Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-06-12
UNCLE SANS SUPPLIES.
How Contracts are Made for Furnish
ing Material to the Government.

THE OLD PLAN OF BUYING IN OPEN MARKET
ARRANGED BEFORE THE MONEY Is APPRo
PRIATED.
AT this time in all the departments bids are
being received for furnishing the supplies
needed in various branches of the government
While the amount of the appropriations for
the coming year is not known and cannot be-
known until the bills have passed Con.
gress, still there is always reasonable certain.
ty that the legislative body will not cut off the
supplies for current expenses and 80 the prep
aratfons are made for expanding the same
amount of money as last year and perhaps a
little more. Proposals are invited and ex.
ainined and the lowest bidder determined, but
no contract is awarded until after the appro
priation is made by Congress- 1t may be con.
Guided that department will need SO much
ink or ice and the dealers are asked to bid
up, upon the basis OF supplying given amount,
out Congress mayfefuse to give the money and
SO the entire amount estimated is not purchased
ms sliding scale In the quantities required
as compared with the estimates is one of the
pleasing features of the government contracts,
According TO the system now in vogue every.
tning used oy department from Brussels
carpet 10 PIN Is obtained by contract.
THE OLD WAY.
There was time, and that not long ago, when
the purchase OF supplies was made in the open
market, and under this arrangement there
were opportunities for collision between the
government official and the dealer which did
not tend To improve the morals of the pu bile SER
vice. Now the purchasing in open mark ct is very
rare, and has been for me years, the only ex-
ceptions being when there are some articles
mat are needed occasionally, or when it is
necessary to meet a sudden emergency. The
sum total OF these contracts in all the depart
ments is very great, and when the aggregate is
looted up. ii would seem that merely the run.
ming expenses is very large item in the total
cost TO the government. In New York the bids
nave just been opened and contractors from all
parts OF the country were present with their
Dids TO supply the meats, clothing and provi-
sIohS consumed by the noble red men. In the
same way the stationery and other supplies for
tne departments in this city are obtained, and
In order to give some idea of the amount OF
money involved it may be stated that in one
department alone the stationery supplies for
one year cost over $4,000. The contractors
Thing as it used to be, and that owing to the
sharp competition among the bidders and the
system that has been in vogue for some years
past, the government actually gets its supplies
AT A LESS PRICE
than the private citizen. Take for instance
the one item of coal. In a recent contract stove
coal was contracted to be furnished for $3.50
per ton, although the price to private consum-
ers Is 1913 per ton. One cause of this is the
great Improvement In the method of obtaining
Dlds ana awarding contracts. For instance, in
tne printed proposals which are furnished bid
ders each article with the estimated amount
required is placed opposite blank places, where
the contractor Is required to give his bid. There
may be hVe or six hundred separate items in a
contract and at one time it was the custom to
add up the amount OF the bid in each individ.
uai case and award the contract to the lowest
bidder determined by the totals 1t was found,
however, that In order 10 keep the total amount
down, that some bidders would fix their prices
h'gh on articles that were used great deal
and very low for articles for which there was
but little demand AS for instance, there is a
kind OF ink, which is used in very small guam
titles in the service Under the old plan the
bidder would make his bid below the cost price
on this ink, and OF course save himself from loss
Dy furnishing only a very small quantity.
Unoer the present system each item is consid-
ereu separately and the contract is awarded to
The lowest bidder without regard to whether he
mas another item awarded to him or not.
CONDITIONS WITH WHICH BIDDERS MUST
COMPLY.
In order TO give some idea of how a government
contract can be obtained, the following is taken
from the official instructions: Proposals must be
made in duplicate on tine forms furnished by
Tue department, and be accompanied by a GER
Tined check or draft on some United States de-
posltory or National bank, payable to the order
Of the Secretary OF the Interior, which check or
uralt snail be Tor not less than ten per centum
OF the value OF the estimated quantity of
supplies proposed to be furnished at the prices
gwen IN the proposal, If such total value does
not exceed $4,000; ii over that amount the
check must be for 81 900. The check to be
forfeited TO the United States in case the bidder
receiving award Shall fail to execute
promptly contract with good and sufficient
sureties, according to the terms of his bid;
otherwise to be returned to the bidder. Bids
not accompanied by a certified check or draft
Will not be considered. Eacn proposal must
give the names OF all parties interested in or
parties to 1t, together with their places of busi-
ness and post Office addresses. Ii to be repre-
sented by an agent, his name and address should
lie given. All articles to be oil the best quality
unless otherwise specified. Samples must be,
furnished as required in the schedule, and each
sample should be marked to show the name OF
the bidder. number of the item, and price, All
ARTICLES Will be subject to rigid inspection upon
delivery, and such do not con form strictly
to the requirements OF the contract will be re-
jected.
WHY CERTIFIED CHECK IS REQUIRED,
The reason why certified check is required
from each bidder is to prevent irresponsible
persons from putting in bids, and then if the
awards suit them proceed to execute the con.
tract otherwise throw it up. TIE multiplied
ton OF work became SO great by the presence OF
bidders OF this character that this requirement
is made, and it has had the effect of keeping
out the curbstone dealers whose bank account
could not stand the retention of certified check
for month or SO.
1t is not claimed that the present system alb
solutely prevents fraud and collision between
Ors as that would be an impossbiIity for ,sny
system, however rigid. Some one has TO be
trusted, whether the business is public or pri
waite, and so breaches OF trust are always among
the possibilities. But 1t is claimed that under
the present system the opportunities for fraud
are not so frequent or inviting, aud that All
necessary precau tons have been adopted.
Protection Against Fire.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SENATE DISTRICT
COMMITTEE.
In connection with the bill to require that
buildings in the District be provided with fire
escapes, ETC., reported from the Senate District
committee, Mr.. Vance submitted report stat
Ing that there appears to be quite num-
Der of tall public buildings here used fol
schools, places OF amusement, etc., that are
without adequate protection against fire; thai
the fire department explain that the water
thrown from the hose to the tops of these build.
ings becomes dissolved into thin small spray
and has very little effect upon the fire; that
the object OF the stand pipes required by the
bill Is To throw Il Yalill1la al