The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-09-21
LOOSE METHODS
ARE Laid BARE
Keep Commission Brings to
Light the Fact That There
Is Gross Extravaganza.
BAD LACK OF SYSTEM
In Many Cases There Is a Difference Of
100 Per Cent. in the Prices Paid
for Same Article by Differ
ent Departments.

Washington, d. c., Sept. 20.-The i'm
.,nense extravaganza of doing business
under the loose methods that have pre-
vailed in some Of the government de-
partmcnts here in Washington has re-
ceived a concrete illustration in some
figures that lave been given out by the
Keep commission OF reform of depart
mental methods.
President Roosevelt named the COM
mission three months ago. to make a
thorough inquiry into methods and to
recommend reforms where they could
be made with economy Of benefit to the
service. The comission after a general
investigation has decided to AXE up
first those possible reforms which may
be effected without getting new legis-
lation. These include among the rest
the method of buying supplies.
Comparison Of prices paid for supplies
cat present, in different departments,
show that in some cases there is act
ually a difference OF 100 per cent. be-
tween prices paid for exactly the same
article in different departments. All
buy under he's same Notwithstanding
bids and letting the contract to the
#luWest and best bidder. Yet despite
sstlis the difference of 10 to 100 per cent.
#1n prices is not infrequently ound. 1t
Is The plan Of the commission to recon-
lmant hat supplies be standardized so
far as possible. and that a central pur-
schasing office buy them for all depart
ments. This will assure that the best
possible prices Will be secured by all
8the departments.
Ink as an Illustration.
Unde the item of inks it is found
that there is a wide variation in prices
paid in different departments. Thus,
( for exactly the same grade, furnished
by the same manufacturer, the depart
inent of commerce and labor pays So
per dozen quarts, the interior depart
ment pays SO, the navy department
s4.32, and the department Of justice So.
For another ink, the department of
agriculture pays Sc. 80 per dozen quarts,
department of justice $40, and the
postoftice department SIS. 81. Against all
these prices, the treasury standard ink,
i which is made from a formula prepared
especially for that department, M
is declared to be the best ink of them
all, costs only S2.15 per dozen quarts.
On another grade of inks a still wider
range of prices is found. This is CLASH
3#fied as writing fluid OF one manu-
facturer's goods. the supplies for differ
departments cost as follows, per
ssuoEen QuartS:
Government printing offce.""."..... 4.S2
Commerce and labor ................. $50
ANTERIOR $50
POS;ofiicc 1,34
For still another grade of writing
fluid these prices are paid in the de-
partments named. per dozen quarts:
agricultural .......".................$4.50
Gotcrnlncnt printing offcc............ 5.22
PoStoffcc $50
The war department uses an ink
costing $4.3S: IA as high as Sc; and
other variations are almost equally re-
markable.
The item of mucilage is one show
ing variations in price. Thus one
grade of mucilage costs these prices, per,
dozen quarts. for the departments.
named: Agriculture, So; interior, 50. so;
justice, s. SO; postoffice, 81 .65: treas
urH, Sl.S4. Cost of mucilage varies from
$l.65 to $3.50 per dozen bottles, this
comparison being made without refer
ence to qualities. The government
printing office used a homemade mucil-
age that costs So 81.
Of the departments using red ink,
the prices vary from 70, cents to $1.30
per dozen Bounce bottles, While treas
ury standard costs but So cents for one
4 dozen 4-ounce bottles.
Elotting paper again presents an in
terasting exhibit. The department of
agriculture pays per ream in sheets 10
BY "A inches, $3.50, 1851 and $3.50 for
III WI L!Et tiil : ldutS, llle QUIET departments
Iay as follows: Interior s6.45; COM
mercc and labor, $500; postof1ce, $4;
treasury, $4.95; justice, war and navy,
a $7.74 each.
Lead Pencils Just as Bad.
The time of lead pencils Of which
n almost untold millions are used annu-
"a ally, shows tremendous variations in
prices. but qualities and varieties de-
scribed III the specifications vary so
#lnuch that comparison is difficult. There
are $50 different makes and kinds Of
a pencils used and they range from 1914
sto ~ cents per dozen. The range is
#Ncry wide in the prices charged for the
same pencil in different departments
still wider between pencils that are
practically the same but under names
EOS different manufacturers.
In pen there is a still wider range of
81 tastes among the department people,
no less thar 230 kinds being bought by
II the government for his expert penmen
The prices run from 20 to 70 cents
Eper gross. For exactly the same pen
8stherc arc differences as high as 20 cents
Ser gross between departments.
It is stated that there has never been
S8any receiving Of bids for typewriters,
ssOr which thousands are used. The COM
EMISSION finds that the government pays
:.Dout $50 each for standard machines,
s5tXcept in the nav department, where
"a price OF $62.5O is made by the Under
5sSNood company on condition that no
5s,:her machine shall be used in the de-
.1aItment.
The foregoing prices and comparisons
re from prices fixed by the contracts
raidc III May last. On the prices that
~plCvailed before that time there were as
le,l&rkable variations. Thus for FOOLS
#tGp paper the treasury department paid
KS 81 and the postoifice only $1.o4.
tllc postoffice paid 81 per rcam for
s4bioTclrs, the treasury S4.95, the navy
T.-4.
s l'ur manila wrapping pape the treas
asa.rj. $4.34 per reanl, the postofficc $3.50,
Sille interior $3.50 and the navy $3.50.
s%%8 Typewriter paper Of a certain quail
ss1tE costs the positoffice SO cents the
ieam. while the same quality as far as
be judged, costs the interior rs
;ents.
HONOR ENGLISH FLEET.
Washington, Sept. 19.-The state de-
i,artment has been informed that
Prince Lou of Battenberg will be in
Washington November 2. The British