Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1893-12-07

treated right royalty. He gets . kindly
impression Of his host and when on the
following day the host assures him that
certain goods are the best and the cheap
est IN the market he Is inclined to be-
lieve It and he buys them. Later on, as
purchases increase, the host very kindly
presents him with watch, as . Christ
mas gift. Occasionally he throws in .
suit of clothes, and ere long . point d
reached where valuable presents are
made very frequently. These presents
are not given by the head Of the business
house which makes the sales: they are
given by the salesman who makes them,
and then they 60 onto the books Of the
concern under the head Of expense &C.
count.
"Now, the large corporations Of this
state and other states, the railroad COM
panies and other concerns that do heavy
buying, long ago abandoned this system,
abandoned it absolutely. They said
they did not want to send dishonest
man into the market to buy for them;
that 1t was wrong to send an honest man
into the market under existing condi-
tons, and, third, what is still more inn
portant, that the most honest man living
could not, on the whole, buy as cheaply in
that way as they could buy under what is
called the competitive system, that is, by
giving everybody who has the goods to
sell q chance to bid. Hence, all of the cor
porations have adopted the plan of
never permitting a purchasing agent to
go into the market, but they make out
a requisition of what they need, or of
what they will need for a few weeks or
a month ahead. They make fifteen or
twenty copies of this, send it out to that
many different houses carrying the line
of goods that are wanted, and receive
bids from all these houses, and the low
est bidder is given the contract, the
right is always reserved to reject any
goods that are not satisfactory. Their
experience is that, even in the purchase
of the most staple articles, the bids will
vary from 10 per cent. to copper cent. By
purchasing in this way the supplies are
obtained, not only at the lowest figure
that some one reliable house may be
willing to sell for ON that particular day,
Jul az SA1C ny uAC tAA<Ae az ACAAaoAC
house is willing to sell for ON that day,
and among so many business houses
there will always be one or more that
will have special reasons for bidding low
on one day that may not have Oh others,
especially when it is remembered that
the orders from these institutions are
usually large and that the institutions
pay cash. Almost everything that is
needed in these institutions can be de-
scribed in a requisition. and when it
comes to the purchase of an article like
cloth the bid may be accompanied by a
sample. Several of the institutions of
the state have already adopted this sys-
tenn and their experit nee is that they get
their supplies from 10 to Is per cent.
cheaper than they were able to get them
before. But, even if in the long run sup
plies could not be obtained much cheaper
in this way than under the old
system, this plan should be adopted be-
cause it is correct in principle and be-
cause it gives every body an equal chance
and is a preventative to scandal. I want
this system adopted in every institution
in this state AID rigidly adhered to. 1t
is not necessary to discuss. the feasibil-
ity or practicability of it, because it has
been tried too long to be open to Ques-
ton. acquisitions should be made out
in copies of at least twelve or more, and
copies sent to every business house that
is at all within reach or that completes
in that country, and then when the bids
come in they should all be attached to q
copy Of the requsition. The lowest
should be accepted and they, together
with each requisition, should be laid
away so that they can be examined al
any time in the future. The practice OF
sending a man into the market must be
stopped; with few exceptions everything
should be done in the Office of the insti.
tuition.
Now, in conclusion. gentlemen, let me
say that If you can get this system Of
purchasing supplies firmly established
you will have rendered q great service
| to the state and have succeeded in put.
| ting our institutions upon q business
plane that they have not occupied so far,
and if you shall succeed in placing the
institutions of this state upon SO high q
plane that they will be regarded as the
very best in the world, then you can af.
ford to retire from their management,
soon, with the consciousness that as long
as you live you will derive q pleasure
from the thought that this thing wat
done better than it was ever done before
that you have led the way in establish
ing q reform and that YOU have rem.
dered your country substantial service
which entities you to the gratitude and
the honor Of all patriotic people"
She Shut Him on.
A prominent Englishman, Lord D.,
and . proverbial hater of America and
Americans, was dining lately in Pari.
| ,s-ifl, fh<, Rrilish minister. aud nat A<