The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1905-10-06
PRESIDENT HAS A plan.
70 Have Single Purchasing
Burcau--Save Expense.
RATES AND LAND FRAUDS.
poosevelt's Reply to Senator
Hepburn, Typical.
y = sx1.Y LETTER FROM WASHINGTON

wrEKLY LETTER FROM WASHlNdIoN.
II he President has conceived the
MIA i OF establishing a single purchas.
ina division FOR the government which
sbal be charged with the duty Of
ouy Inr all supplies for the federal
dem Artments, the postotiices, land
ant ccs. sub. treasures, custom houses,
etc throughout the country. The
joyc cstlgations OF the Keep Com
mission have already demonstrated
that there is a wide discrepancy In
the prices now paid for departmental
sup plies, that INK, for instance, costs
one department three times as much
as i costs another. More over, ali
the craft uncovered by the Post Otlice
inyos ost!gatlon had to do with the pur-
rhas OF supplies and these facts have
con ylnced the President that not only
could a material saving of expense be
el,ct ted by consolidating the purchas-
lop divisions OF all the departments,
hut A great and continuous source of
TEN ptaton could be removed from
the path OF officials, many Of whom
draw comparatively small salaries.
In pursuance Of this view he Will
recommend to Congress in his next
mes sage the establishment OF such
purchasing bureau. presumably under
the supervision Of the Secretary Of
the Treasury. lie will suggest the
adv Visibility OF employing few high
officials to supervise the work togeth-
or with some expert purchasing agents
whose knowledge Of the leading clas-
ses of goods which the government
has to purchase will be such that 1t
will be impossible to mislead them.
OF course, the President can take no
step along this line until he receives
the authorization Of Congress but the
Indications are that ne will be able to
make SO strong 4 showing in its favor
that Congress cannot we'll avoid res
pondlng to his recommendations.
The chief OF such bureau would
j necessarily be man Of unqnestioned
tprobty and exceptional executive
capacity but the President has In
view a man who he believes combines
these requisites In the person OF Frank
u. Hitchcock, First Assistant Post
master General.
Another feature Of the Presidents
plan consist of the establishment o
depot OF the purchasing bureau II
New York City. He has discovered
that on large quantities OF supplies
which the contractors would gladl.
deliver free Of charge in New Yorl
the Government now pays the freigh
to Washington, breaks the package
and ships a considerable portion 0
OF their contents back to New Yorl
at express rates, which are materiaii
higher than freight. He Is OF tn
opinion that with a depot In Ne'
York the government could save thi
extra expense for transportation an
that all postof1ices, customs houses
etc, east and north OF New Yor
could be supplied direct from there
In time, presumably, depots could .
established in Chicago, San Francisco
New Orleans and other points froi
which the offices Of the governmen
In each section OF the country coul
be supplied.
President Roosevelt has sent
characteristic letter to Senator hey
bur Of Idaho. The Senator wro'
the President protesting against u
federal forest reserve policy on u
ground that it was working harm
the Republican party. In replyll
to this letter the President says
part; "The other clippings you ser
relate to.party matters and strive
ma &c it appear that the forest n
serve IN Idaho is matter OF polite
Importance. Now, when / can pr
pcrly pay heed to political interests
will do SO; but I will not for o.
NO n,eut sacrifice the Interests OF u
peop ople as a whole TO the real
ncied interests Of any ind'viduai
OF any political faction. The COVER
me ht nnlicy In the establishment :.