The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-12

the operators. One Saturday night carriages were sent for all the women who operated these machines and for the few favored foremen and their wives. some of whom. it has since de- veloped. own stock in the company, and carried them all off to the Ma tional Theatre, where two choice rows had been reserved for them. After the play the crowd was taken to the Lose ken tor dinner. The next Saturday night the men employed on the Lans- ton machines were similarly enter tained, and after the theatre a stag" dinner was given at Harvey's. The two parties consisted of about sixty people, and the expenditure of the rep resentatives of the company on this count could not have been less than $200 or $500. This, however. was but an incident in the campaign for the successful installation of the machine and the pledging of the friendship of the operators.
 The next step was the creation of the office commission" That com mission was composed of the Auditor. E. I. Bushnell. who has been in the office about four months; Chief Elec- trician W. H. Tapley and Assistant Foreman A. P. Marston, now dead.
 Two members of this commission knew nothing of the printing trade, and the one practical printer on the commission did not sign the report,
 being on his death-bed when it was prepared. Tapley Is another of the employees whose name is freely men, toned in connection with the purchase
 of stock on a tip before the contract
 was made that large order was to be placed for additional machines.
 In the report of this commission there was no reference to office work generally. Special Report No. T" as | it Is known, dealt entirely with the Lanston machine, and was so worded
 as4to convince the Public Printer that he had found that for which he was looking. and that the good of the ser vice required him to at once order a large number of the Lanston machines. Business Laxity.
 Evidence of lax business methods in the printing office may be easily found l by the commission. Here are a couple | of instances: Recently one of the printers applied for and was granted | his leave of absence. and, in accord ance with the custom of the office, he
 was given hts pay for his leave-timc in advance. When this printer re-
 turned to his duties he was called into the front office" and told that the ap- propriation for annual leaves had been exhausted and that he would have to reimburse the office for the money he had drawn. This he was compelled tu do, losing not only his time but his money. ...4 Another printed was visited by his foreman just before the close of the fiscal year and told that he had three
 days leave coming to him which he
 must take at once or lose 1t. The printer, who had kept track of his own time, said that he had no leave due to | him. He was ordered to report to the main office, where he was informed that he had three days to his credit and was peremptorily instructed to take it forthwith. He did so. but up
 on his return he was informed that a
 mistake had been made, that the leave
 money appropriation was exhausted l and he must reimburse the office. Thi:
 man also lost his money and his time 1 The furnishing of the new building recently occupied might afford a tielt for fruitless inquiry into expenditure: under the present management Th' main offices are furnished in the mos expensive fashion, large upholsteret Heather chairs and lounges being par of the fittings of the office of ever!
 official of any prominence. Handsom mahogany desks and cases were pur chased In profusion. Not a stick O the office furniture from the old build ing was removed
 Thousands of dollars were spent il this fashion, and yet the comfort an
 neglected. This new building, said b.