, 1877-12-02
COOK COUNTY CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.
In liz al Trt


| Chicago, Dec. 1-Amonr the topics dis
| cussed iu THE TRIBUNE by correspondents, the
method of purchasing supplies for our publ:
charities has found place recently, and tic
| srste,a OF purchasing By contracs has in some
instances been condemned. 1 think the fault
is not in the system but In its perycrsion.
Tie Department Of Public Charities was es-
tahlished soon after the organization OF tho
first Board uf Commissioners under the present
law, anu purchase BY coAtra:t upon samples
exhibited was made 4 pa.t OF the SYSTEM.
Drawing upon the supplies SD bought VA;
authorized only upon rcttlsltl'1 made on show
ing tile nunlbcr at persons IL be proydcu,-
such ret,uistian5 to be ;ilel after approval BY
the :" Superintendent OF Publ: Cha1ities.''
1t WIS made the duty Of that aliecr ,o deter
mine the 'lu'noer "l rcrsas to te thus p7ov''i-
! ed before approving the reqaist.ons for the en-
] suing month This was uopc ~ aStsrtaiEii3
| tcc average number for tie preceding, InontN-
! THUS the a=tual wants cou!: he determined
very nearly after taking an inventory o1 the
| supplies then OH hand.
| 1t will he seen that this is substantially the
system which tho GtrCra:arnt q; :ee Lni:ctl
States adopted many years aga, alter trying all
other known lccls:,:ds. IL encourages co,sp">
tison a:nor.r dealers, and ACTUALLY "i:cs /! :
ecunty got:ts at wl:oicsalc prices. The samples
which ART kept scvGrc It against fraud in q.,aii-
ity-~thc rctlnis;tion against o.er,p"'c;t.s.::-
anil the ccntracE against cc!ias:on b tween tic
wAhon he may deal for ti,r c;:unty.
The ordinance which established rho sysivla
proyitci f1r @'SurlrinteE.icnt Ut Public CHAR
itlcs,'' az; thu reports Of thu: officer were re
qnired - show the cost per dIrm, as well ;s Der
n outh, of supplying each inmate Of the Poor
House, the Insane Asylum, and the Hospital
with fou,., Clothing, usc:liciE25, bedding, fuel,
salaries Of officials, and miscellaneous wants.
such scpuT.ltsiH-sa that the cost Ut any a,4e
class ri expenditure might be esit'c.zed :;:d rt-
du:cl II necessary.
The actual experience Of tile year 1872 erl;b-
tied large saving over any urcylous year. ils:.
uunper relieved being considered. aid will l'e@r
favorable comparison with any Subsequent
year down to this ttr,c.
In 1913 tie Bua~sl Of Count: Commissioners
virtually abso1alcI the Office Il the Sulerint,s
dent, thus removing the only oiIi:tr waUsc G'.ty
it was to stan:i Is check against lra.tis!s in
quality nnd qua1tity CT the goods nccle.: fer
charitable pa.rpnscs. The omission to elect l.
Superintendent was basel Gil the 1rulau o1
sari1s his salary to the coGnt5. ito nat clii,ee
that 1t was done fcr dishcn"5t PURPOSES, hEt It
il certain tiat the operation cf sus1. action W.,
ti.s same a. would b= tic delivery by cnntTa$-
tur to regtncnt or sofIiers whatever quantity es
supplies the Colonel asked for. without approval
Ct his Superior officers, WHO krow the strength!
Of the regiment from the morning REPORTS, aEsl
without TIE Intervention of the tlnartermaster
Ct CommiSsary,-tlIt accountin. officer.
Manif-stly, the cheapest way Of buying is BY
contract with tlr lowest bidder, upon exhibited
samples. or Known traHds,-and TIC sn'cst way
CT gl1artlinc against oyer-i5sues is the system of
rcqussltions based upon the number to be pro-
yidcd for.
But to do this without the aid Of an tnde-
penlcnt a1:nulting ctlicrr, Is 1t Harnlet..' with
the part OF L1,ulss left out.
1t is 10 be hoped that the new County Board
will thoroughly investigate thu subject, knd il
they find tne system Of buying by contract from
tho lowest bidder the best, they vii! dun. ..tlc:s
see the necessity for q Superintendent OF Public
Charities Of the county, who should BE- a co.n-
pelcnt physician as we'll as a good executive
officer JULIUS WRITE