Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-04-02
Proposes TO MANUFACTURE
AND MEND ALL aovERN-
MENr FURNITURE.
BUREAU or GENERAL
SUPPLIES UNDER M'Apoo
Secretary Of Treasury Plans to Estah-
lish New Department and Abolish
General supply COMMITTEES Ess;
mates Indicate Large Saving to Gov
eminent Annually. .s...,at.
Especial correspondence.1 ].

WASHINGTON. April a.-When Secre-
tary Of the Treasury McAdoo returns
to his desk he win find awaiting his
approval a plan to abolish the general
supply committee and the establish
ment in the treasury department Of a
bureau OF general supplies with a
superintendent at 5000. two assistant
superintendents at $4,000. and a large
number Of clerks detailed from other
departments.
Those who have formulated the plan
say it will save the government hum
dreds Of thousands Of dollars an
nuafly in the purchase Of supplies. The
plan was formed by a committee OF
treasury officials Of which Assistant
Secretary %. r. Newton is chairman.
It is believed It will be endorsed by
Secretary McAdoo and that 1t will be
advocated to congress by the presi-
dent when he sends in his annual mes
sage IN December.
Fsdsral Repair Shop.
One Of the radical features Of the
new proposal is government manufac-
ture and repair Of all the furniture to
be used by the federal government.
book and card cases and all wood or
metal articles Of furniture except those
protected by patents.
Early in the Wilson administration.
the general supply committee was
ism in purchase Of supplies and was
Investigated. The committee was
found not guilty. and was exonerated.
But the treasury officials who made
the Investigation concluded that for
nation Of special bureau, as out
lined. would result in greater economy
and greater efficiency. The bill pro-
viding for the special bureau was
drawn before the end OF the last con-
gress but could not be pressed owing to
the rush Of legislation.
Many Departments Affected.
The new plan, Il put into operation.
Will affect every department Of the
government except the District Of
Columbia, the army and navy, the
government printing Office and. in
part, the bureau OF engraving and
printing. The proposed bureau will be
known as the bureau OF general sup
plies and K will have charge of the
purchase a Jnlillionss OF dollars rof all
sorts Of supplies for tho executive de-
partments and independent bureaus.
The supplies will range in variety from
pins to delivery wagons and auto
mobiles. Under the system now prac-
ticed, there Is q superintendent of sup
plies who acts as head Of a. committee
made up Of representatives Of the de-
partments and who do not give all
their time to the tasks which are in
volved in the huge supply business Of
the government This plan is useful
but can doubtless be improved on.
One task Of the proposed bureau viii
be standardization Of supplies. This
will result in a big savings. A gov
eminent warehouse for the storage of
supplies will be provided and stock
of staple supplies will be carried to
issue as needed.
The treasury committee In its in
vestigation conceived the idea Of using
the carpenter shop Of the government
printing office as the nucleus Of a
plant to carry on the business Of re-
pairing the government furniture. The
bill would appropriate $115, 900 to equip
such shop. II it is done, all the en-
ployes in the different departments
now engaged in.repairing will be CEN
tralized hinder the new bureau and
$40, 900 additional to the $115,00 will
be spent for new machinery.