The Washington times., 1911-12-27
RIGID PROBE FOR
PR|NTERY CHARGES,
JOBS ARE IN PERIL
Commission Shocked by AL.
legations and Will Push
J, Inquiry.

ing Investigation Commission of Con
gress.
As the result of this investigation, al
ready there have been made to the com
mission allegations of serious thefts o
expensive leather of the kind used II
printing the best public documents. Thi
leather, 1t is alleged, has been appro
priated by employees In the bindery di
vision and has been used to manufac
ture purses and other articles which
have been disposed of for the persona
gain.
Commission Shocked.
The revelations Of graft have shocked
the members of the commission, and
they have determined to 20 to the bot
tom of the charges The evidence that
has been disclosed thus far shows the
grating has apparently been going on
for years.
But the commission is not only in
vestigattng the alleged thefts of leather
In the bindery division. 1t has under
taken probe of the Governments huge
printing establishment from top to bot
tom. Intimations are given that there
are coming other revelations of a Sc
WSicb riEns sort tr ;tst.g ;renescting on the way in
Quoted.
Donnelly Uneasy.
1t Is likely that out of the investiga.
tion now in progress will come whole
sale dismissals from the service and
demotions. Public Printer Samuel e.
Donnelly himself is not in a comfort
able position. While he is, of course,
not charged with misconduct, the fact
that the alleged thefts have gone on
Under his adniI istration may give hir,
much trouble and cost him his Job.
The present trouble in the Govern
lnent Printing Offico is in part the out
growth OF the lony. smoulde,;ng fac
tlonalism that prevails in the establish
,nent. One line Of cleavage separate 8
what is known as the "office gang
from the rest OF the institution. The
members Of thu. "office gang" are ac-
ensed Ct standing in With the chief off,
csais of the shop, and making it their
Graces.
Others outside the pale of the "office
gang are naturally sore at men who.
as they imagine. get on and prosper
because of their "stand in" Another
line Of factional division is between the
niGn and the nonunion men
TO some extent, though not entirely,
the factionalism In the office is related
to the present allegations of theft. Be
tween factionalism and the revelations
that are being made before the com
mission the Government Printing Office
Is In state of upheaval.
Long Under Way. .
The Investigation into the alleged
thefts OF leather has been under way,
on the part of the Printing Investiga-
tion Commission, since October. The
charges Of theft and grating first came
to the ears Of the commission through
the suspension of Fred l.. Arends, an
employe of the bookbinding division;
uyn srfxr trAx H., 81.
ordination, and the discharge Of Frank
Rowley, another bookbinder, who was
charged with insubordination and carry
ing out a record book. The two men
told some of their friends in effect
that there was crooked work in the
bindary end Of the huge printshop, and
the talk came to the ears of the COM
mission.
George Carter, secretary to the COM
mission; tai9, & called the two men in and had
inquiry into. the thefts of leather.
Senator Reed Smoot, as chairman of
the commission, took vigorous hold of
hs ton msttar to tbe and t Il pushing the nvestsa-
It appears that Arends and Rowley
quarreled with George ]. Hurst, book
plnder In charge Of the division In
which they were employed. Hurst is
q subforeman in the oindery. The diff
ference was over the question Of wheth-
er a certain man should be employed
on the indexing machine. Words pass
cd. and the suspension and DISCHARGE
followed, and then came the stories con-
Feyed 10 the commission of grating.
Tell of Grating.
The men have told the commission
that Hurst orderd them to make GER
tain pocketbooks, checker boards, and
collar boxes, and to do this with Gov
ernment leather, and charge the time
to the Government, 1t Is allegcd that
lot of manufacture of such articles
at Government expense has been going
on. One job of fifty books is said TO
have been bound for other purposes
than allowed by law. and sent to a
commission, but who has not thus far
been located.
The manufacture of such articles as
described Is no part of the duties of
the Government bIndery. But an ex-
pert binder, used to working in leather.
having. the leather at hand, can make
& variety of attractive goods. 1t Is saii
that some of the men have been at
stracting leather and then, ensconcing
somewhere out of the way, have been
proceeding to make salable trinkets Of
the sort mentioned.
The testimony before the commission
tuus Iaf mas not disclosed that the
Government has been robted of any
large sums. I;ut how long the work has
beer carried on is uncertain. 1t is sup
posed to have gone on for years.
Used Best Leather.
The goods turned out were made or
finished with the best of leather. For
instace. checker board inlaid with Mo-
rocco was one of the things made. Card
cases, portfolios AMI things of that sort
scem to have been made with consid-
cradle freedom. A small purse. three
cornered in shape, was one OF the most
common novelties made.
Witnesses thus far have been largely
for the side of what may be called the
prosecution. Numerous others are to be
heard. The commission will resume af-
ter the HOLIDAYS. Foreman Hurst denies
all charges of wrongdoine or conniv-
ance at IL.
Public Printer Donnelly has been
called to appear before the commission
early next month. 1t kas come to the
cars of the commission that Mr.. Dom
nelly was apnrised OF the talk that nov
elties We're being made by some of the
Binders before the commission was He
will be closely questioned about this
and why Il the talk ever came to his
ears. he did not see that the grating,
a