The Washington herald., 1908-03-01


a special agent by the President TO IN
vestigate the Government Printing Of
zee. and who, with a corps Of experts
detailed from several departments. has
been probing deeply into the affairs of
that institution, completed his report
yesterday It Is a voluminous docu-
ment, covering vast amount Of detail
Secretary Loeb stated last evening
that the President had had no time to
examine the report. and it would not
be made public for two or three days.
1t is understood that Mr.. Rossiter
reported simply upon conditions as he
found them, and that he makes few
recommendations
The conditions disclosed may be summed
up as follows:
Cumbersome and Expensive.
The accounting system and methods
installed by The Audit System. 52
Duane street. New York. are illogical.
cumbersome. and expensive, and have
not improved the efficiency Of the es-
tablishment
An auditing OF accounting system
should have been installed at cost
not exceeding s25.oO0 but the work
authorized by Public Printer stinings
involved an outlay, up the time of his
suspension. Of five times that amount.
or. approximately. $4,000. and was then
n an imperfect and unfinished condi-
ton.
The men comprising the corporation
known as The Audit System had no
recognized standing as public account
ants.
Controlled by The Audit System.
From the time of making the con
tract with The Audit System. 50 Duane
street New York, Public Printer
Stillings practically placed the institu-
tion in the hands of thai concern. It
was all-powerful in the direction and
management Of the plant.
Unnecessary purchases OF suppUes
have been made. usually upon recon-
mendation Of The Audit System. and
economies practiced IN certain direc-
tions were more than offset bv ex-
travagances in other directions.
deficiency OF half a million dollars
has been created under The Audit
System regime. Public Printer Still
lings when apprised Of this probable
deficiency. treated the matter as Of
no material consequence and expressed
the utmost faith in the Appropriations
Committee OF the House promptlv nro-
vidins for the deficit in the deficiency
bill
While the foregoing Is not an abstract
Of Mr.. Rossiter's report. the statements
here made will be borne out bv that re-
port
Stillings' Reinstatement Impossible
The report, while it does not affaot the
integrity Of Mr. Stillings, shows such Iact
OF executive and administrative ability on
his part as TO make his further incum-
bency Of the Office impossible.
1t reflects severely upon The Audit Svs-
tem' and upon the officials of that con-
cern
Much attention. II is said, is given 10
the subject OF supplies, and herein great
extravaganza is shown 20 have marked
the operation OF the entire establishment
II VIII show that The Washington Her
aid, in its exposure OF conditions in tha
Government Printing Office. made from
day TO day preceding Mr.. Stillings' sus-
pension. and bearing especially upon the
doings Of The Audit System. did not over-
state the truth. On the contrary the
official investigation disclosed conditions
even worse than represented.
Decentralization in Service.
Mr.. Rossiter gives mis- views in detail
as TO the workings of the new Audit svs-
tenn. declaring that it has placed an ex-
cessive cost upon public printing for the
various executive departments: and be
finds that some Of the new methods he
sides causing extravaganza. resulted ;p
Generalization Of the service. He sna-
cihcally recommends that several of the
methods formerly in use be restored
Several candidates for Public p-,n+o-
have already appeared. It is possible No.
the appointment will be made earI,, at.
week II was stated yesterday thar nv
Rossiter had shown such con,ria+a
grasp OF the situation that the President
would almost certainly ask him to take
the place. Mr.. Rossiter. however. has no
ambition 70 be Public Printer.