The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-01-31

Graft in the Government Printing Of
fee:
A sensational disclosure before a com
mittee Of Congress yesterday points al
nest mmistakably to this conclusion.
Suspicious bids, involving contracts for
paper supplies, amounting, in tie aggre-
gate, TO $l5O000. were held up pending a
complete investigation a condition of
affairs almost as scandalous as that in
the Post-ofice Department a few years
ago promises to be brought to light. Al
though Public Printer Stilings is not di-
rectly involved. the disclosures reflect in
most damaging way upon his man
agement OF the big printery. and there
is little doubt that this is but the be-
ginning of the end Of his tempestuous
regime.
Disclosed in Executive Session.
Eleven O'Clock yesterday was the time
fixed for the opening Of bids for paper
supplies for the next fiscal year by sub
committee of the printing commission,
composed Of Representative Lands, Of IN
diana, chairman; Senator Whyte, of
Maryland. and Representative Perkins. of
New York But the bids were not opened
at that hour. The fact developed subse-
Quently that this subcommittee was in
executive session in the committee room
Of Chairman lands. and had begun a
vigorous use of the Congressional probe.
which uncovered a peculiar state of af-
fairs
The Audit system. a New York. concern.
which was employed some months ago TO
install new accounting system and 10
cafe lost motion" in the G. P. o, has,
through its agents. been furnishing no
small amount of the supplies required by
the institution. The Washington Her
aid has, from time to time, told Of the
methods by which this was done.
Biggest Contract Plum.
The bids TO be opened yesterday in
volyed the biggest contract pIums of the
year. On the face Of things, the suf-
folk Distributing Company. Of New
York, which has been slgnany favored
heretofore, was the successful bidder
It's bids were the lowest for $50 900
of the paper supplies. and its bids we're
even for $4,000 additional supplies. The
identity Of this bidder was the point
which precipitated the executive session
and subsequent probing.
Who and what is the Suffolk Distrib-
uting Company? What relation has it to
The Audit System?
These questions we're propounded. A
searching inquiry resolved itself into this
answer:
, The Audit System and the Suffolk Dis
tributing Company are practically one
and the same thing.
RaynOr on the stand.
Willett N. Raynor, vice president of
The Audit System. and who is in charge
Of the work of Installation at the Gov
ernment Printing Office. was summoned
before the subcommittee and was on the
stand for some time. He was catechised
about his own concern and about the
Suffolk Distributing Company His an
swers led to the same end-5z Duane
street, New York. There the two compa-
nies are quartered; there they are Off
cered, mutually differed. and from there
they transact a large and growing busi-
ness. As TO the information ELECTED in
detail from Vice President Raynor, the
subcommittee was later reticent; in fact.
it was reticent about the entire executive
session, but the important fact was dis
closed that the two concerns are prac-
tically one and the same
In view OF the damaging admissions
made by Vice President Raynor, the sub
committee promptly and unanimously de-
cided to hold up the bids for further
investigation.
Public Printer Shllings, who was pres
ent. looked on and listened blandly, ap-
parently hot realizing the damaging ma
ture OF the disclosures.
What "InstaIIatiOn'' Costs.
The audit System, which, as the suf-
folk Distributing Company. sought by
means Of lowest and even bids to OBJ
tain the contract for these $4,000 worth
Of supplies. has a force Of seventeen men
employed in the Government Printing
Office in the work of installation. The
salaries of these men. paid by Uncle Sam,
amount TO $3.50 a week In other words.
The Audit System-a favored bidder on
contracts for some months. and which
was yesterday brought TO books cost
ing the government approximately $4,000
yeaT-all this In addition to the operat-
ing expenses Of the Government Printing
Office proper. This installation work.
it now appears, was not authorized by
the printing commission, as was general |
ly supposed. but by the Appropriations
Committee of the House. Vice President
Raynor said to a reporter of The Wash
ington Herald recently that The Audit
System ought to have FIVE years to com
piete its work. which would mean $4,000