ana improved devices enabled operators TO set
11OuAaT matter readily. The efforts of the
LAhston officials and attorneys on the other
.Ialo; l were TO show that the Lanston was supe-
rior IN tabular work, which constitutes about
oO 20 40 per cent Of all the work IN the Govern
Inent PRINTING Office and that authors c>rrec-
tlons could be more easily made In rnonotype
Ilan IN linotype. They also were much exer-
cised 70 prove that the conferences ar ASr Doves
t.Ouse l We're chiefly TO save Mr.. Dove a business
cay as he and Mr.. Palmer were old friends
ana hVec not more than two blocks distant from
co',Is oeiler' @ II was asserted that Mr.. Dove
oouIo come over from Philadelphia in time for
these evening conferences and start back again
so as 20 be present in the City of BrotherIy Love
Aor tne a1airs Of the succeeding day Further
questioning brought out the fact that Mr. Dove
SPENDS only four days week in Philadelphia
giving the other two week davs 10 waehtngton
AF. Dove also testified that his firm and lasting
friendship with Public Printer Palmer a man
now almost eighty years old began about twelve
months ago
HELD LANsToN STOCK
II has been freely gossipped about town for
weeks that favored employees IN the Government
PRINTING Office. close to those who knew that
the contract for Lanston machines was to be
tod Hry5
testimony substantiated this gossip. II showed
that young woman in the office Of Chief Clerk
Brian had one hundred shares Of the stock:
also that the wife Of employed who hg-
uFed IN the making up of the Special Report
No. D." and the wife OF a foreman friendly to
the Lanston machines, had each one hundred
shares Of the Lanston stock. These wives how
ever. were declared to have independent incomes
and 10 have made the investments on their own
initiative
The testimony showed that when he made
the Lanston contract the Public Printer did not
know where he would place the additional ma
chimes He said on the witness stand that he
had arranged room for them He asserted that
he intended TO place forty-five Of the seventy
two new Lanston machines in the specifications
division. Soon afterward Captain William r.
Ramsey, foreman Of that division and an old
employe Of the printing Office. called and
testified that Mr.. Palmer had never consulted
him about putting any Lanston machines there.
The administration OF the Government Printing
Office is conducted on the rule that requests for
all such Improvements shall come from the
foremen Of divisions and through the foreman
OF printing.
At the hearings considerable was said about
the methods Of measuring work and about al
legations that the records OF the Lanston work
had been made very fat matter The
strained relations between Palmer and Ricketts,
until recently the best OF friends. were enpha-
sized.
Those who have followed the hearings think
II not unlikely that the commission Of five con-
sisting Of Assistant Secretary Keep. Frank H
Hitchcock, First Assistant Postmaster General:
Lawrence o. Murray, Assistant Secretary of
Commerce and Labor; James r. Garfield Com
missioner OF Corporations. and Clifford Pinchot
CHEZ Of the Forest Service. will try To find a
way 10 recommend the annument OF The CON
tract on the ground that there Is no demand
Tor such q large number OF machines IN the
Government Printing Office at present II seems
doubtful, however, whether the President can
annUi the contract without making the govern
ment liable 10 suit in the Court OF Claims 7.
IS almost certain that the receipt Of the renorT
by the President will be followed by the falling
or several Official heads in the printing Office