The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-21
VOTE WAS AGAINST
A State Purchasing Agent
Disapproved BY Senate
Finance Committee.

The Finance Committee yesterday
reported the bill providing for a pur-
chasing agent unfavorably This bill
was prepared by Senator Turrentine
upon recommendation of the MESA &c
by Governor Glenn.
Senator Turrentne said that the
State could save many thousands of
dollars by employing q purchasing
agent. That the goods would be
bought in large quantities, hence the
lower prices and that the saving in
coal alone would amount to a large
item
Senator Webb said that he OPP
posed the bill because it was imprac-
teal and that he had recently visited
the state institutions and was sur
prised to learn that they bought their
goods so cheaply: that he felt salts
fled that a purchasing agent would
not save the State any money beside
he could not possibly purchase the
various supplies as cheaply.
Senator Mclean stated that he
was strongly in taVor of the bill. and
that he thought it was one Of the
best measures that had been intro
duced; that the farmers OF his coun-
ty foI med an association and bought
their goods much cheaper.
Senator Iollicoffer said these insti-
tutionS already buy at wholesale and
| in large quantities and he did not be-
lieve that d purchasing agent could
buy more advantageously with sal
airy Of S2.400 per annum and expense.
1t is purely a dollar and cents propo-
sition. he continued and must be de-
cided in a practical and economic
| way and not upon the theory that
| buying for all of the institutions
could be done more cheaply than the
present arrangements. The buyers for
these institutions now Duy at WhOlc-
sale all staple articles and they could
! not possibly buy the green groceries
and produce at wholesale as cheaply
as from the farmer and merchant.
| Senator Mclean asked if goods
could not be purchased more cheaply
! at wholesale.
Mr.. Norman n. Johnson, represent
! ing the merchants OF the State, OPP
posed the BILL and said that the staple
articles are already bought at whole
| sale and unless it can be shown that
| the goods can be purchased at n low
! or price by the purchasing agent than
! by the managers of the State lnstitu-
| tons, he did not see the necessity for
| the creation of a new office.
/ Mr.. Johnson said that he repre-
scented in a legal capacity the whole
| sale and retail merchants who were
! deeply Interested in economic ques-
| tons pertaining to commerce.; that
the creation Of q new office would
mean an expense which would be
| borne by all tax payers and his con-
nection was with over 1000, repre-
senting perhaps the largest tax pay
ers IN the State.
I;e said that the creation Of this
Office was impractical, because he
was satisfied that the present system
of buying was giving universal salts
faction, and that a departure from
| the methods of buying, which the
managers OF the institutions now
used were as economic as possible,
and that the creation of the office of
purchasing agent would confinc the
trade into The hands Of one or two
jobbers without any saving in price
on the articles purchased by the
State.
He said that it could not be shown
that the purchasing agents could buy
their provisions any cheaper than
managers now bought them and Un-
less this fact could be controverted
there was certainly no necessity for
the creation of a new Office at the eX-
pcnse Of the tax payers
Mr.. ID. r. Johnson. q prominent
merchant of Raleigh, appeared be-
fore the committee in opposition tC
the bill. declaring that its purposes
were theoretical and could not be
realized practically.
it the conclusion OF the discussion
an unfayorahlc report was made,
a vote Of six to two. one member hot
voting.