Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-14

several members of the commission.
The first part of the examination TelatAS
to the quality and the quantity of work
that can be turned out by the Lanston ma
chine and the means that had been pur-
sued by Mr.. Ricketts, foreman of the big
printery i'm arriving at the relative merits
of the Mergenthalers and the Lanstons.
Not Much Difference in Quality.
Mr.. Ricketts, replied that so far as the
quality of the work done by the Lanstons
was concerned he could not detect much
difference between the two machines, for
the reason that most of the work by each
of them is done from electrotype or stereo-
type plates. They had as much success
with the Mergenthaler as with the Lanstou
as far as the quality of the work was con-
cerned.
Mr.. Larkin questioned Mr. Ricketts, In
relation to his acquaintance with Mr.. John
l.. Kennedy, who had represented the
Mergenthaler Company in this city on ac- 1
casions Tor several years. and has been
credited with having much TO do with over
coming the prejudice against the introduce
tion of typesettIng machines in the govern
meut printing oflice. He said he had
known Mr.. KenneGy VINO was an old
printer, having been employed IN the office.
some years ago, Tor fifteen or sixteen years.
He had worked at the ease with him
many years ago and since that time he had
contact with him in different organizations
III wEiCh they were interes tcd.
MIR. Ricketts denied empnatically that the
Mergenthaler or any OF Its representa- tfVeS
had assisted him or even offered assist
him in becoming the successor OF Public
Printer Palmer. He had never been an
avowed candidate for taat place, and the
first time the matter was mentioned 10 him
was one day when met a prominent
senator. who told him that there would DO
a vacancy III the oince OF public printer.
tAld a flaa f4.gs
that / thought he snoud advise Mr.. Pal
mer concerning 1t, and he agreed TO do So
The senator then tod Mr. Ricketts, that it
was the desire of his friends in both houses
of Congress that he should succeed to the
place when the vacancy occurred.
Il replied" said Mr. Ricketts,, that I
could DO nothing to prejudice the inter-
ests of MIR. Palmer, and so long as he de-
sired to stay in the ofnce and as long as
there was AN opportunity for him to do SO
my efforts will be thrown in that direc-
ton
This senator, Mr.. Ricketts, said, after a
conference with the Illinois delegation In
Congress. stated that it would be no act
of dis!oyalty on the part of MIR. Ricketts,
to allow his name to be used as a candidate
for the office OF public printer Mr.. Rick
etts is himself from illinois.
Jury OF Awards.
Mr.. Ricketts, was cross-examined in re-
lation to the work of the international jury
OF awards at the ST. Louis exposition. He
said that the story printed by the New
York Sun to the effect that he as well as
other members of the jury were sent there
in the interests of the Mergenthaler COM
pany was an Infamous and criminal It's
sue of falsehoods." He stated that upon
the publication of the article in question
he had Immediately brought suit against
the Sun company TO recover damages for
that libel"
Mr. Ricketts, gave the commission a va
riety of evidence to prove that his appoint
ment as member OF the International
board of awards was obtained through
personal friend, who was one OF the mem
bers of the worlds fair commission. Neither
the Mergenthaler company nor any other
private interest at the fair had taken any
part in the matter of his appointment TO a
place on the board of awards.
Mr. Ricketts, stated that the jury or
awards was unanimous in its decision in
which the Mergenthaler was given the
grand prize and the Lanston was given the
gold medal. This decision, he said, had
been reached after a most careful and con-
scientious Investigation.
He>denied that he had any interest In the
success OF the Mergenthaler machines, ana
that his position i'll relation to the typeset-
ting machines was such he would as
sumo as a business man.
He would not buy for the government he
said, anything that he would not buy for
himself If he were In private business. He
did not believe that the expenditure of
S231, ,tG0 for tyPesetting machinery at the
present time would lie justified in view of
the conditions that exist. He stated that
the President In his last two annual mes
saees had called attention to the extrava-
garce Of the printing bill, and he believed
that the purchase of these machines would
not lessen the expenditure for printing.