The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-09-11
indirectly interested in the Lanston Monotype Company. their wives being stockholders therein.

Monotype Company, their wives peinS stockholders therein.
 Fifth--Both the Lanston and Mergen- thaler machiens have done excellent work in the government printing office and both are needed there and in our judgment both should have been pur- chased: but further than this we ex- press no opinion as to their compara- tive merits for particular classes of work.
 Sixth--The purchase of forty-five Lanston machines costing about $780, 900 for work on patent specifications without any test of the Mergenthaler machine in this work. although re- quest for a fair test of the two ma chimes on this particular work had been made by the Mergenthaler. Company and although the public printer had promised the Mergenthaler Company careful consideration of the merits Of the two machines on this work, was an improvident purchase and indicates great partiality and bias on the part of the public printer. We consider it maiadministration.
 Seventh-The openly avowed belief Of the public printer that the Mergenthaler Company had been at the bottom of the movement to secure his removal from ofice and the strong support he re- ceived from Mir. Dove, President Of the Lanston Company and from General Kitchener, his intimate personal friend of twenty years standing, counsel for the Lanston Company had put the pub lie printer in a condition of mind which rendered him incapable of impartial action in the purchase of typesetting machinery for his office.
 The total cose of the machines pur- chased was about $2so.0oo.
 The report refers to frequent visits n~tn fA the home in Washington of J. W. Dove, President of the Lanston Company. MT. Palmer said that being subject to in- terruption at his office, 1t was more convenient for him to transact the busi- ness at MT. Doves house. MT. Dove testified that he spent four days eacn week in Philadelphia and had other business interests in Washington whien made it more convenient for Aim 70 have the public printer call at his house. Commenting on these meetings the report says:
 Meeting mt Dove's Home.
 "whether the motive for the meet fnes at MT. Doves house was to prevent knowledge of the negotiations Tor na- chimes from other persons. and espe- eiallv to prevent such knowledge from reaching the Mergenthaler Linotype Company, or whether these meetings were based upon the business conven- fences of Mir Dove, or whether bota reasons were in mind, Is a matter TOT conjecture.
 If one object was to keep the nego- tiations quiet the purpose was tuiiy obtained.
 'In view of the fact that the pur- chase of machinery thus agreed upon on the 5th of June was one of the most important in the history of the GOV ernment printing office; in view Of the request of the Mergenthaler people as exnressed in Mir. Dodge's letters to the public printer asking to be advised whether additional purchases Of type setting machinery were in contempla- ton and of the public printers reply thereto that he was not yet ready to take the matter up, but that when the time came the comparative merits oi the two machines would have his care full consideration; and in view Of tnt intimate political and personal reia' tionship between the public printer and General Kitchener. the counsel TOT tht L.anston Monotype Company, 1t Is oul opinion that this purchase should moi have been negotiated at the private residences of Mr. Dove and General Kitchener, but at the Government print ing office, and that the method followed in this case was highly improper; also that the Mergenthaler Linotype Com pany should have been informed that the purchase of additional machines was under consideration and should have been given an opportunity to be heard.
 Tt has been necessary in describing the circumstances attending the execu- ton of this contract to mention the name of Oscar J. Ricketts. foreman of printing, in connection with the move ment to have him appointed public printer and to refer to the opinion avowed and expressed by Mir. Palmer and General Kitchener and MT. Dove to each other and to various members of Congress that he was the candidate of the Mergenthaler Linotype Company and that his company was the principal interest and influence behind his can didacy. Questions were asked of the public printer, Mir. Dove and General Kitchener as to what grounds they had for thinking that the Mergenthaler Company was behind Mr. Ricketts. The reasons given were of an unsubstantial character and it is only just to Mir. Ricketts to say that there Is not in this evidence taken before this committee anything to show an illegi- timate intimacy between MT. Ricketts and the Mergenthaler Company, nor Is there any proof of Mir. Rickett's recom- mendations in connection with the Mer- genthaler and Lanston machines in the government printing offlce, which in our opinion Is to MT. Rickett's discredit or tnconsintent with preference on his part for the Merganthaler ma chine based on his honest belief as a printer that this machine was better adapted than the Lanston machine for much of the work in the government printing o1ice.
 "rhe important fact brought to light in connection with this matter is that MT. Ricketts, while holding the posi- tion of foreman of printing and being in immediate charge of the work done there in the department of compost ton and the only officer whose duties gave him immediate supervision of both machines. was in no manner con- suited by the public printer in an im- portant purchase of machinery for the reason, as avowed by the public printer, tha the considered MT. Rockets pre- tudiced in favor of the Mergenthaler machines and that he was satisfied from information that came to him that the Mergenthaler Company has been the principal influence behind Mr Ricketts, candidacy. Such dissension in a great government bureau between principal associates could not fail to be business
 Interested in Companies.
 'Tt developed in the course of tes- timony taken by the committee that several persons in the Government Printing Office were at the time covered by our inquiries. interested in the stock oP fho Iansfop ana Mar1enfhaIar C0m.