Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-15

say he knew absolutely that Public
Printer Palmer would not be reappointed.
and therefore it was time for MIR. Ricketts,
to start his own boom for the place. 10
this Mr. Ricketts, said he protested az
first lest 1t should put him in false ilsht
with reference to his official chief. But
the senator assured him to the contrary;
Mr. Ricketts, pressed for the name Oh
the senator. but Chairman keep salu ne
need not answer that question un-ess ne
was willing. II was not answered.
Mr. Ricketts, described his visit to New
York with w. II. Tapley and Albert Co.tle
as "A commission to investigate typesetths
machines. over year ago, when the nrst
purchases were contemplated when
they arrived at their hotel they
found not only that Mr.. Dodge had left
cards for them but that MIR. Nathan, the
sales agent of the Lanston monotypc, had
done the same thing. both gentlemen nav
ing had advance information apparently OF
the coming of the commission. After they
had dined with President Dodge at the En-
gineers' Club they returned to their hotel,
where Mr.. Nathan was awaiting thcm-
He extended an invitation for an even
lng's entertainment to US. said MT KICK
etts He added that he remarked to Cottle
that ''old men like you and should go 10
bed instead of running about town after
nightfaIl" Mr.. Ricketts, excused himself
soon retired, and remembered nothing more
till very late. when COttle and Tapiey en-
tered his room putting and blowing ana
saying n great deal about now hne the loo-
ster ard wine were.
Public Printer Palmer.
When Public Printer Palmer was recalled
TO the witness-stand at the afternoon SEES
sion he was asked whether Mr.. J. Maury
Dove president Of the Lanston Company,
ever visited his house. Mr.. Palmer said
Mr. Dove had visited his house once or
twice during June. but not since the in
vestigatiOn. Mr.. Palmer added that MT
Bancroft. secretary of the Lanston Com
pany had visited his office at the printing
office. Mr. Palmer said he did not know
that Forcmcn Cottle and Hodes and Chlel
Engineer Tapley had visited the house OF
Mr.. Dove. as they had testified doing. Nhen
told that Taplcy had said that he spoke to
Mr.. Palmer about certain of these visits
Mr.. Palmer said he had no recollection OF
any such conversation.
The MerCenthaler attorneys sought TO
prove that Cen l.. T. Kitchener, one of
the Lanston attorneys, had been IN charge
of Public Printer Palmers campaign for
reappoiutment. But Mr.. Palmer only adj
mittcd that he had discussed with Gen
Kitchener his own chances for reappoint-
ment and when Mr. Palmer was pressed tor
some specific statement, he replied that
Gen. Kitchener assured him that 1.-The gen
eral appearance of his campaign was good
During this questioning it was brought out
that for several years Mr.. Dove has had
the contract for furnishing coal at the gov
eminent printing Office. but that last year,
because of the smoke law. it was decided
to use hard coal
Mr.. Palmer said that Foreman of Bindery
Byrnes and Tapley and Hodes had informed
HIM of Mr. Ricketts, campaign for nominal
ton public printer
Describes His Career.
Describing his career. Mr.. Palmer said
at the afternoon session of the Keep COM
mission that it included six terms as state
printer of Iowa, two terms In Congress,
eight years as postmaster at Chicago and
almost fourteen years as public printer. He
said he was disbursng about 100000 an
nually of the governments money. and
that during his incumbency of the office he
had disbuTsed about A1,00OOO0 He declar-
ed that no one had ever questioned his per
sonal integrity. He appointed the Tapley
commission. which drew up Special Re
port No D.. because he thought improve
.uents might be made IL: the administrative
ethOds of the Office Mr.. Palmer added
with considerable emphasis:
mo motives. other than the best interests
of the public service, prompted or con-
trOlled me in giving this contract. Moth
ing was said or done. directly or indirectly,
at Mr.. Doves residence which had any in
fiuence upon my acts in this matter"
The contract for the first LanstOn ma
chine, Mr.. Palmer said, originally
drawn by Gen. Kitchener. because the gov
eminent wanted to protect itself against
suits for the infringement of patents. The
contract for the MergenthaIer machines
was drawn on the same lines as the first
contract for LanstOns.
Asked why he did not ask for Mr.. Rick
EFT resignation for his unwillingness to
sign the second Lanston requisirion. he
said he did rot discharge Mr.. Ricketts, "for
administrative reasons" explaining that
had he done IT would have been said
that Mr.. Ricketts, had been discharged be-
cause he was a candidate for Mr.. Palmer's
place.
Assumed All the Responsibility.
Mr. Palmer added that he did not consult
Mr.. Ricketts, about the second Lanston con-
tract but assumed all the responsibility
himself for the transaction. The public
printer added that he believed Mr. Ricketts,
had the Mergenthaler interests more at
heart than the interests of the government"
If you believed any such thing as that
why did you not then discharge him?''
asked MIR W ortHington.
Wen, / did not discharge him." replied
Mr.. Palmer.
Mr. Palmer denied any knowledge of the
sact that the wives of two employees in the
government printing office as previously
testified. hold blocks Of Lanston stock.
Mr- Palmer concluded his testimony by
saying that his Judgment was and always
had been In favor OF the purchase of the
Ldnst0n machines, and the testimony
brought out by the commission had not
changed his opinion.
Other Witnesses.
Other witnesses at the afternoon session
were Mr. E. W. Finley. manager o. the
George II. Ellis Printing Company OF Bos-
ton. and Joseph Cans who does book and
magazine printing business in New York
Both witnesses said that they used Lanston
and Thorne typesetting machines In their
offices Mr.. Finley praised the facility
with which on the Lanston machine au-
thors corrections can be made He said
the cost OF making these corrections by
the LanstonS was one-third less than by
hand. He said he could not tell from
proof sheets whether type had keen set by
the Lanston or Mergenthaler He thought
the Mergenthaer was better ADAPTED for
newspaper work, and that the double
decker Mergenthalers are better ADAPTED
for book work than the older machines II
he were 10 tit out new printing plant
Mr.. Finley said, he should investigate the
new MerSenthaler devices for setting tabu-
lar matter. He was shown a Big book of
tables set by the Mersenthaler ma chimes,
and said II was good work commercially
Mr. Cans testified that authors CORE c.
tons could be made on the Lanston ma
chimes for half what the same corrections