Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-09


will enter actively upon the investiga-
tion of the first phase of the inquisition.
the purchases of supplies for the estab-
lishment. Insthis connection. il is said.
the contracts about which there has been
so much comment will also be consid-
cred.
The outlook is that next week will be
busy one for the investigators and
among other things an effort may be
made to discover if there is any con-
nection between the audit system and
the Audit Supply company.
.. Completes His Answer.
II was reported last night that Mr.. Still
lings had completed his reply 20 the Hav-
enner report to the comparative cost
of printing executed at the governnene
printing once. and similar work done by
private printe ries. and that the paper had
been sent to the President. Just what eK-
planation he has made as TO the alleged
discrepancies in the cost of printing which
Mr.. Havenner is said to have discovered
I'm favor of private concerns. beyond the
statement that a higher wage scale pre-
walls at the public printery. could not be
learned -
Some of the bookbinders employed at
the government printing Office last night
filed another complaint, in the nature or
an additional charge against Mr.. Still
lings. with President James l.. Feeney OF
the local union of bookbinders They are
said TO allege that men the laborers'
roll of the government printing office
were employed under Stillings to perform
the skilled work of binders. in violation
of the civil service laws This alleged em-
pIoyment of unskilled labor TO perform
skilled work is said in the charge Of the
union bookbinders to have resulted in
ma.ly complaints from the departments
to which the hooks were assigned
The matter has been taken up by the
board of grievances of the BookbinderS'
Union. and il will be communicated 10
Mr.. Rossiter tomorrow another charge
from orga nized la Dor against the manage
ment of Mr.. Stflings. Ii is said the civil
service law requires that men performing
skilled service must be bona fide mecfan-
les who have served a regular apprentice
ship.
Some Stored Presses.
Another matter to which the attention
of the Investigators Will be directed. II
was said last night. is a number Of print
ing presses now stored the first floor
of the old building. which were removed.
from the pressroom 10 make room for
Ss3.V@ worth of new possession i'm al
that Were recently shipped to the office
hu:ricdly by express. IL is said these
new presses were contracted for in Bos-
ton. and that the old presses that they
displaced are in good condition.
Other new presses to the number OF four
are said to have been contracted for at
Salem. Mass. and il is also said Mr.. Still
lings sent committee of government
printing Office employees to Salem to pass
upon the presses and recommend whether
they should be purchased. Ii is alleged
that when the committee reached Salem
Ii was found. to the surprise OF the COM
mitteemen, that the presses had already
been purchased for the government serv-
ice The committee is said TO have mad,
adverse report on the purchase. and
the matter WAS comprom sed by taking
two of the p.esses. The purchases of
presses included four OF the Harris make
and two Potters. a. a total cost TO Uncle
Sam of about 5000.
The matter of the purchase OF these
presses ard the question to whether tha
discarded presses were stil serviceabe
will be determined. IL is stated. by tho
investigators while considering purchases
for the printery in other lines.
Force of Estimate Clerks.
The statement Is made that there may
be a shaking up among what are known
as estimate clerks OK copy editors ap-
pointed in the several departments at the
suggestion CT the public printer. Some OF
these officials are said to have furnished
Mr.. Havenuer of the Department Of Conn
merce and Labor with the data and fig-
urss upen which he based his report to
the President adversely TO the prices OF
the public printery
There is q story going the rounds to the
effect that last Tuesday Mr.. StiiIines
received the fist int.mafion of the fact
that he was ON the way out. 1t came to
him by way Of premonitory symptom.