The Washington times., 1905-07-09
G. P. 0. EXPECTS
MORE DISCLOSURES
Keep Commission Probes
Tomorrow.
PL0YES INFLUENCED
Intimated That Foremen Were Unable
to Hold Conservative Opinions
About Machines.

Tomorrow the Keep commission will
resume its inquiry into the Lanston
contract at the Government Printing
Once. and predictions are heard that it
will mark the beginning of an interest
ing week of disclosures regarding the
rivalry between the Lanston and Mer-
genthaler machines.
Developments so far have indicated
this as the main line of questioning by
the Presidents Investigators. 1t is just
becoming publicly known that many
employees of the big printery have soon
er or later come fare to face with the
question of what machine they would
favor. Therefore the commission wants
to find out whether, or not Inducements
were offered them to see how much bet
ter one machine was than the other
The evidence has shown that no matter
which machine was before them at the
moment, the representatives of the
other could be counted upon to make
better showing if given little more
4sne to figuring things out.
Entertaining Employees.
A good deal of public discussion mas
been created by the developments OF the
investigation SO far and 1t is preSuIaeo
that the end Is not yet. In fact, accord
ing to some OF those VINO be1eVe theS
know what is going on in the Dig PRINT
cry. nothing better could have happeheo
for the rank and file at work shere thah
lust this sort of an inquiry TO sho"
how efficiency in the Office has been IN
terfered with by the pickering between
rival machine interests
any way allied with one or the other OF
the machines that If each was sure OF
Its ground it would just have a public
exhibition which the Public Printer and
others could attend. 1t is a character
istic Of the Government. they say. to
want the best it can get, even If the
price is high. To discover that attempts
are being continually made Ion the
quiet to influence the decision of en-
ployes OF the Government to favor this
or that invention after secret demon
stration of it's work always leaves d bad
impression of it in the minds of the
general public. People have no hesi-
fancy In saying that trips to New York
with lavish entertainment for employees
who are about to make a decision on
the relatiae merits of two machines,
are bound to create an impression that
ought not exist in the award OF any
Government contract.
Must Take Sides.
According to some intimations as to
what may be expected in the testimony
of the coming week. conditions in the
big printery recently became such that
forenen had to decide just which side
they would take IN the impending war
between the two typesetting machines.
If they favored one, they would at least
be spoken Of favorably by some persons.
If they declined to commit themselves.
they ran the risk of having both sides
criticise them, and perhaps cast discredit
on their efficiency in the office
Such conditions as these find nothing
but sharp criticism among the best class
OF employees in the printery, or, in 9TH
er words. of practically the entire staff
These men feel a pride In their work and
in their responsible positions in the Gov
ernment service and it is not saying
too much 10 declare they resent at
tempts to influence their opinions But
there are oftentimes occasions when
they find attentions offered in such an
open and courteous manner and so en-
flreiy above board that to decline them
would seem almost like an insult to the
prominent persons who make them.
An Outside Fight.
Nevertheless it is now more and more
apparent as the testimony is piled up
that the question the commission is
investigating is not SO much a matter
Of Public Printer Palmer's Judgment
concerning the needs of the office as 1t
Is an inquiry into the Influences which
are al work somehow end somewhere to
raise up one machine and depress the
other. and then vice versa from the
standpoint OF the other side. There
are tunes and places to do such things
IL is argued. but they are not proper
wheI: it is all too evident that the pur-
pose Is to influence the public action
OF employees Of the Government.
Some interesting testimony Is antici-
pated when Foreman l.. c. Hay, Of the
JOB DIVISION. resumes the stand to-
morrow He Is TIE bureau head, who
was overlooked when the committee OF
three was getting up Special Report
No 81 on which the Public Printer
based his award 10 the Lanston com
pany. Hay was told he might send in
statement for consideration, it has
been stated in evidence but he was not
questioned, it is said as carefully az
others who did not think so highly as
he did of the MergenthaIer machine
So far the public confidence in the
Keep commission has been such thai
expectations have been high for a tho.
rough investigation of the whole sub.
1ect. However. since the publication ol
all testimony Is being prevented 20 az
great "a degree as possible. there is Nc
telling how much important evidence
may be eliminated before the record Is
printed Even this may not be done
if the commission SO decides. Henct
the testimony of the most interesting
nature regarding the big printery ant
the doings OF some OF its employe.
may never see the light of day. unles:
President Roosevelt orders its publica
ton.
CnppECTT0N