The Washington herald., 1908-02-08

Three departmental experts nave been
designated by the President to assist in
the Investigations at the Government
Printing Office. They are;
Wilbur ". Fowler, chief Of the division
OF supplies, Of the Department Of Com
merce and Labor.
Sylvester r. Burch, chief clerk Of the
Department of Agriculture.
Lawrence F. schmeckebier. chief of the
division of publications Of the Depart
ment of the Interior.
These men have been ordered TO assist
Mr. ". s R3ssiter in his. immense task
Of probing to the bottom conditions at the
big printery. They reported 10 MI Rozsi-
ter yesterday. and to-day viii desert their
departmental desks. and take up their
new duties under the direction Of the
"chier investigator"
Assist the, Investigation.
To these men will be assigned the work
o. investigating the purchase Of supplies
under the administration Of the suspended
Public Printer. Charles A. Stillings As
experts on the problem of purchasing sup
plies for governmental departments, these
Investigators viii turn their 'x-rays'' on
all the recorded transactions that have
been made under the regime Of Mr.
SuImgs and The Audit System.
The selection of the experts is regarded
as additional proof that the President is
determined to get TO the bottom of the
mass of charges, insinuatlons, and
suspicious that have cropped out during
the last few months Of Mr.. StiIlings serv-
ice as Public Printer. Anything Of a
shady nature that may underlie certain
of the transactions made between The
Audit System and the Suffolk Distribut-
ing Company is practically certain to
be discovered through the efforts of
Messrs. Fowler, Burch, and Schmeckebier.
Their appointment is regarded as lending
color to the belief that suspicious OF
graft in the Government Printing Office
have been aroused in Executive quarters.
Immensity of the Task.
Just how the President came 10 assign
these men to Mr. Rossiter is not yet
known. It is thought, however, that Mr..
Rossiter himself. realizing the immensity
of the task before him, and with a view
To expediting his Investigations suggested
some such arrangement, and was sec
onded by Chairman Lands. of the House
subcommittee that brought about Mr.
Sullings' suspension.
At any rate, the President lost no time
in making his decision and in choosing
his men. They were notified by letter
yesterday, and went Immediately TO call
upon Mr.. Rossiter in the sumptuous Of
fee Of the Public Printer. Mr.. Rossiter
and his investigators conferred for about
an hour. IL is understood the work each
man is TO do was mapped out, and to-
day the Investigators viii get busy in
earnest
This move Of the President will hasten
q conclusion in Mr. Rossiter's investig8-
tons. 1t is thought the probing viii
end within ten days by which time the
legislative committee and the President
viii have all the facts in hand, and there
will remain but the final disposition of
Mr. SuIlings' case. and whatever judicial
action is warranted by the disclosures.
A Slight Hitch Occurs.
A slight hitch occurred yesterday, when
it was found that under the law Mr..
Rossiter could not be given the Office
Of Acting Public Printer by the President.
Mr. Rossiter had sent a personal rep
resentative to the Treasury Department
TO arrange the details concerning his
bond The Treasury officials explained
that, under the law. they could not accept
8lr. Rossiter's bond. inasmuch as the
President did not have authority 10 APP
point him to the office The Law provides
that the Deputy Public Printer becomes
Public Printer in such emergencies and
that Deputy Public Printer H. T, Brian
should. under the statute, serve as Acting
Pebble Printer until the appointment of a
successor TO Mr.. StiIlings or his return
90 that office
The part of the act of January y. 1895,
which affects the succession in the Gov
eminent Printing Office reads as follows:
In the case OF death. resignation, alb
senee, or sickness of the Public Printer,
the chief clerk of the Government Print
ing ONCE shall perform the duties Of the
Public Printer until successor is ap-
pointed or such absence or sickness shall
cease.
But the President may, in HIS discretion,
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