The sun., 1905-09-11
PALMER TO DEMAND INQUIRY.
GETTING MATERIAL READY TO
PRESENT TO CONGRESS.

New Facts Indicate That He Was Forced
Out Of the Government Printing once
TO Gratify Wishes OF the Merganthaler
Company and Its Washington Lobby.
WASHINGTON, Sept. i0-Great interest Is
manifested here In the investigation Of the
Government Printing Office, which Is sure
to be made by the next Congress-. Frank
w. Palmer the late Public Printer, has been
In close consultation with his legal advisers
and friends since he was deposed last Friday,
and Is getting the material ready to present
his case to both houses. Upon this he will
demand a sweeping investigation Of his
administration.
New facts are coming to light daily tend
ing to show that Mr.. Palmer was forced
out OF Office to crafty the wishes Of the
Mergenthaler typesetting machine COM
pany and It's Washington lobby. 1t is
regarded as incredible that the President
could have been aware of the true condi-
tions when he acted 80 summarily in ousting
Mr. Palmer from Office and putting Oscar
Ricketts, in charge.
The belief prevails here that the Presl-
dent had no knowledge Of the influences
which were at work in the Fifty seventh
Congress, or OF the gigantic lobby which
beset Senators and Representatives until
authority was finally secured for the in
stallation OF typesetting machines. All
these facts will be brought out in the in
vestigation by Congress.
The friends OF Mr.. Palmer have already
let in flood Of light on the Mergenthaler
contract with the Government. Altogether
forty-seven Mergenthaler machines have
been put in operation in the Government
Printing Office and its branches.
At the outset Public Printer Palmer
accepted what appeared to be the 20 pular
idea concerning the merits Of the Mergen-
thaler machine and gave that company
the advantage in the first purchase for
the printing Office. He bought forty-six
Mergenthaler linotype machines, for which
he paid 5000 each, and the aggregate
cost Of their installation was swelled to
$1sS 600 on account Of the purchase Of addi-
tional equipment for operating them.
Since the first purchase the Librarian OF
Congress made requisitiop for another
machine for use In the library branch
of the Printing Office, for which 5000
was paid.
The Mergenthaler company made no
reduction Of price on the big contract,
and the purchase Was on a cash basis. 1t
Is now asserted that the company has sold
the same type Of machine to private pur-
chaser at 5000 each on the basis Of de-
ferred payments. 1t is fair to assume that
better price could have been obtained
by the private purchaser had he dealt on
cash basis, but if this were not true the
Government has paid $500 more for each
of the forty-seven machines purchased,
or nearly $50 900 in the aggregate, than the
same machines have been sold for In smaller
lots to private purchasers.
The inference from these figures is that
the Government not only paid for the Mer-
genthaler machines the prices which private
purchasers would have paid in deferred
payments, but that it paid in addition for
the expenses Of the lobby which is one Of
the painful memories Of the Fifty-seventh
AT the beginning of the Fifty-seventh
Congress John L. Kennedy, who came to
Washington originally from Indianapolis to
take place as compositor in the Govern
mem Printing Office and was subsequently
a member OF the Industrial Commission
during the life Of that body. appeared before
Congress as the representative Of Philip
T. Dodge, president Of the Mergenthaler
company.
1t is now asserted on good authority that
Kennedy received salary from the Mergen-
thaler company and q contingent fee OF 10
per cent. on the purchase price Of all Mergen-
thaler machines to be purchased by the
Government as q result OF action by Con-
Government Printing Office says positively
that Kennedy received SIS, 800 in contingent
commissions on the first contract for Mer-
genthalers.
Kennedy's initial efforts to reach Con.
gress met with poor success. There had
n tpri1 tu
and Representatives toward the typesetting
machine proposition because they appar-
emily feared protest from union printers.
But he was joined in the lobby by the pub
Usher Of an Indianapolis afternoon news
paper who, it is asserted. was heavy
shareholder in the Mergenthaler company,
and through the latter's aid influence was
brought to bear on the Committee on APP
preparations Of the House, and the COM
mittee granted the unusual privilege OF
L. Kennedy to make an argument in favor
of the installation of typesetting machines.
The Mergenthaler people evidently be-
leved that their company would receive the
contract. The Indianapolis publisher, it is
alleged, submitted form OF amendment
appropriation Of a specific sum to purchase
a specifc number Of Mergenthaler ma
chimes. But the House Committee on
Appropriations sidestepped this suggestion
and GeclCeQ tNat ttle TuDuC fTulteT Iiiu
auth ority under existing law to purchase
the machinery, and MIR. Palmer was assured
by the committee that he could rely on the
necessary appropriation being made by
Congress The work Of the lobby was
then At an end apparently:
The first contracts made by Public Printer
Palmer last year were for forty-seven Mer-
genthaler and twenty-seven Lanston ma
chimes. The Public Printer was apparently
anxious to give the Mergenthaler machine
a full and fair test. He says that the result
OF the test proved to him thst the Lanston
machine for which the Government paid
only sS,210 each, was better adapted for
book, pamphlet and tabular work than the
Mereenthaler, and when II became neoes-
sary this year to install more machines
Mr.. Palmer followed the course which he
believed to be dictated by prudent business
methods and purchased seventy-two Lam
ston machines. He says that experience
proved that they were not only better
adapted for the work, but could be bought
at lower price.
As soon as it became noised around Wash
in oton that the Public Printer had con-
tracted for the Lanston machines John l..
Kennedy, the former representative Of the
Mergenthaler interests before Congress.
who had gone into the business Of a stock
broker in Washington, called up Oscar j.