The Washington times., 1905-07-13
KEEP COMMISSION
WILL BRING HEARING
To EARLY CLOSE
May Stop Taking Testi-
mony by the End of
This Week.
FURTHER STEPS LIKELY
Hinted That President VIII
Be Advised of Gfher IT.
regularities Existing.

regularities Existing.
The Keep commission resumed its Ia
bors at the Government Printing Office
this morning with all members pres
ent
The commission Il determined 10 con-
clude the taking OF testimony on the
machine contract this week. They will
then assemble and digest the same and
make report of their findings to the
President.
office among the employees that the COM
mission will tell the President that it
is unwise to buy more Lanston or Mer-
genthaler machines at this time
The question of a further investiga-
ton into the methods OF the office will
then come up. 1t IS said shat documents
are now in the possession of the COM
mission bearing on alleged irregularities
at the Office
These papers are said to touch on al
legged excessive prices paid for supplies,
consisting OF machinery paper. etc, and
the favoring OF certain firms in the
awarding of contracts
Some Alleged Blewholes.
= well-informed employe of the Gov
ernment Office has pointed out some al
legged blowholes in the published claims
of certain division forelnen, as incor-
porated in The Tapley-Bushnen report
He says that the fifth division under
charge of Albert Cottle, has ten Lam
ston machines and employs III men.
The same division last year at this
time employed almost exactly the same
| number OF men, varying not more than
two or three either way. The Govern
| ment has been put to an expense OF
about $1,000 for the ten Lanston ma
] chimes, and the payroll shows no reduc-
! ton
| Foreman Cottle has managed TO keep
| his machines setting tabular matter
/ practically all the time The size of his
division now would appear to bear out
the contention OF the Mergenthaler peo-
pie that the Lanston machine is not an
| economizer, as compared TO hand COM
position on tabular matter
| On the other hand, Foreman Hay, of
| the job division, has been working seven
! Mergenthaler machines on various kinds
| of composition for the Same. length OF
time, and has reduced his force by
twenty-three men
| Foreman Cottle is said to work twen-
| ty-two men making corrections. at
least ten of whom are constantly cor
recting the matter from the Lanston
machines. II is claimed that other di-
visions in the Office the same size of the
/! Fifth only use about twelve men in
! making what is known as ring alley
corrections
/ The Mergenthaler people have met the
| claims OF the Lanston people il citing
! ertain star performances in typeSetting
oy so-called premier operators They
sent to Baltimore. and got the world
renowned William Srubbs. who holds
the worlds record on machine compost
ton. He operates a Mergenthaler ma
chine on the Baltimore Sun His record
is sc, 900 ems solid, six-point newspaper
composition in Ave hours and thirty
three minutes. He wears a gold medal
won in typesetting contests.
i Stubbs was in charge of the Mergen-
thaler exhibit at the Worlds Fair and
knows the machine question from first
TO last.
/ Ricketts, Compares Machines.
Mr.. Ricketts, discussed on the stand
yesterday afternoon the questions OF the
two competing machines. expressing
the opinion that the Mergenthaier was
the Lanston for tabular work. He point
ed but that the Lanston requires the
services of three men before its product
Is finished and ready TO be made up,
while the Mergenthaler turns out a fin
ished product with the work of q single
man.
Mr.. Ricketts, said he had rot been in
formed that the contract was to be
made until June 20, the day after it was
signed by the Public Printer. When he
was asked what he would do with the
machines when they came. he said he
didn't know He inclined to object 20
placing SO Large an order for machines
before determination had been reached
as TO how they should be used, but was
told to sign the requisitiI'n for them,
which he did in q purely formal way,
because the Public Printer demanded II.
1t had been reported from the begin
ming of the investigation that AEd
Ricketts, never signed the requisiti
and the Public Printer explained
under the law there Was no q
necessity for the printing forems
nature 20 such a requisitlon-
! IT now develops. according
of Mr. Ricketts, hearing ttiI
nature was in fact appenJ
| requiSitIon, but that at this
| President interviewed and Ere
execution of the contract
current investigation. Mr.. II
this procedure was very unuS
never known another such ca
NIessrs. Cottle and Tapley
, of the pro-Lanstou element in
ing Office having testified
Ricketts, had delayed the orc
securing of supplies. parts. ct
Lanston machines. Mr.. Ric
questioned on this point. and do
| allegations. On the other hand
the reason given him for the
was that the appropriation
| sufficient.
This brought out some sarca!
ment from the Mergenthaler
TO the effec. that the appropriate