Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-29
"DOING THE MARKETING"
FOR THE DISTRICT

I only three times the weight of the coal
consumed.
BY piling the wood consumed annually.
| cord upon cord. as high as the Monu-
ment, five similar piles can be made: for
ia cords were purchased last year for
the District; each cord is four feet high.
and the Monument 500 feet. If these cords
were placed one upon the other. each
being four feet in height, SO tall a pile
lost in the clouds. 1t would be certainly
farther than the eye could travel for
it would be over five times the height
of the Monument.
1t is interesting to note that all the
car tickets used by the employees of the
District in the transaction of business
are handled through the property clerk 8
office. Into the pockets of the street
car corporations went S3,ll5 of the Dis
trict's annual allowance. Postage stamps
are also recorded In this office and in
the past year the District housekeeper
paid over $4,000 of his market money"
to Uncle Sam.
But SO varied are the purchases made
for the District that 1t u.s. perhaps stretch
ing a point to compare the work of the
buyer to the home duties of the average
housekeeper. Suppose that on a partic-
ular morning the latter should receive a
Theoretically sealed package with an ex-
planatory note Of lengthy scientific terms.
stating that the article inclosed was not
satisfactory; Only study of biology
could reveal to her through the scientific
phrasing of the note wherein the article
was deficient. And imagine her disgust
when. upon opening the package, she
should find a pair OF carefully preserved
, frog legs.
Though it is improbable that In her
case such thing should occur. the Dis
trict houSekeeper was forced to give his
attention to just such a little incident.
Supplies must be sent to ali the schools
throughout the city. and the various lab
oratories of the schools require such
queer articles as frog legs. In fact. over
$1,000 was spent on laboratory supplies
for the District institutions in the past
year-not for frog legs alone, of course,
but for all supplies.
For the little boy who. in September,
gazes with awe at the stack of new books
whose words of wisdom must be trans
ferred to his own head before the year is
out, and for the many people who enjoy
the. privilege of a public library, the Dis
trict government pays annually over SAL
OOO. In fact, the books purchased for
these various institutions of learning cost
in exact figures for the past year SILL
2i6. 80.
Principal among the District families
Is the police department, and for this
household several items are purchased
that to the citizen appear small enough.
but when taken in bulk total a goodly
sum. For the embroidered shoulder
straps worn by the officials of this de-
partment, about $50 was paid in the last
year. The wreaths that are embroidered
on their caps amounted to $126.
X *
wnen one thinks of prison meals it is
4
But the District housekeeper is sub
stantial provider. even for the offenders
against the law. On his list of expendi-
lures may be found statement to the
effect that for one year the sum OF
o,S15.56 was spent for meals for the
prisoners in station houses and in the
Police Court.
! Another important item which takes
rather a large handful out Of the Dis
trict money bag is electrical supplies
| wire cable. etc. Almost SCI 100 was srent
| for this purpose, not including the cleo
| trical equipment and wiring for the public
| schools. The electric bill sent to the DIS
! trict for services last year amounted to
1 S9.213.53
! As numerous ard as varied as are the
duties of the District housoaeeper men
! toned above, there are almost as many
more to be reckoned with. 1t is his duty
! 10 attend to the demands of rather a large
size livery stable. To supply forage for
| the horses and mules owned by the Dis
trict s1i.331.0o was spent in a year. The
! fire department requires splendid horses
| to carry on its work. and for hauling the
| large amount OF construction material
consumed by the District horses and
! mules must necessarily be owned and
| cared for BY the government.
), Thus 1t is that rather a large amount
| Of money is expended to maintain the
government stables, to replace the ami
| mails that have grown incompetent 10
work and TO supply the greater demand
i ;or them as the city increases in size,
ST. .639 was spent in the last year. The
| average housekeeper sometimes finds the
/ bill for shoes for the family enormous
| but the District housekeeper annually re
! ceives bill of nearly $1,000 for the shoe
ing OF the horses and mules owned by the
/ District.
| A large amount of bread is consumed by
the housekeeping families of the Dis
trict Approximately, 45S. 43O loaves were
used last year in supplying the institu-
/ tions. Fifteen hundred and fifty-four bar
rels of -four were purchased by the house
keeper. About 295 loaves can be made
from one barrel SO that the former con-
clusion may thus be easily drawn.
| After observing the vast amount OF
material purchased by the District house
keeper one hardly expects him to put or
his hat and start out with a market
| basket. And yet the system he employs
for lhe purchase of these articles Is not
a complicated one. From the various in
situations and departments of the Distric
government acquisitions are sent TO the
property clerks department.
| From one department. for example
comes a requisition for office furniture
From this requisition. which is put or
file, an official document Is made. stains
the amount required and the kind. .Thi.
proposal. as it is termed. Is then sent I,