Evening star., 1903-07-27

d
are purchased year after year. Then again
there seems to be a lack of uniformity in
the needs of the service that might be over
come by the adoption of a standard art-
Gle. with the understanding that when an
article of this particular class is needed,
only the adopted could be had. While
al first this might cause some friction, yet
the end sought to be obtained is so-eminent-
ly proper that unfavorabe criticism could
not long be sustained, especially il an op
portunity is given the general branches of
the service to be represented on a commit
tee to make the original selection. Take
the matter of desks. There are more desks
of various sizes. kinds and patterns p'r-
chased from District appropriations IT, IN
from almost any other service under the
government. AS matter of fact nearly
every department of the general govern
ment has adopted standard OF one, two,
or three desks and, therefore when pur-
chases are made by them one of the desks
of the kinds adopted must be selected. So
it might be arranged with a large number
OF articles in the various classes of supplies
for the District. and in this manner over
come the constant demand for special
tfcles that are not under contract
Bids Should Be Invited.
When 1t becomes necessary to make open
market purchases because there is no ar
ticle under contract that could be made
to answer the purpose, bids should invar-
iably be invited whereby competition will
be had and the lowest market rate OBJ
tained. In cases where the exigency Of the
service requires the Immediate delivery Of
the goods and for this reason competition
cannot be had a special requisition should
be prepared stating the reason for the
purchase, to be approved by the Commits
sioners. but before official consent Is given
each case should be investigated, to deter
mine that emergency exists.
Il have on my desk number of redui-
sitfons awaiting action. some of them en-
hrS NtY,o hnt ,srpp p$ bot nm.
market purchases. This collection of the
two classes one requisition has In the
past led to the purchase from the con-
tractor of the items that should be bought
through competition only; in fact 1t has
been said that contractors who are
acquainted with the prevailing practice,
placed their prices on contract items less
than the actual cost. in order to secure the
profits they knew would arise by selling to
the District at retail prices articles SINH
lar to those which they supply under their
contract
THE end sought to be obtained is first
to have every article that will probably
be needed during the fiscal year included
in the various schedules on which proposals
are to be invited. If this Is properly car
ried out it will very materially reduce the
open market purchases; second, to make
open market purchases only after cotn-
petition has been invited. If this course
is properly pursued q large. sum Will be
saved the District, and any reflection as 10
the integrity Of the purchasing agents or
others positively prevented. And thlrd
to safeguard emergency open market pui
chases by requiring requisitions for TINS
purpose 70 be personally approved by the
Commissioners. IL is believed that TINS
plan will very materially reduce tins class
of items.
/ Separate Requisition Necessary
'sTo carry out this plan 1t will be neces-
sary to have separate requisitions; one set
for contract items and another for the open
market purchases. The latter should IN
every instance show the prices for eacn
item and contain certificate that tbs price
quoted had been secured through competi-
ton.
Objection has been raised to the fore
going plan the ground that there Is not
sufficient force in the office of the property
clerk to carry it into operation. and while
this may be So the general result that VIII
be obtained by the operation of the plan Is
of such great value to the District that an
effort should be made on the ground OF
good administration to carry 1t into effect.
Commissioner West is now having pre-
pared list of the supplies that are pur-
chased year after year in the open market
at retail prices, when they should be pur-
chased by contract at wholesale rates. IL
| is hoped in this way to arrive at some def
mite figure to the amount Of such pur-
chases and the percentage as compared
with the contract purchases.
Proposal Accepted.
The Commissioners have decided to ac-
cept the proposal of Woodward & Lothrop
to refinish 4,s0O pupils desks and chairs in
the public schools for 3S cents a set, or
| LIPS. They will also accept the proposal
of J. F. Boyle to refinish and recover 81
teachers desks at s. apiece. and six teach
ers' tables at 1.5O each. This is the work
for which the school board sent In esti-
| mate for $500. and which was held up in
| the auditors office.
1t has developed that the laundry work
! of the District government, including that
| of the police and fire departments, and the
| District building, has been let to private
| firms without competition. Two laundries
| have been doing the fire and police work,
| while the District building laundry has been
| let to washerwomen The latter have been
| receiving prices far in excess of those
| charged by the laundries. although it Is
| said the Districts laundry rates can be ma
| terially reduced by advertising the work
| and letting 1t out after competition. Prop
| erty Clerk Beckett explained that the rea-
| son the washerwomen were paid more was
| because they were compelled to pay rent
| for their homes.
Commissioner West Is investigating the
| matter and will probably recommend that
l N-I~