The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-11
BUSINESSLKE.
COuncilmen Gradually Begin to
Believe in Method.
Requisition Plan for Supplies
May Be Permanent.
is SOME OBJECTION.
Enforcement of Rule Might
Bring Open Rebellion.
Some City Officers Strongly OPP
pose the System.

Councilman Swendson has an idea
that the requisition plan for purchas-
ing city supplies, now enforced under
resolution of the council, is a good
| thing, and one which should be made
permanent. He is preparing to INTRO
duce an ordinance before the council
which make the requisition plan part of
| the city law.
This move will certainly arouse oppo-
sition from most of the city officials
| to whom the requisition plan is not
satisfactory. So long as the plan is
authorized merely by resolution, it is
| flexible enough SO that it can be bent
\ to suit various conditions. But if en-
acted into law, the officials are afraid
of it.
The resolution providing for requisi-
tionS which is also one of Mr.. Swend-
sons products, says that each head of
a department must file with the mayor,
on the first of the month, a reQuisition
for the things which his department
will need during the ensuing month.
The mayor then checks these TeQuiSi-
tions, and orders the goods necessary.
Theoretically, each department can
make but one requiSition month, and
when it fails to put goods on its month
ly requiSitiOn, it must get along with
out those goods until the next month.
There are nunEAous frills on this
scheme which proved to be better theo-
retically than practically.
Since it is the mayor who does all
the buying, the city officials are slow to
come out and criticise the way in which
the system has worked. They do not
like to arouse any unnecessary opposi-
ton, especially from the head of the
city government. But if the requisition
plan should be strictly enforced by
means of an ordinance, it would make
an open rebellion.
There are several reasons why the
city officers don't like the requisition
.11~, ~,
what goods they need without asking
anybody. They claim, in the first place,
that they frequently need supplies at
once. and have to wait a month for
them in some instances under the exist
ing plan. Under the resolution, this
rule is often waived so that in case of
emergency they can order supplies any
time they can find the mayor and pre-
sent their reQuisition, but even with
this method it is sometimes hard to
find the mayor without waste of time.
The city might some time have a mayor
without a downtown office, and this
would increase the difficulty of getting
acquisitions promptly. Hence the city
officials think it would be a bad plan
to pass any ordinance on the subject.
There is also much objection on the
ground of delay in getting supplies af-
ter they are ordered. One city officer
said today: I'VE nave ordered supplies
on the first of the month, and have fail
ed to get them till about the middle of
the month. If the system is to be op
Grated at all, there should be somebody
in charge who would attend to 1t
promptly"
1t is also claimed that the requisition
plan does not save the city any money.
1t is stated that the mayor was obliged
to pay SO for a job of binding assess
ment reports which has heretofore been
done for SIS. When asked as to the
truth of this report, City Clerk Squires
said this morning:
Il don't care to talk about that. 1
ing for the city and attend to it
promptly"
City Engineer McCabe and Street
Commissioner Snyder both assert that
While the mayor was in St. Louis last
week, the city engineer needed oak
stakes. Under the resolution. he
would have been obliged to wait for1he |
ting the stakes. Instead of that he |
went ahead and bought them on his |
personal responsibility Had he waited, |
his whole surveying force would have |
been idle for about three days.
The street commissioner frequently |
breaks a piece of machinery, or needs |
some supplies Immediately. If he can |
not find the mayor, he sometimes has |
the supplies needed, or send the broken |
tool to the repair shop.
Mayor Bergundthal said today: II re- |
alize that there are many imperfectionS |
in the present requisition system, but |
believe that on the whole it is a good |
scheme. We get better prices on some |
things that formerly, especially on job |
printing. 1 don't think there has been |
much delay in obtaining goods ordered. |
We modify the conditions to suit the !
needs of the department. From the
fire department L require no requisi-
lions at all. Mr.. Wilmarth has his own
system of acquisitions, and it seemed
ample. So I did not interrupt his |
work"
Councilman Swendson said: my idea |
is simply to make the requisition sys-
tenn a permanent one with the city.
have not drawn up the ordinance yet,
but intend to have to follow the plan
adopted by resolutions without any
change. 1 believe this is a valuable
system, and should be enacted into
law"
1t is doubtful whether the ordinance
would have much force even if passed,
because it is likely there could be no
penalty attached for it's nonobservance
Delaney Is Lucky.
The Wichita Star says: OF all those