The sun., 1896-10-24
STANDARD NAVr SUPPLIES.
staudnrdizing Some $4,000 Article. TO Fr
ciiitato Bids for Supplies.

cilitato Bids for Supplies.
Moro than 1000 articles Of various descrip-
ttons for the use OF the navy have to be pur-
chased from time to time. This is outside of
the Ordnance Department. Certain rules OF the
Navy Department In the past have compli-
Gated tho system Of purchasing supplies that
| manufacturers OF many Of the articles required
have been practically shut out from competi-
tion, the standards OF quality, the innumerable
specifications, and the interminaOle and untnn-
gleable red tape of the department having made
1t impossible for n merchant or manufacturer
to ind out just what was wanted and what tests
or quality wottd be required to demonstrate
the superiority of one article over another.
In earlier days each of the chiefs Of the five
bureaus comprising the Advisory Board Of tho
Secretary OF the Navy acted independently and
automatically in the matter of the purchase
and inspection OF supplies. each buying its own
COAL oil. paints. or hardware. but no two bureaus
having the same regulations regarding the In
spection. purchase, and issue of articles. As
result the storchousos OF the different navy
yards were filled with heterogeneous lot OF
useless junk, amounting to millions OF dollars
in cost, which had to be reapprnised or con-
demned and sold.
1toccurred to Secretary OF the Navy Herbert
that there was n chance here for genuine re-
form. but there were difficulties in the way of
eAeCutlon. NRNal OlHcers, as n rule, are not
familiar with commercial nomenclature, or
rules. In trying to get the best OF everything
through slip of description they were apt TO
ask for something not known. or not carried in
stock by merchants, and which, II made to or
der, entailed endless delays and unnecessary
expense. These discrepancies rendered manu-
factnrers cautious about entering the field as
bidders through the fear OF having a costly and
commercially useless quantity of Eoods thrown
back on their hands by rejection. and this con-
ditiOn fos;ered n class OF middlemen. or profess
slonal contractors. who. having an abundance of
time. coud m4stcr the intricacieS of the lack of
system and take advantage OF technicalities
generally defeating the intention of the depart
Inent to obtain the best goods in the market. A
law prohibiting the naming of any manu- facturer
or ask ing FOR patented or proprietary articles
added Further complrxty to the situation.
After several years OF effort. Congress was in
dnced to make a specific appropriaiion of $780,
600 .aitcrward increased to 5 900. 900 termed
the naval supply fund" and TO be used for
the purchase OF articles common to two OF more
bureaus. which were to bo purchased in the
When bureau wanted ANYTHING. it made
nNnran TegH,i1n IN nG toI It on the who
new Bursan Of Supplies and Accounts % Il 10 the the
bureau receiving them. and credited TO the
naval supply fund, thus creating. in fact. an
enormous 1 Wholesale store with a cash capital of
The promise OF this arrangement was salts
factory. bur then new difficulty confronted
the department " was not enough to advertise
for The best" without first dctermIninx "A
standard OF quality in nj! the Ipnumerab BILE sup
plies required. That would give manufacturers
n fair cEnnCc. Patented and proprietary arTi-
Giles are barred. and the effort is being made 10
establish standards which must he cQunilcd in
quality although not necessarily identical in
detail. That is to say II thing offc."d FOR sale
must be as good As the standard sample, but
not nf necessity precisely like the sample. Un-
der former rulings an even better article that
was not exactly the same, thing as the standard
would have to he rejected.
AIId so at the beginning of the year a Ronrl
WAS appointed hy the Secretary OF the Navy to
straiGhtcn out this tHncIc. that n manufac-
turer or merchant might be In position u bid
on navy contracts without the Necessity of en-
p!oying n professional agent or middleman or
broker to conduct the negotiat!o for him. 1t
consists OF Pay Director l.. q. billings. Prc>i-
Timothy \. LYONS. Lieut.. !. A. II. Nickrls and
Assistant Naval Constructor Lloyd Bankson. nll
resenting the several bureaus OF the navy were
directed to describe all articles required aud 10
sure tho widest competition and TO obtain for
the use OF the navy the best goods TO be had In
the market.
This Board has been in session long enough to
test the theory OF itS organization thoroughly !
and IL Is n most pronounced success. 1t calls in
the most reputable manufacturers nyaIlable for
prejndiccd. II has received tho most cordial
support OF the mcrcanil 10 world. while exciting:
but triting opposition from professional spcCri-
latiye bidders. whose occupation is practically
gone.
Having established the nomenclature sizes
and descriptions OF the hes, of each class il is
then their duty 10 prescribe teats which viii
protect the honest merchant from the accept /
nnce OF inferior goods. In some instances they 4
have established n commercial standard which |
Is retcoGnlzsd rec a. as Describing the best in thu
is becoming standard Of excellence
Manufacturers are bidding direct to the con- I
sternation of the professional contractors and /
the result Il that the navy is Obtaining the hes:
In the market. and at u less price than IL used /
TO nay for inferior articles.