Evening star., 1923-03-04
W|LMETH EXPLAINS
MUCH Of DEFICIT
Accounts for $4,000 of
100000 Discrepancies.
S45,00O "Paper Loss"
$4,000 IN PETTY THEFTS
Director of Bureau Declares
24,5CO of Shortage Antedated
His Service as Chief.

James L. Wilmeth. discharged di-
rector OF the bureau OF printing and
engraving yesterday issued statement
IN which he accounted for $4,000 Of
The 100000 discrepancies" between
his Office and the Secretary of the
Treasury. described in President
Ttarding's communication TO the Sen
covers paper losses. the FORMER bu-
Icau head declared. over which there
apparently IS no dispute.
The discrepancies in the accounts
between the bureau OF engraving and
printing and the Office o. the Secre-
tary OF the Treasur" were first made
public when the President submitted
-l% communication to the Senate. ask
,nR for Il supplemented estimate. az
tacheG to the third " 70
l'riation bill, to cover the losse..
Asked for Chc..-up.
mile there was nothing in the
Presidents request 10 actually con-
..rCt the expose with the dismissal
=! Director Wilmeth and other print
"G lGrvau employees. the former
printing chief declared the matter
had ic.t the impression that he and
;is Associates might be implicated in
HE losses. This view was encouraged.
vas pointed out. by the fact tlat
Il and his fellow employees were dis
Charged week before the bureau
VAS closed 10: an inventory.
Aj !: matter vi fact. Mr. Wiimeth
c=i''. ;; "as ne who requested the
.'ra&urE Department 10 check up on
TIC ou:eau. That was in 1920. and
committee vas appointed Tor the pur
,1Sc, Tomas Collins. custodian of pa
=. beng made chairman. Director
,Iilmeih and all officials concerned were
ali, aware OF the losses mentioned By
'-eeden Harding, hs said. before the
dismissal proceedings were instituted
cud there WaS no question as 10 what
had become OF tnc valuableS.
Found $4,000 Losses.
The committee found losses" Di-
rector N'ilmeth said. "araountias TO
approximately $4,000. This was the
irst official chcc, made Of the bu-
reau in fifteen years The greatest
loss discovered resulted from the dis
iribution OF war savings stamps.
These Stamps were sent out December
!. 1917. which was before took
charge OF The bureau. The loss here
amounted TO sot 800 and is included in
the shortage now reported for the
action OF Congress. took charge
after the first bond issue had been
completed and the committee reported
this fact
''Therr also was a loss OF approx
rately $4,000. which Is included ia
ihe committees report, covering q
package Of mutilated currency :.hich
-hc numbering division claimed it had
'Crned over TO the custodian OF 1>per
-'or destruction The custodian has
no record OF that package This re-
nnces the actual losses TO $4,000. all
OF which were the result OF petty
thefts. All OF these thefts were in
vestigated by the secret service as
eratives OF, that department were sent
70 the Secretary OF the Treasury.
Seven or eight employees were tried
ard convicted for some of these
losses
Tine tota! value Of all securities
printed under III. d!rectorship aver
aged sc5.0n0. 400. 900 in value yearly.
Oaly the S55.60o in losses. mentioned
Z bove. occurred. ard they have al
been accounted for"
Caraway Renews Attack.
Senator Caraway Of Arkansas,
democrat, again attacked the admin
tstration because OF the dismissal of
me employees. taking the floor OF the
Senate for this purpose late yesterday
afternoon.
The Arkansas senator declared that
5ureau emplo,es we're part of Nh"
sar'e OF practical politics. lie said
that practical politics are in control
OF the bureau today.
Here Is = result o; practical pol
ttics." said Senator Caraway. II have
! 7 my hand = ticket for q bet on :.
ACE in New Orleans, which vas sold
in the bureau on February 10. 1928
1t is d felony to be a booknaker, but
when you have practical politics. il
seems that it may be permitted in the
bureau OF engraving and printing"
Practical Politics, He Says.
Senator Caraway said that another
Bit of practical politics was to be
found In q list made out. naming the
employees of the bureau who came
from the various congressional dis
tricts. He said this list was submit
led to members of Congress AND ne
members asked to designate which
employees they want kept.
The bureau had had made engravings
Of all the Presidents of the United
States, including two large cnGrav-
ings OF President Harding. which
"ere sent to members or Congress
These engravings. he said, were made
at public expense. and that, too, was
practical politics.
Senator Caraway read to the Sen
ate the statement OF former Direc-
tor Wilr1eth in regard to the esti-
mate of losses in the bureau