The Washington herald., 1908-02-06

The Audit System. Of New York. is out
OF the Government Printing Office It's
function will be TO lie silent while the in
VestigatiOns Of the Congressional COM
mittee continue, and there is no doubt in
the minds Of any who are in Il position
10 know but that this odd audit system
has done its last bit Of work in the in
stallation of and instruction I'm "a cost.
audit. and inventory system" in the big
printory
President Roosevelt I'm his letter to
Chairman Lands, Of tine Congressional
Investigating committee. stated in effect
that the system is 20 be kept I'm sus-
pension so long as that committee con
tlnues It's work, and deems such suspen-
sion necessary.
The disclosures which the committee
have forced officers of the company to
make, showing beyond a shadow OF doubt
that the system" is connected through
its officers with the Suffolk Distributing
Company. The Audit Syrtem Supplies
Company and various other concerns in
tcrestcd IN supplying material to the
Government Printing Office have made
II imperative 10 Dust the system
system VIII stay out.
That the system" will stay ousted IS
believed by every one who has any oc-
casion 10 learn anything about its start
ling ramihcatons through these many
companies, and their attempts 10 bid on
all sorts of supplies furnished the Gov
eminent Printing ONCE
NFfF.r4r.f.
The Audit System interested ia the suf-
folk Distributing Company, the D. W.
Pratt Company, The Audit System Sup
plies Company, and many others, an tried
TO show that there was uJ business con-
neeuon between all these concerns. the
relation was $50 obvious % all who heard
the testimony that the committee had mo-
hesitaucy whatever Iu suggesting 90 the
President that tine functions of the ''sys-
tenn Doe suspended.
Public Printer Charles A. SuIIingg in-
stalled The Audit System "a little more
than year ago. acting under "a loose
phrase iu the suudry civil appropriation
bill Mr. Suilinss told a reporter for The
Washington Herald. who saw him m Dis
office last December that The Audit Sys-
tenn bad been I'm the Government Printing
Office several months"
Mr. Stiliugs also told the reporter that.
DE himself had selected The Audit Svs-|
tenn from among several other similar
accounting concerns. Tie said that tna|
system chosen had seemed 90 him 90 be-
the best Of dU De had investigated
Air. Suliiugs said 90 the reporter that
The Audit System would be through
the statements We're made about six
vy4ah-e i'm
said he could not have Strengthened out
the Government Printing Office without
the aid of the system"
What Rafnor Said.
Vice President Rfynor. of The Audit
system, speaking To the same reporter
on The same da. in which sir. StIIllugs
gave this interesting m.siuformation.
told the reporter that The Audit System
had been FIN the Government Printing
Office for about year Tie later. on thatI
same day. made the remark. now famous
that it ought TO stay On the printing office
five years more"
Mt Raynor showed the reporter al
through the works and displayed the
immense rolls OF red tape watch awaited
the persons employed iu the office. I'm
which evidently both .le and the Public
Printer took great pride. Mr. Raynor
told the reporter when they were down
uu one Of the lower floors that probably
not one man iu "a thousand could have
done the work that ne seemed 90 think
Mr. StlIiugs had been d0i1g
The Audit System is paid by the gov
eminent. for the work Of installing and
instructing En- "a cost. audit and iuvcn-
tory system. approximately $4,000 q year
Officers of the system testified before
the Congressional committee that it had
recently secured another contract on this /
basis for one year more iu the Govern I
ment Printing Office. which would make. /
without considering any contracts for /
material, which its al'v. t1e supplies /
company obtained. Im00 for its work /
If it had only stayed i1 two years.
According 10 R8yn0r the system had /
been in one year. ana should have stayed I
in for FIVE more, making a total of six I
years IN an. Al the rate just given this /
would make almost 100000 expended by /
the government for an accounting system |
In one department alone
Systems "Great Experience"
The Audit System. according 10 its
officers who testified before the investi- /
eating committee had but one or pos /
sibIy two contracts before it came to I
to systematic" the biggest /
printing concern in the world one Of 4
these concerns-the one it system8tized |
last, just before coming to the Govern /
nont Printing once. was the J. W. /
Pratt Company Of New York
The j ". Pratt Company employed. /
according TO one Of its officers. Frederick |
Alfred. about 100 persons. Raynor who /
then composed The Audit System. did the /
work of 'systematiZing' the Pratt Com
)any for about 5000.
Alfred said on the stand that il took
idynor about one year to do that work
J. +. Handy, an officer of The Audit
system ct cetera, said that the amount
vas correct Handy said. however, that il
ook Raynor two years 20 do the work
Passing over such strange discrepancies
n the testimony OF two high officers Of
he system, the committee was OF the /
opinion evidently that there was some
hing radiCally wrong when the same I
system which could bc installed in one
iffice in "one' year-or "two'-shouII
axe five or six years for its work under
he government
Chairman Lands brought out the fact
hat d system is a system" no mat
IT whether it be Drawing the columns
# dollars and cents at ~ Duane street
IT whether it be baskiug in the suave
mile Of the Public Printer in Washington.
The system" came to Washington and
,ut many more clerks at work here