Show SECURED ABOUT HALF A MILLION Hartford Manufacturing Com Corn Company Company pany Accused of Swindling Postoffice Department Washington Oct 6 Postmaster Gen General General General eral Meyer has suspended the payment of ot moneys due from his department to the Hartford Manufacturing company compan of Hartford Conn and has Ims submitted the matter to the attorney general for such further action as may be deemed proper The Hartford Manufacturing Mann company up to July last supplied the stamped envelopes and newspaper wrappers sold soldat soldat soldat at Chemical analysis of sam samples samples ples pies has disclosed the fact that the com corn composition position of the envelope paper has been below the requirements of the contract and according to tho the computations of the he experts of the postoffice department the company has In the last four years wrongfully benefited to the extent of about Ono One of ot the manufacturers who supplied paper to the company has admitted to the he postmaster generals agents that his firm Irm furnished different and cheaper ma material material erial than specified in the con conTact contract contract tract Tact and that it was so made at the Instance of the Hartford Manufacturing company During the Investigation a new con contract contract contract tract was entered Into for the supplying of stamped envelopes and newspaper wrappers with the Mercantile Corpora Corporation Corporation tion Ion of Dayton O D beginning July 1 As Ashe the he Hartford company com pan had carried carded on successive contracts for nearly nearl thirty years rears naturally natural there was no other plant in n existence to do this particular class of work but the guarantees furnished by bythe bythe bythe the new company showing Its financial standing and ability to obtain a plant paper machinery and labor satisfied tho the postmaster general alter after several weeks personal Inquiry In Washington and elsewhere The product must average nearly nearl million envelopes every working day In Inthe inthe the he year Of these 30 0 per cent are plain stamped tamped envelopes the remaining 70 7 per percent percent percent cent bearing the return cards names and addresses of or tho the senders The two concerns mentioned were tIle the only com corn competitors for the new contract the bid of the he Hartford company being figured on the basis of the estimated quantities required during luring the four years cars of f the contract term while the bid hid of he the Mercantile 1 Corporation was Unil less G S SUnder Under the specifications of the present contract advertised Jan 15 ii 1907 and March larch 2 1907 the formula as to the quality ty ity It of the paper IJ ler was changed to a slight slightly ly y lower grade a small proportion of sulphite being used with the rag which does doeR not affect the weight or strength Under the specifications of the former forme contract the Hartford Manufacturing M company was WM called upon the supply all allag rag ag paper During the thelast last few months of f Its contract the Hartford Manufacturing Manufacturing turing company furnished envelopes up to o the contract requirements |