Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-26


partment he saw the necessity Of improvemsHt
In the management Of this class Of BUSINESSMAN
IN 1876 he appointed Mr.. Amos Hadley<fo or
charge until his recent rcsisrasfon. There are
eight bureaus under the Interior department.
@ aSSo there are
the country: from Maine to Texas and from
Alaska TO Florida, in which about 800 more
ined, 1t requires a large quantity Of sta
tionery, blanks. blank books, &C., to supply
oil the Offices of this department. Congress
provides an appropriation annually for station
cry and one for printing and binding. The
! Stationery is mostly purchased under contract,
and the blanks and blank books are ordered
from, and furnished by the public printer.
NEARLY HALF MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF
STATIONERY.
The supplies ordered, received and issued annu-
ally by this division cost over $425 900. Among
the supplies received yearly are 10000 reams
Of paper, 100000 envelopes, 24,OOO, 900
blanks, 100000 documents and pamphlets.
and 5000 blank books; and these are bu. a
few OF the large variety OF articles required by
this department. No articles whatever are
issued except on a requisition signed by
the officer requiring them and approved
of the office in which the officer is employed
When the supplies are delivered a receipt is
taken therefor. which Is recorded and fiied. The
requisitions are entered upon abstracts at the
close of each quarter and the total quantity
and total cost of each kind of supplies are en-
show the issues for each year separately.
AN AsTONIsHED CONTRACTOR.
Some years before the organization of this
division 1t was the custom for the department
10 award the contract to the party whose bid
was the lowest in the aggregate for all the arti-
Giles on the list taken together. This method
gave some of the bidders, who were well in
formed rs to what the department used,
an advantage over Others, and they would bid
large quantities aud very low prices Oil articles
that were called for in very naA Quantities, If
below their com etitors ana still leaving them
handsome profit on the principal articles used.
On one occasion the contractor agreed to fur
knowing that the department would want but
very little, ii any. This ink was worth at that
time $ls per gross. 1t happened that blue ink
the chief clerk sent an order to
the contractor for one gross. Soon
appeared at the office of the head of the bureau
and in an excited manner inquired the reason
for sending an order for q whole gross of blue
the ink. when the Off had not used as much in
whole ten years previous. The head OF the bureau
summoned the chief clerk, who in his explana-
tion stated that IN referring to the contract he
per, gross, and though but few bottles were
really needed, he did not see how he ceud web
were made with the Department each.
bureau would order supplies : direct
from the contractor, as required
received orders from each of the five bureaus,
and some OF the bureaus being small would
necessarily send orders Tor but very small qnau-
titles. Knowing that the supplies would be
ordered by the different bureaus and in small
quantities, the manufacturers bid much higher
been convinced that orders would be sent for
larger quantities at II time.
SUPPLIES BY THE WHOLESALE.
AS soon as the present plan was adopted
orders were sent for large quantities of goods
to be delivered at one place, with which to
! ,1x~ Ill p.
the bidders recognized the advantages aud
offered supplies at much lower rates.
After the arrangements were made forsup-
plying the offices OF the department in Wash-
lngton with stationery through one source, the
question was considered OF supplying the Of
nd ss. OF Indian dian agents ana the local oaess
territories. These offices purchased in small
quantities and, many OF them being on The
facture were compelled to pay very high rates
for goods. Upon comparing the prices which
they paid with those paid by the department it
more than double what was paid
by the department., and after deducting
| all expenses lcr the transportation, the depart.
ment could make a large saving by sending tie
stationery from Washington. Plans were there
fore adopted At once for furnishing the supplies
from the department, and now all the subOrdi-
| nate offices wherever located obtain their sup
plies ut the rates paid by the department under
contract.
ADVERTISING FOR PROPOSALS.
In April or May Of each year embellishments
are inserted in several leadinxbpaper fns the
large cities, inviting proposals Tor supplying
stationary for the succeeding fscaf Year. i
careful estimate is prepared In the departiil
OF the Quantity of each of the various
articles that will be required for one
year, due allowance beng made for
any decrease or necessary increase, when COM
pared with the quantities used during the pre-
ceding year, according to the wants of the de-
partment. A blank for proposals is then made
\ IL rod
TO submit their bids. This proposal contains
the description OF the articles required. the es-
timated quantity of each and blank space op-
posite the name of each article for the bidder
to insert the price at which he offers it. The
proposal usually contains about i5O items OF
ellis, pens, penholdsrs,. inkstands, shears
twine. baskets and other necessary arsic aes:
Tue bidders are required to submttlYith their
bids ,,--,
SAMPLES OF EACH ARTICLE ~t@ - ~
which they propose to furnish. The bids are
sealed when sent in. and on the day set for the
purpose they are opened by committee ap-
pointed by the Secretary, and each bid is read
through Ia presence of the bidders. An alb
conveniently compare the prices offered BY the
several bidders on each article. In comparing
Inc pos eaGd ad d.sm IS CONSIDERS and
the award on one item another bidder may be
the lowest and receive the award on the next
10 the lowest bidder who offers o satisfactory
article. It usually takes the committee four
days to examine the bids and the large variety
Of samples which are offered. This being done
they make y report TO the Secretary, ineiOsing a
list OF the awards recommended by thetn shov.
ing the names OF the bidders, names OF the
articles anu price for each article. This report
being approved by the Secretary, contract is
entered into with each successful bidder in ac-
cordance with the report, each contractor
ceing required to give = satisfactory bond for
the faithful fulfillment OF his contract All
accepted samples are preserved for compar-
isOn with tho goods when delivered, and
those not accepted are returned ~ the bidders
After the contracts are executed and filed. or.
ders are sent to the contractors for the goods
ana when delivered they are carefully tested
and II not found fully equal in quality to what
is required by the terms Of the contract they
who Is then compelled to furnish new sun
ply. There are generally from f0rty-6ve 70
sixty bidders. and contracts are made with
from twenty-five to thirty OF them. These
contractors are usually located In difFerept
cities, some in Washington, others in Baltimore
Philadelphia, New York and Boston.
HOW THE SUPPLIES ARE KEPT
The method Of keeping the accounts is very
ample, though not intricate, and by them the
whole bnsiness Of the office is briefly and salts
factorily show a. A separate account In kent
for each kind OF goods, showing when ordered
when received, from whom, the prices paid,
and the footings OF these accounts at the close
Of the year furnish accurate estinases
Of the quantity of each kind Of goods required
for the succeeding year. a printed list or cafa.
logue OF all the supplies furnished Is nrenared
for the Information Of the various ofiicers. and