The Washington herald., 1908-01-02

Public Printer Charles A. Stillings has
admitted that he has awarded contracts
Tor supplies to The Audit System which
was installed in the Government Print
Ing ONCE, under a phrase in the sundry
civil appropriation bill, which says: For
the purchase and installation Of and in
struction in. cost, audit. and inventory
systems.
The Washington Herald knows from
positively reliable sources that Public
Printer Charles A. StlIings has made
contracts with The Audit System. other
than the initial contract, which he said
that he made with that system. when he
secured it to do the work Of straighten-
ing the Government Printing Office.
Nj. Stlllings has admitted to a reporter
from The Washington Herald that he
has made contracts with The Audit Sys-
TEN for supplies "only small proper
tion" (of the total number Of c0ntracts),
and those only in cases in which it cThe
Audit SYSTEM, and it alone, was able 10
furnish the supplies, TO suit the govern
ment
1t might naturally be inferred that Mr..
StiIlings. in forwarding the work of The
Audit System. which he selected out of
others which applied for the contract,
would. of course. favor it to some extent
in the purchase Of some materials.
The Audit System, according to its vice
president. Mr.. Raynor, has had long ex-
perience in its particular line Of work.
and has done work similar to what 1t Is
now doing here, in other, If smaller,
printing offices.
Having. therefore. had much experience
in cost, audit, and inventory" systems,
it is not unfair to have allowed that sys-
TEN, which no doubt spent some time in
inventing blanks &c. that might be of
aid in its particular work 20 bring with
it TO Washington, those aids found by
experience.
blanks Printed Outside.
However, The Audit System itself has
been al work for the government now
more than one year. In that time it has
continued to install blank forms Of many
kinds for its specific work. These blank
forms contain no copyright otice, are
not patented. so far as is known. and are
not impossible OF understanding by any
ordinary man used to setting fairly diff
cult copy.
The Government Printing Office does
some difficult work for the departments
of the government It has been Mr..
Stillings' boast that he is getting out the
work and getting il out well.
Is it not possible then, without using
any prejudiced line OF thought, 10
assume that Mr. Stillings. who has a
liking only for high-salaried men, and
cares not for cheap ones, could have
these blank forms printed in his own
office2
Possibly this may be q small item, but
if what is asserted by competent author
ity be true, The Audit System does not
intend when it leaves the Government
Printing Ofice-whether it be I'm few
months, or five years"-to give UP the
privilege it now mqUestionably enjoys Of
printing blank forms for the Government
Printing Omce-the largest and "one or
the best-eauiDped printing offices in the
world"
How Long Is II tn COntinuef
For the purchase and installation Of
and instruction in cost, audit and in
ventory systems" Is the purchase"
Of The Audit System to be made on the
installment plan, the Government Print
fror
week or month or year?
Is The Audit System to continue the IN
stTucton in its own system, with which
it is no doubt tolerably familiar, for year
after year, when the Public Printer has
increased his executive force. which must
surely understand The Audit System, 10
such a great extent?
Congress in passing the blil-tEe sun
dry civil appropriation bill-specihed no
time for the purchase, installation, and
instruction in the system. Probably IT |
relied on the Public Printer, who said
mat The Audit System has been working |
several months" and ought TO be
through in a 'few months more"
Congress specified no amount in this |
same bill for The Audit System, the
whole amount given the Public Printer
being $5,OCo,Oo4
therefore, the whole direction Of The |
Audit System-that is. the terms on /
which II should be purchased. 8c-vvas
necessarily, 1t is believed. left IN tbe
hands OF the Public Printer
II Mr. Stiiings is given 10 loose talk
II might be taken as mere slip of the /
tongue. when he said TO rapoTteT sro,,,
The Washington Herald, that The k,,ds.
System had been at work .sse,.e,.at
months" Mr.. Stillings is NOT noteJ
among employees for his loquacitv
Assuming that Mr. Stilllngs is NOT .
loose talker. that when he spoke to a re-
porter he knew that what he said wonld
be remembered and possibly revealed In
others, even if not printed publicly. il
seems most likely that he would speak as
he knew
Is It possible that Charles A. StiHings.
the Public Printer, does not know how
long The Audit System has been working
In finding the lost motion" In his office
and yet has been signing contracts with
that company for a long time? The echoes
OF his own elegantly furnished offiee-de-
serioed by one of his faithful employees as
Continued on Page II, Column 2.
Cypress Shingles No. /, $500 uk-r I.OaO.
Z rank LiDbeN q Co. 6th a New Vortr or.o |