The Washington herald., 1908-05-01
REJECT G. P. 0. BIDS
Pr0fferS of Suffolk Distribut-
ing Go. Thrown Ont.
WILL INVOLVE ABOUT $15O,OOO
House subcommittee Turns Down
Proposal OF Concern Allied 10 The
Audit system 10 Furnish Printery
with PapeF-AIIeEed Relations the
Reason-stiIIings May Take Stand.

Bids for approximately $l50.000 for paper.
TO be furnished the Government Printing
once, made last year by the Suffolk Dis
tributing Company, that New York con-
cern SO strangely allied or related to The
Odd Audit System, have been thrown out
by a subcommittee of the joint printing
Investigation commission Of Congress
Two bids were made by this company,
one of approximately s65,000, and the
other of about $4,000. On the paper TO
be supplied for the amount first named.
the Suffolk Distributing Company was
the lowest bidder, while on the other il
was tied with another paper concern.
Notwithstanding this fact the subcom-
mittee has reported to the whole commit
tee that the bids should be rejected. and
the supplies have been awarded 10 other
companies. Under the law the commits
sion may reject any or all bids. and in
the case Of the Suffolk Distributing Com
pany. it is understood to have felt GER
tain that in view of its strange relations
with The Audit System, no bids from II
should be entertained.
other Companies Get Contracts.
Other paper companies which bid and
which received awards from the commits
sion were the r. p. Andrews Paper Com
pany, the American Writing Paper Com
pany, and the Berkshire Hills Paper
Company. Of Massachusetts. The whole
amount authorized to be expended for
paper for the Government Printing Office
by the commission. including the s150.000
mentioned above. was about SS0O. 900. dis
tributed almost entirely among the three
concerns named.
The decision or the subcommittee to
reject the bids Of the Suffolk Distribut-
ing Company was not unexpected to those
who followed the sensational develop
ments following the campaign made by
The Washington Herald last January to
rid the Government Printing ONCE Of The
Audit System.
officers of the Suffolk Distributing
Company who testified before the sub
committee which has just reported. re-
vealed a dangerously close connection
between the distributing company,
through its officers. and The Audit Sys-
TEN.
On January % the subcommittee opened
the bids for paper 10 be supplied to the
Government Printing Office for the fiscal
year The attention Of the members was
directed to the Suffolk Distributing Com
pany through information already in their
possession.
officers Of the company were called to
Washington and thoroughly examined by
Chairman lands, the late Senator Will
lam Pinkney Whyte, and Representative
Perkins The subcommittee found the
state Of affairs 10 be such that it was
deemed advisable 10 conduct q more
sweeping investigation.
Awards Were Made.
On January 3 the other paper concerns
mentioned were awarded their contract
but the Suffolk Company received none
Since that time Public Printer Stllings,
under whose regime The Audit System
flOurished. has been OUsted and a compre-
hensive investigation of the big pTintery
has revealed many strange things
The commission will make a report
shortly in which the reason for casting
out the bid Of the Suffolk Company will
be set forth more fully. but the main rea-
son is known TO be its close relations
with a concern which was at the time the
bids were made doing work for the gov
eminent and doing it in the Government
Printing Once.
While members Of the committee would
not confirm the rumOr. it is believed prob
able that Stillings will he recalled 10 tes-
tlfy once more before a Congressional
committee before the session ends.
The committee, It Is said, Is not en-
tirely satisfied with the information il now
possesses and wants more. When Stillings
will be called upon is as yet conjecture,
but it is certain that something more
will be done 10 dig clear TO the bottom.