Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-30
FOR WIDER MARKET
Contract Rule Handicaps Dis
trict, Hargrove Says.
WOULD RAISE THE LIMIT
Favors Open Buying Of Supplies
Within $1,000 Limit.
ASKS CHANGE IN THE LAW
Wider Discretion, He Says, Would
Prove of Advantage to the Dis
trict Government.
ASKS CHANGE IN THE LAW

Declaring that the law which requires
the District Commissioners to enter into
contract for the purchase of supplies.
where the amount is in excess of $500, is
contrary to good business administration,
NJ. c. Hargrove, purchasing officer for
the District in his annual report, made
public today urges that the $500 limit be
increased to 5000.
Mr.. Hargrove draws distinction be-
tween purchases for immediate delivery
and purchases for deliveries at stated pc
RODS and states that it would be to the
Districts interests if the Commissioners
were allowed to use their own judgment
as to when contracts shall be required
where the amount involved is not in ex-
cess of 5000. He urges that Congress
he asked to amend the law in such man.
ner that this authority will be conferred
upon the Commissioners.
Not Good Business Policy.
This law. in my opinion, has been
found to be contrary to good business ad-
ministration,'' declares the purchasing
officer. practically in every case the
exigencies of the service require that the
supplies be ordered as soon as the Com
mssioners have approved the award, in
order to have delivery effected as early
as possible.
II have known Of instances where the
supply has been delivered accepted and
could be drawn and properly executed,
and yet, under the provisions of this law,
the accounting officials required that a
contract be entered into, and, until execu-
ton of contract settlement could not be
made for the supplies. which, as stated
above, had been delivered and put in
use"
1t was pointed out by Mr.. Harsrove
that there undoubtedly are instances
when contracts should be entered into
with respect to purchases involving less
than $500
Undoubtedly. there are times when
the amount involved may be considerably
less-perhaps not more than $2N-and
when a formal contract should be enter
ed into. For instance, a contractor
might be directed to put a new roof on
a schoolhOuse, and may go into bank
ruptcy before the roof is completed, and
many thousands of dollars damage might
be occasioned the interior of the building
thereby In such a case the District
should be guarded by formal bonded
contract"
Forms Of Proposals.
NJ. Hargrove suggests that the District
in the future in soliciting bids. confine
itself to one form of proposal. There are
two forms at present. Under one 1t is
required that the quantities to be fur
nished shall he specifically stated. based
upon estimates furnished by the various
departments, with a privilege Of variation
below or above not to exceed }3 1-3 per
cent The other form Of proposal states
the minimum quantity to be furnished,
but with the right reserved to the Com
missioners, should the needs of the serv-
ice require. to purchase any additional
quantity.
II has been found, according to the pur-
chasing officer, that as low OF lower
prices have been quoted under the last
named form of proposal. and he recon-
mends that the Commissioners employ
only this form in the future.
The total Of supplies purchased by the
District during the last fiscal year
amounted to 81. 257, S59.49, according to
the report.