New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-25
NO MORE 81 MELONS
FOR CITY EMPLOYEES
8O.Cent Fish, Hothouse To-
matoes and Perfumed Soap
Also in Discard.
REFORMS SAVED MILLIONS
Citizens Committee Praises
Fusion Estimate Board for
Business Methods in
Purchasing Supplies.

How the fusion Board OF Estimate
earned Tammany's enmity by introduce
ing business methods in the purchasing
Of CITY supplies. thereby saving millions
of dollars. and how Tammany legislators
at Albany prevented a further reduction
in graft Of $4,000, 900 to s4,5oO.oo0 by
defeating legislation introduced at the re-
question Of the fusionists. are told in one
Of the educational statements Of the Citi-
.zens Municipal Committee.
The statement. issued last night. in
part follows:
Twenty million dollars year rs eX-
pended by 100 departmental purchasing
agents for supplies for the city OF New
York. Very few private business con-
Germs buy supplies in such large guam
titv. If the president of business con-
Germ with a tenth of the city's annuai
supply organized system that permltteu
the purchase Of the same kind OF arucle
AZ the same time at half dozen difer-
ent prices. and the supplying to empIoye"
OF expensive perfumed soap. diets oil fruits
and vegetables out Of season. hothouse
tomatoes and cantaloupes at :. apiece ne
would not only he discharged. but Woulh
be so discredited that he would never
get back into the companys employ.
"Tammany control Of the city govern
ment fostered precisely that KIND o'
stupid and wastcful system. contractors
favored with the profitable business OF
selling to the city were numbered among
the friends and adherents OF Tammany'
Tammany having been dismissed from the
control Of the city government IN ue
election Of 1909 should be so tnoroughly
discrcditcd as not 10 he considered eligible
for reelection In 1913.
THE fusion Board Of Estimate ana Ap-
nortionmont has made beginning IN me
organization Of supply purchases. II has
gone as far as time and an unsyinpd-
thetic Taminany Legislature would permit
toward placing the citNs supply pur-
chascs on an efficient basis.
The statement then tells In dotail no"
tho economies were instituted and are be
ing carried ont. and shows how Tammany
fought the innovations that saved millions
N tho city. An instance also Is given OF
tho effect ot Standardization introduced by
the fusionists which prevented one depart
ment having S. gallon FOR varnish that
another department purchased FOR 81 10.
Fish al so cents pound and canta-
loupes At s. apiece tbought out OF sea-
son, also are referred 20 as among the
cxtravaganccs Of a Tammany admins
tration.
The abatement ends with the following
e., further forward step toward elm
mating waste In the purchase OF supplies
has been proposed this year. This IS the
creation OF a central purchasing depart
ueut. the plan for which has been thor
o,cbIv worked out by the Finance De-
ra,trcnt The Board Of Estimate caused
Tho Introduction IN the Legislature this
year OF an amendment 10 the charter Gre
ating this department Its creation would
save the city between 100000 and w.
500. 900 year.
"I, would do away with 100 purchas-
ing agents in as many departments ana
ocutralize the purchase OF supplies In one
office. 60 that the city may buy IN IN
creased quantities with a consequent de-
crease in cost. But Murphy controls the
legislature. and consequently the neces-
sarv charter amendment FOR creating the
central purchasing bureau was defeated.
In this. as in other lines o. progress
t,vard efficient and truly representative
CITY government. We claim only that the
fusion Board Of Estimate has made be
ginning. The voters must assure con
tiruancc Of anti-Tammany government IN
order that this work may be carried FOR
,.ard o,heruisc the progress made will
be quickly surrendered"