The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-28

ed advisable for the better and more eff
Cicnt transaction of she office. During
the fiscal year above referred to there
was expended through this office appTO-
priauons amounting in round figures 10
$50 r,a-a ~-.-- v-7 ~-1uIsitions
$. which
orders
re Sis.
s re-
tsk tnat
for the
property
IA. ST.
e. clerk,
vr,.--, ,.,.r es.r. vtsy uIv7ovlIscr. St31,
rent Of storprOUns. Sicu.
In explanation Of the above estimates
] have To say that the office sadly lacks
the necessary force to enable it to intro
duce modern methods i'm the transaction
OF the business Of the office and until
this Is furnished we cannot see that any
Improvement in our present methods can
ke obtained. The force here estimated
for is that which I think the business Of
the office requires. and 1 am sure that
careful examination will prove that 70
properly despatch The duties required and
TO accurately keep the records too much
IL not asked. The clerical force Of this
office today is no larger than il was ten
years ago. Notwithstanding that within
that time the work has increased no less
than g. per cent Ten years aCp there were
only twelve fire apparatus companies to
make purchases for. whereas today there
are twentv-f0Ur. There were about nine
police stations. while today there axe
eleven. including the House Of Deten-
ton The work for the public schools
has increased at least - per cent for
arr-frD
added thiTty-threc school buildings. also
new departments OF manual training. etc.
which have 10 he equipped and constantly
supplied through this office The pur-
chase through this Office Of equipment for
the two new manual training schools.
which VIII De Ussd for the first time this
year, viii add TO the work OF the office
during the current year, and each year
hereafter viii De source OF Increased
labor for all connected herewith DtngF
departments added during the time since
Congress has added TO the force OF this
office and whose supplies are furnished
entirely through II. are the Freedman-s
Hospital Industrial Home school. Nd
nicipaI Lodging House. and Public LIBRA
". Since the work OF cleaning the streets
has been done directly by the District.
instead OF by contract, as was once the
custom. this too has added To the lIbors
of this office
Il firmly believe that If the increased
force asked for is granted il will be &C.
cidedly for the best interest Of the Dis
trict. in that il viii afford me time u go
out and make purchases of some of the
large lots Of miscellaneous supplies which
are constantly required and are not COW
cred by contract. Could this be done.
prices more advantageous to the District
may be obtained As it is now. my en-
tire time during Office hours has 10 De de-
voted 70 clerical work and the only time
afforded me 20 so out and make pUr-
chases IS after office hours. when I fire.
Quently ind the stores ! wish 10 do busI-
ness with closed for the day.
4 might here call attention TO the fact
that all othCr Government departments
before making a purchase generally know
exactly what the article wanted OF the
service rendered, is 70 cost before an or
der Is given. This has Id the account
ing officers at the Treasury Department
70 require Of this Office that prices OF all
articles not covered by contract be writ
ten on The order This is supposed TO be
done before the order is given but as a
matter of fact u is not done until some
time after. not until the bin is rendered
which generally is the Ist Of the following
month. The price is written on the order
50 as &C. give il the appearance OF a bar
gain having been made as TO the cost be
fore delivery II is "a physical impossible
~ with our small force 10 get prices on
but a small percentage Of the supplies
needed before an order Is given. and We
therefore are compelled 10 pursue the
course above described Congress, ] be
Heye. viii not compel this state of af-
fairs u exist. but viii provide the nee
Cssary force 10 conduct the affairs Of the
Office. in a proper and lawful manner il
brought 10 thDir attention.
The method recommended this year by
Both The Superintendent OF Property. AMI
myself and approved by the Hon Com
missiOuers. of awarding the contracts for
the twenty classes Of general supplies by
items instead OF % the lowest aegrezat-
bidder OF each class as has heretofore
been done. has resulted IN a saving 10 the
District 81 about $500. IL has also u-o-
poruoaatsly Increased the IaB0rs OF This
ofhce, ~ iEat now we are required 10
make many orders FOR each class Of sup
piles whereas before ore order would sur
lice, tie same Increase is also noticed in
the number OF bills rendered. This slyins,
alone should De sufficient 10 warrant the
iucrcass s-sEed.
This Office is the purchasing Office for
al departments except those directly
&
the only Office where the conditions of
The appropriations Tor supplies for the de-
partmerts as above mentioned can be OBJ
tanned There may De bills outstanding
amounting u thousands Of dollars yyUr,1
no other Once would know OF until tH..-
are forwarded property approved for pay
meut . his uaslYu o. III work of mo
ono rI.U.H .. always Iu that condition
that fH- IrI- state OF an appropriation can
b. tHls-i+-a-a those having right 10 know
a. UrU.Ut.- notice.
one "f taa clerks iu this Office is de
tailed from another branch Of the Gov
Srnmtat. ,uI D. r.I 5.cr To- call for duty
II that department when Che cxig.uriss
or the service require. and ! am cBrupeIl-
81 10 surrender him and iu being d-prlv-
80 ~ lbs help my own office is greatly
crippled and embarrassed Therefore. 1
most earnestly recommend that provision
te mad, for this clerk as "a -H.ar en-
Yio-e of This o1@e al salary Of 81 20
Per auugE.
81 had hoped 90 inauguTatp at the be-
ginning c. Che present fiscal year. a card
system "f keeping record OF costs of an
supplies purchased, which would if kept
W. greatly facilitate the work of .sti-
mating the cost of supplies and enable
me to more readily find when the pur-
chase was m1fr of a known article Tha
complete OUTFIT was purchased lasl year
ana HE riiL deputy remaining after Office