Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-17
/ PURCHASING AGENT.
NEW POSITION FoR POST OFFICE
DEPARTMENT.
All Supply Divisions to Be Subordinate
to Him-Names Considered and
Probable Selection.

On jury l the ONCE or purchasing agent
for the Post Office Department will come
into existence through appointment by the
President. It is onesof The most important
offices in the government service. dspos-
Ing, as it will, of approximately 100000
year in the purchase of supplies Of all
sorts used by the entire postal service OF
the United States. Subordinate to this
Office are all divisions which have had au-
thority to purchase any supplies for the
department, and the head of the new di-
vision will possess unusual power to select
for the service the best material at the
lowest rates.
The salary of the Office is $4,000 a year.
and in itself is an incentive to acceptance
by capable man OF that earning power.
The office was created by the apprOpria-
ton act OF Congress at the last session, the
intent being to secure to the department a
purchasing office which would have COM
plete jurisdiction over all purchases of
supplies, thus centralizing powers which
have heretofore been somewhat scattered.
Bond to Be Given.
The act creating the office directs that a
bond shall be given by the appointee in such
sum rs shall he determined by the Post
master General Mr.. Payne has not yet de-
| cided upon the amount of the bond, but it is
not thought that 1t will be above $4,000.
Regarding the salary Mr. Payne today said
| to reporter for The Star that Congress
had not provided in the appropriation for
| the payment of the salary, although stipu-
| leting what 1t should be, and that the con-
| trolier CT the treasury had passed the opin-
ion that the incumbent Of the Office could
| rot be paid from the current appropriation,
but must rely upon the national legislative
body to correct the oversight at its next
session and appropriate a sufficient amount
to cover back pay and provide for the fu-
| ture.
Four years ,s set for the tenure of the
office and, naturally, the man to be select
ed by the President will be one whose abil-
ity and experience will warrant confidence.
The books of the Office are to be at all times
open to the inspection OF Congress and to all
who may be Interested in the contracts
| made between the purchasing agent and
bidders for supplies. The head of the divis-
ion is directed by the act of Congress to adj
vertise, as now provided by law, for bids on
supplies and to award the contracts to the
| lowest responsible bidder. He must record
true abstract of ell such bids and preserve
1t until the end Of the contract to which
they relate. Every bidder may be present
when the bids are opened and all shall have
the right to inspect all bids offered. Con-
tracts are subject to the approval of the
Postmaster General and the purchasing
agent is directed to award all contracts to
articles of domestic production when con-
| ditions of price and quality are equal. The
division of supplies will be subordinate to
the new office
Probable Appointee.
When the provision for this Office was In
serted in the appropriation BILL it was
pretty generally understood at the Capitol,
1t is said, that the new place was to go to
somebody not in any way connected with
the Post Office Department, but whose gen.
eral business experience, would qualify him
to take the work up and organize it on firm
business lines, unhampered by any depart
| mental traditions. With this idea several
outside candidates have been suggested to
| the President and to the Postmaster Cen
eral, especially one very strongly backed
by the entire Ohio delegation.
Appearances point now, however, to the
| filling of the place by promotion, and all
| Indication point to- VIM e. Cochran, chief
| inspector of the Post Office Department, as
| the lucky man. Two other names, of people
| inside the Office are mentioned, being Merritt
| o. Chance, at present superintendent of the
division of supplies of the department, and
NJ c. Fosnes. Mr.. Cochran, however, has
| the inside track.
Mr. Cochran entered the postal service on
August 10, 1884; was appointed an inspec-
! tor in January, 1891; was promoted and
| placed in charge of the Denver division In
| April, 1887, and was made chief inspector
| on November %, 1898. He Is married and
ing at present attending the Columbian Uni
| versity. His work under Joseph L. BITS
tow fourth assistant Postmaster General,
| In the ferreting out of the postal frauds IN
| the Office of August w. Machen, superin-
| tendent of free delivery; George w. Bea-
| vers, superintendent of salaries ana allow
| ances, and others who came to gr1ef
| through his efforts, has been strongly COM
mended by his superior officers in the de-
| partment.