Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-02
Items Found in acquisitions
Of Washingt Asylum.
EXPLANATION WANTED
REFORM IN BUSINESS METHODS
AT DISTRICT BUILDING.
Commissioner West Discovers That
Large Amount Of Supplies Are
Bought in Open Market.

twenty-five yards Of stair carpet for the
intendant's house."
This item was found by Commissioner
West among the list Of acquisitions that
had been allowed for the Washington Asy-
lum since last January. The Commissioner
is making thorough examination of the
accounts Of the Washington Asylum IN
connection with the report of the commit
tee which investigated the institution and
has discovered several things which he be-
lieves should be brought to the attention
of his associates and an explanation de-
manded of the officials In charge Of the In
stitution which offended.
Why the District should be required to
pay for stair carpet for the house of the
intendant the Commissioners cannot un-
derStand. The District supplies the official
head of the asylum with a house and with
horses and a carriage, etc, but 1t does
not undertake to furnish the house for
him. Nevertheless, 1t is stated. 1t has been
discovered that rugs, curtains, carpets, ETC.,
have been bought by the District from time
to time to furnish the house of the IN
tendant Of the sylum, and it Is further
stated that no warrant or law OF appro-
priation therefore can be found. The most
astonishing part of the condition of affairs,
according to the Commissioner, Is that
thesf items were passed without question
and have been passing through the audi
tors Office for the past fifteen years to the
employed therein.
Other Discoveries Made.
But thas is not all that the Commissioner
has discovered in going over the accounts
of the asylum and over the system by
which things are purchased for the Dis
trict. He has found that bread and but
ter and eggs are bought by the District,
without form of contract or written agree
ment, but simply on the verbal agreement
between the property clerk and local
dealer. He has found that thousands Of
loaves Of bread are purchased every week
for the various institutions under the Dis
trictS care and that this bread Is bought
in open market at the rate of cents per
loaf There is no contract and the Dis
trict Is at liberty to make its purchases
from whom 1t pleases. An interesting feat
ure of the sale of bread is noted in the fact
that persons living in the suburbs Of the
city, even as far removed as BalSton Va,
can buy bread for exactly the same price
that the District is paying, and only have
to purchase six 1oaves to secure the re-
duction in price from to cents. In four
days in the District more than 5000 loaveS
Of bread were purchased for two institu-
lions only, for which the uniform rate of
cents per loaf was paid.
Commissioner West has learned through
his Investigation that more than fifty per
cent of the supplies used by the District are
purchased in the open market and that the
District is paying all the way from ten to
fifty per cent more for it's supplies than
other departments are paying. In prosecut-
ing his Investigations, Commissioner West
sent for Mr.. Amos Hadley. the chief Of the
division Of supplies of the Interior De-
partment. and had a long conference with
him today regarding the manner of pur-
chasing supplies for the general govern
ment. The Interior Department buys a
vast quantity of miscellaneous supplies
each year and Mr.. West learned that not
more than five per cent of the supplies Of
this department are purchased in open mar
ket without form of contract. But even
when such supplies as come under the
heading of this five per cent are purchased,
all dealers handling them are notified that
the department requires them and are asked
to submit bids. No contract is made, but
there is competition among the dealers just
the same. The department has dozens of
forms for these competitions both for con-
tracts and for the open market purchases
and the rules herein stated are rigidly adj
hered to in every purchase that is made.
Comparison of Figures.
On inquiring as to some of the prices paid
by the Interior Department for its supplies
Commissioner West learned that the Dis
trict was paying $50 per dozen for type
writer ribbons. which the department was
able to purchase for $3.50, and that the Dis
trict is paying 10 cents more per ream for
a certain kind of typewriter paper than is
cIdTSeu tne interior department. Inc IN
vestigation of the accounts shows that the
purchases of the department and of the
District are sometimes made of the same
merchants and yet the prices are higher in
almost every instance. Only one two Of
the cases where a higher price is charged
the District are noted here as illustra tons,
but it is said that the same condition is
found throughout the list of supplies pur-
chased In open market This is through no
fault of the merchants from whom the pur-
chases are made, it is said because the Dis
trict buys such things in open market en-
tirely. and does not require the various deal
ers handling the supplies 1t wants to submit
bids.
There are no contracts for this class OF
matter, and consequently the District Is at
liberty to purchase where 1t may Some Of
the supplies are bought in small quantities
and some in bulk, but even then it does not
seem to the Commissioners that they should
be compelled to pay almost so per cent
governmental department is getting the
same thing for.
AS in the case of the Washington ASYLUM.
Commissioner West has discovered that
these abuses have been practiced for a
number of years. He does not charge any
person in the District employment with
corruption or collision with the merchants
but he does state that the condition OF
things opened up so many avenues for cor
ruption and collision that the methods of
doing business should be changed to con-
form to modern standards and that every
person should be given chance to Sell to
the District and compete for contracts,
thereby decreasing the cost of the supplies
and insuring the government a proper uuaI-
ity and quantity.