The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-04-19
GOVERNMENT IS
A POOR SHOPPER
Each Department Buys Supplies,
Without Reference to Others,
and Prices Vary.
From The journal Bureau, Colorado building,

QudluGanCo ana com pare uOCeS. a55s%-a 5s
There are as many sets Of prices for
ing bureaus. There are as many pur-
chasing bureaus as there are depart
ments. Either some Of the departments
are getting their supplies below cost Or,
some others are being outrageously
skinned" Differences range from 5
! to 100 per cent. Few cases are to be
found where two departments pay the
same price for the same article, or it's
equivalent. -
Office supplies are not much different
| in different departments, or need not be,
| SO stationery may be taken as stand
| ard for comparison.
.sr. Paper Prices Vary.
For foolscap paper the: interior de-
office Departments pays $l.O4; ream for
such paper of a little higher grade. A
similar paper designated legal-cap, costs
the treasury department $1.39 a ream.
The specifications are not exactly alike,
but the purposes for which this stock
is used seem to be identical. " sa'c
Similarly. the postoffice department.
pays 81 for ream of card blotters, 100
in number and weighing 100 pounds.
The treasury department pays 1896 for
the same weight ream of the same blot
tiers, the interior departments, $6.45,
while the navy department. hands out
1914. There is nothing in the specifca-
tions to differentiate. these articles 90
that there should be 1914 difference in
price in. a single ream-not far, from 100
per cent. .@s
Manila wrapping paper, 24x96 inches,
of. go, pounds weight, costs the post
office department. $3.50 ream. The
treasury department gets it for $4.34
q ream, the interior department.. for
1888 and the navy department. for
$3.50. In the; same way the interior
department pays 1912 a ream for the
while the navy department gets its
manila, 36x40, 80 pounds weight, for
1896. Again one cannot be quite sure
that the articles are Identical, but the
specifications indicate, that they are al
most the same. ~ o..
i Departments Far Apart. ->
In the, postoffice department. semi
about the same thing for $1I. a thou.
sand. The treasury department. pays
$l.lO: a hundreds for semicarbop:, type
writer letter size, while the interior
department gets them for 80 cents a
hundred. 49, = ta.'a& +.
Typewriter paper. letter size, costs
i Cno PooGouACo uepdl CHleuC 90 Genus
ream, while apparently the same paper
costs the interior department. rs cents
a ream ~" " -; ; = STr'F' y; sEs;'t
In inkstands the departments have
varying tastes. The >postoffice depart
ment gets. the square glass .three--inch
inkstand for 81. II a dozen, while the
more. aristocratic interior department
: a, dozen. The 21A-inch round inkstands
cost the postofice department. $1.45 Il
dozen and the interior department 1898
= dozen. The Treasury department
compromises by paying from $1.O5 to
$3:a dozen for its wristbands.
If all were purchased thru a central
purchasing bureau and the bills there
department would not pay six times
as much as another for inkstands Each
, department would put uplwith the same
cOnVeniences. &s@ ~ 4;
. Ink Purchases. Queer.
The interior department pays 7(
cents. dozen for twosounce bottles OF
carmine ink and the navy department
pays $l:25 dozen for apparently the
= bottles costs the treasury department
35 cents a Dozen, while It costs the in
, terror department. 40 cents, It is sale
that carmine and crimson ink can be
produced at the same cost. H. ~
The postoffice department. gets quart
bottles OF copying ink at .$l.53 dozen
:, and it is called the best. IInthe interior
I the treasury department $2.15 s@.s:>
T.. This treasury department ink is 8
$ standard ink, after a formula approved
: by. the department. chemist as likely tt
! hold it's color permanently. Secretary
7 Gage, finding. the records fading, hat
q "a In1y cd wi II
Q Still this everlasting ink has not beer
passed about to other departments
: which pay up to 1894 for inks will
o fancy Names The formula, however
d has narrowed the bidding for treasury
r inks. 7"T- -. = -. }t" ~ "
Q Confusion Is Costly. H..
' Thus there is confusion among Uncl,
Sam s shoppers, to the everlasting Diet
riment Of Uncle Sans pocketbook. Tn
is found in furniture and other NOR,
> expensive articles, but there is n,
\ standard and no basis for comparison
Not only are there separate bureaus
in each department. for the, purchase O
= wheels I7 s in :, each department..
!. tain, each bidder each year gets tn
! figures. paid by the various depart
7 ments for the year previous and he deal
Q with that department upon the basi
;, Of these figures. Purchasing bureau
: for the various departments seem t
I, go to no such trouble. VA
q It, will not be surprising if this mat
:, ter gets before President Roosevelt an,
t he makes an effort to bring order GU
3 Of this chaos Of purchasers A centra
l. purchasing agency for all sorts of sup
Il plies, with a central auditing force
% seems the thing indicated. But cor
a gross must move to establish such
e bureau.
r. ---.----
4 SIOUX CITY DOCTOR HoNoRED.
Atlanta, Ca. April 19.-The America
~ Antituberculosis league today elected d
r. E.; COMMIT Of Sioux CITY Iowa q