Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-10
PATRONAGE IN OH|O|EXPERTS ARE At WORK
Senator Foraker Replies to RosSiterS Assistants Begin
Presidents Letter. Task at Printery.
PROOF GIVEN IN ONE CASE lUSE OF PUBLIC VEHICLES
in Stiings Preparing Supplemental
Report for White House.
TO FURTHER MR. TAFTs CAUSE CHARGES FOR SPOILED WORK
to
tor-Case Of sion Of the Inquiry.
Rossiter's Assistants Begin
Task at Printery.
USE OF PUBLIC VEHICLES
Stillings Preparing Supplemental
Report for White House.
CHARGES FOR SPOILED WORK
Employees May Be Reimbursed for
Deductions From Pay-Discus-
sion Of the Inquiry.

| The five departmental experts desig-
mated to assist Mr.. Rcssiter in the in
| vestigation of the affairs Of the govern
| ment printing office began their work
| this morning The first matter taken UP
was that OF purchases for the printery
under the direction of Mr.. Stfllings and
the audit system.
While the experts were engaged i'm that
line of inquiry Mr.. Rossiter established
himself in the handsomely furnished and
decorated apartment known officially as
| 1.-The public printers workroom." He
summoned numerous officials and en-
ployes of the establishment and ques-
toned them as to certain affairs that
may come under the probe.
To the waiting reporters Mr. Rossiter
sent word that the investigation is pro-
crossing. but that there was nothing in
the way Of developments that could yet
| be given the public
| The statement was made incidentally
! that the corps Of messengers at the print
| cry contains the names of approximately
eighty persons. forty-five of whom are
| boys Their salaries are said to range
from 1926 to $40 per annum. 1t is claimed
| that this number Is far in excess Of the
| messenger service under former public
| printers The discarding of the pneu-
matte tube service is said to be response
Die Tor the employment of many of the
boys.
Use Of Public Vehicles.
Another matter that may be brought
into the limelight of investigation by Mr..
| Rcssiter and his inquisitors is that of the
| alleged excessive number of carriages and
other vehicles in the official stables OF the
| nd u,,,o 80
| they may have been put to in the candle
light hours. 1t is said that in order to
comply with the law governing govern
ment vehicles they must have painted
prominently on their bodies the name of
the department to which they are assign
ed. This precaution was taken, 1t is said,
to prevent their employment Tor unofficial
purposes. The statement Is made that
some OF the printing office
carriages have a small panel attached
bearing the name Of the printery. but that
the panels are detachable SO that they can
be easily removed and the vehicles could
be used as private conveyances. There
are said to be five fine carriages in the
stables of the establishment and a num-
Der of other vehicles.
1t is understood that Mr.. StillingS Is
preparing a report supplemental to the
statement he sent to the White House
Saturday afternoon in reply to the stric-
lures contained in the Havenner report to
the 1FcSlQenI dS u tIc IcldllSe COSt OL
! printing at the government office and in
private establishments.
In the Documents Office.
While investigating the growth of the
overhead charges of the government
printing office, it is said to be probable
that the organization Of the clerical force
of the office of the superintendent of
documents will come in for accounting.
That the officials of the Office are even
now figuring on simplifcation of the
| methods Of ascertaining the cost Of get
| ting out the work is stated as a GER
| tainty. Many of the section chiefs have
stated that they can easily handle the
| cost proposition with their present force
| of office men, and 1t is thought that q
| large number Of the present costkeepers
! can be sent back to the divisions from
which they were transferred when the
system first began operations.
Complain is made that the new sys-
| tenn did not give cost, but arbitrary
tions and the services of certain work
| ers For instance. a set price per hour
was made for the use of presses. which
! Included the labor and wear and tear
of the machines. In addition there was
made an extra charge for Executive" and
| as the organization was constantly being
| shifted this sum also was arbitrary. II
| is said For years it has been the prac-
';ice of the Office. 1t is alleged. to find
the cost of doing the work and then add
| which had been figured from years OF
! eXpe rience.
| While carloads of common printing pa
per have been stored in the old building
! and the new basement, complaint has
been made that work for the depart
ments and Congress has been held up for
weeks pending deliveries from the mills
| of bond and other paper used on fine
work. Ii is stated that when these sub
tects were broached the matters were
passed up with the remark that the
| system" would remedy these defects
| within a short time.
Matter of Spoiled Work.
The subject of spoiled work will also
be given a thorough investigation. it is
thought. and also the practice of de-
Quoting the cost of broken machinery
and spoiled material. Even If ten sheets
of paper were missing and the job was
in a hurry. it is stated that it was
necessary to have spoiled
jacket made out before the employees
could proceed. 1t is claimed that the
! anxiety of employees over the possibility
| of paying for spoiled" work rendered
| their work slower and In some cases
| made reliable workers SO nervous that
| they overlooked mistakes which would
! ordinarily never have occurred.
! The possibility OF reimburSinS govern
ment printing office employees for the
| spoiled work charges assessed against
| them will doubtless be brought TO the
attention Of Congress. 1t has been said
| that the character of the evidence
against many OF the workers charged
| for spoiled work would not stand in a
| court of law, and il Is believed that
| when the matter is officially presented
| to Congress the payments will be re-
| funded. When the practice of compel
| ling employees to pay for spoiled work
first became operative the amounts
| were deducted from the pay envelopes
| decision from the Treasury Department
| and given to understand that IL it was
| cancy on the pay rolls.
Suggested as Stillings' Successor.
Friends Of Samuel B. Donnelly of New
York are urging him for the position o.
public printer in the event OF Mr.. Still
Iings' permanent retirement. which. 1t /.
expected. will be announced at the con
clusion of the investigation of government
printing o:fice affairs
! Mr.. Donnelly was formerly president o.
Typographical Union No. of New York
known as Big Six and Of the lnterna