Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-16
TO BUY ALL SUPPLIES
One Department May Make
All Government Purchases.
so SAYS AN OFFICIAL
BELIEVES UNCLE SAM WOULD
SAVE MUCH MONEY.
Figures Concerning Supplies Used by
the Interior $780,
600 Pounds Of Ice Used.
so SAYS AN OFFICIAL

The time Is coming when there will be
a bureau of supplies and accounts for the
entire government service declared
high official OF the Department of the In
terror one day last week. by this mean
bureau or department which will have
for its business the purchase of all the
supplies needed by the various depart
ments for the work of carrying on the gov
eminent of the United States. 1t is not
possible for me to estimate the amount of
money spent in this way by all the depart
ments. For something like twelve years.
however. it has been my business to know
what the Interior Department has needed
for it's work. and the amount is enormous,
I can assure you.
THE maintenance Of the government Of
this country Is business proposition of
vast proportions. Just as a man starting
In housekeeping finds that certain things OF
which he had absolutely no previous knowI-
edge are indispensable to the proper con-
duct Of his home, so 1t will be found that
the government needs include a vast
sOrtment of things which represent merely
the raw materials, as Ii were, for carrying
on its work By these l mean the paper,
pencils, mucilage. furniture and score Of
other things that are purchased by the
various departments every year. We now
buy most Of our supplies from the whole
salers at close prices, but II the business
of purchasing these articles was centralized
in one bureau, which had nothing else to
do but look after them, it would be found
that the profit OF the middlemen could he
cut out, deals could be made with the man.
ufacturers direct and a large sum saved
on contracts every year. This might seem
hard on the dealers in the commodities
needed. but a quarter of a cent a pound
here and there on red tape, a fraction Of
penny per ream paper. when deducted
fraV tbn oil Of fhn ,har Of DO
reams used per year will represent
tidy fortune. On only one article of uni
versal use IS there anything like a centraU
zation of contracts. All the envelopes used
by the government, except in connection
with the business of Congress. are pur-
chased through the Postmaster General.
Think of the millions of envelopes used In
the transaction of public business. and think
what a saving 1t must be to have them all
purchased from one concern at one price.
It seems to me that the quantity used
would keep one manufacturing plant busy
throughout the year and leave no time for
other work Suppose all the departments
contracted separately for envelopes they
do for almost everything elsa and this bust
ness was distributed all over the country.
1t would naturally result in slightly higher
prices In one department or another. be-
sides entailng the work of making up the
schedules on force of clerks who are
taken from their regular tasks for this
work to the detriment of their regular
work.
How the Bids Are Made
'In the Interior Department there are
about thirty-two regular contrac tors for
the ordinary supplies They represent ev-
cry class of business. The butcher the
baker and the candlestick maker are on
hand before the LIST of July. each with his
hands full of bids for some particular kind
of article needed in the conduct of ordinary
business. The bids are received and opened
by a committee of five. appointed by the
Secretary, the personnel of the committee
differing according to the fancy of the head
of the department. The bids are tabulated
and the committee makes its recommended
tons for award. These recommendations