New-York tribune., 1908-02-07
ELECTS AUDIT SYSTEM.
OFT OF PRINTING OFFICE.
President Sides scith ROssiter-Er-
frauagance Is Charged.

washington. Feb 6.-Concurring in the rec
concentrations of William S. Rossiter acting
public printer the President to-day canceiied
tbe contract of the government with the Audit
system and ordered ITS election from the gov
eminent printing office al the END OF SIX DAYS.
The Audit System is the corporate name OIL
the cost-ascertaining method which was IN
stalled more than year ago bE oharies "A
Stfllinee vino public printer untlI Eester-
dav Under its operation the government mas
naid about sloo,ooa for the privilege of caicn-
,atins the cost of government printing ana
binding Representative Landis OF lndiaha'
chairman of the jcint committee which Is IN
ves,ieating the government printing office says
thai the Audit System it has been lnstaiied
and operated in Washington lis a gold brick
thinly plated with the genuine stuff
we have paid for this brick" said Mr. Lam
dis to-day "and before we throw 1t out we aie
going to extract and retain the modicum oI
value it is gilded with L mean that YOU can
run the government printing office, with all i'S
departments and its forty-hve hundreo eiH
,,oxes without using some method OF COST
.scer-ainn,ent So if there any good fea-
-ures in the Audit System we are gong 'o
keen them. for we have paid for them many
times over
NJ lands is authority for the statement 'ha'
.he ioint investigation committee purposes ~
take the lid entirely off and delve TO the po'oii
of the many charges. some of them DEFINITE anu
distinct others OF a public ru1nor ciidi
which resulted yesterday in the suspension pS
-ha President of Mr. Stillings public printer
and his succession by Mr Rossiter, of the CEN
sus Bureau. -,
Nr Rossiter has been directed by the Presl-
dent TO make an impartial survey OF co'iui'io4
there and to recommend methods for reouciilS
the office 10 a business basis rms lash at
extremely arduous and complex one ne piuhseu
;,o +o-aay and his Judgment tonight was that
In about three weeks he VIII he aple ~ SUM
an intelligent report to the White House i"is
4.ernoo, he made brief preliminary report
recommending the discontiuuance Of the Audh
.,,s,e,n Tonight he made the following state
ralent:
Renorts that have bee in my bonnet 10,
the rlace temporarily vacated pE M SUMS ~
are unfounded, While remain IN tle tro sor II
an told 10 do The President dlresleu my ny - :.
assume temporary charge OF me ,t nm -
To-sntin- ofIc.. for the purpose OF MAKING NeI
~; .iiIi'i,, ir1o,,ir;es The Census Bureau gave me
Io,,.a IF absence. When nave hhlShe- ~,
special work laid oct for me fXlE eNFrt lSertic1
return to my regular dutles- AM ef H.
+bat | am shaping my plans in the nope ol oe
coming Public Printer is without an a'oiii -
truth
Among the charges which the 1olnt lhN
.io, committee will inquire into pursuant to the
''1N'N
..+;o,, has heen accompanied with reInarkaple
.v-ra,-agarces Chairman Lands, who visited lile
,o,,ernnert printing office to-day to cal! on MI
paseiter found himself Ushered into snrlouiu-
,,cs which a nulti-millionaire might fancy. lie
found massive furniture. costly pictures anu
other aDpointments of elegance held TO be niue
in keeping with printing and binding plant
The committee with the help of Mr.. Rosslter
Mill endeavor to find out why. roughly speaking
II has cost the government $40 to turn out a
iot which commercial houses would do for Sl"-
The committee may inquire also into such re-
ports as these
That IL cents pound has been paid for
Quantities Of inks worth less than 20 cents a
pound
That the storerooms of the government
printing office contain at the present time more
paper stock than under other administrations
was used I'D in half a dozen years
That so great was the pomp with which Mr.
Stiilings surrounded himself that persons haN-
ing business with him frequently required
to make appointment a day ahead. and never
could gain his presence without running the fire
of uniformed lackeys and treading maze of
scarlet tape
Chairman Lands will announce the time of
the next meeting Of the investigating commit
tee Tomorrow.