The Washington times., 1907-11-05
UNIF FORh PURCHASES
FOR GOVERNMENT
Congress- Will Again Thresh
Method of Buying
Supplies.
Keep Commission Wants
Supply Board to Be in
Full Control.

The plan to secure uniform methods
OF purchasing supplies in the executive
departments and Government bureaus
in Washington, as proposed by the
Keep Commission last winter, will
again be pushed at the coming session
OF Congress.
The Keep Commission recommend
that a commission be selected, consist
ing Of one representative Of eacn de-
partment and independent office, 10
formulate schedules and make contracts
for departmental supplies. The propO-
sitiOn was considered favOrably in the
House and passed, but was stricken
out in the Senate.
This subject had much attention from
the Doekery Commission in 1885. On
its recommendation, section 37O9, revised
statutes, was amended so as TO provide
that contracts for purchase Of depart
mental supplies should go before a
board Of award. composed Of an Assis-
tant Secretary of the Treasury, an As
sistant Secretary OF the Interior. and an
Assistant Postmaster General, for ap-
pTOval.
Uniformity of Price.
The purpose of the Dockery Commits
TO secure reasonable uniformity of price
and practice in contracts for depart
ment supplies by establishing a board
or commission TO compare the awards
recommended by the various depart
nents. so that approval might be re-
fused in case an excessive price was to
be paid by any one department as COM
pared with the others.
While something has been accom-
plished In securing uniformity Of price
since 1888, the real purpose of the amend
ments approved by the Dockery Com
mission has not been secured. The law
stlu leaves each department to prepare
its own schedule Of supplies needed.
Each department publishes its own ad-
vertisement, receives its own bids, and
makes its own recommendation for
awards to the board of award.
The Keep Commission proposes TO cor
rect these evils by providing that the
preparation OF schedules, advertising for
proposals. and making Of contracts for
the purchase Of department supplies be
placed In the hands OF board TO be
known as the general supply committee.
such board to be under the supervision
and control of the Secretary OF the
Department of Commerce and Labor.
Inc QeaC OF 6llCn utpaI LutnL OF IN
dependent office Is 10 designate one eX-
pert emplgye Of his department OF in
dependent office TO serve as a member
OF such a board The board thus con-
stituted Is to purchase the department
supplies heretofore acted upon by the
board OF award.
q The advocates OI tfliS system claim
that II Will secure uniformity in sup
plies, and be the means OF saving
great deal OF money TO the Government,
the purchase Of supplies under the con-
ceutrated system being expected to re-
suit in reduced prices.
The great need Of such law is mani
fest. when il Is known that the Govern
ment IS at the present time purchasing
y different kinds Of ink, 27S different
kinds Of pens, II different kinds Of type
writer ribbon, and I32 different grades
Of pencils. One department is said 10 be
paving Sl.10 per dozen quarts for ink,
while another department Is paying S
per dozen quarts for the same grade Of
ink
Similar conditions are said to prevail
as 20 many other articles used by the
departments, the prices in many in