The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-03

the bureau Of supplies and ac-
coun of the United States navy
at Washington some surprising
changes have been made in the
,ast yea in metz DDS Of doing busi-
meas. The bureau is the business office
81 the navy. Also it is the butcher,
tho baker, the banker, the tai or and
mo grocer Of the navy. 1t pays out
some si4j.O OO. 900 a year. II saves
lacks money tor him and the savings
tank II operates has deposits aggre-
eating 1858. 900. 1t operates two great
rlo,hing factories. one at Brooklyn and
tho other at Charleston, =. e. In an
o,h.. aspect it is one OF the biggest
purchasing agencies in the country.
On remarkable have been Its achieve
mants in the twelvemonth that many
reouests have come to 1t recently from
business establishments. public and
nrivate. for Information as to its new
methods. For example. the purchas.
ing DEPARTMENT Of the Board OF Esti-
mate " New York city has asked a
detailed statement as to the manner
~ handling the business Of purchasing
on bids.
The spirit behind the change Is that
OF a boyish looking, wide eyed. ever
smiling officer. who, just Is years old
and he does not look it-holds the
rank and draws the pay Of a Rear Ad-
mira, he being Paymaster-General OF
the navy and chief Of the bureau.
Rear Admiral Samuel MCGOWAN he IL
70 outsiders. Mr.. MCGOWAN IL tbs
form VI address he insists upon within
the bureau. But In the navy gener-
slly. by all ranks and all grades. ne Is
dubbed, behind his back Of curse
Sammy McGowan.
In the fourteen months he has been
Paymaster-General he has made ovey
his bureau. What Is nor he has
secured the hearty and enthusiastic
support of the entire force. That. tc
any one who knows how any Govern
ment organize Is welded tt
precedent. Is amazing.
Somewhat given to the making vi
epigrams in his instructions, oral ant
written, Admiral McGowan has ut
tered two that give a hint Of the pre-
dominating ideas behind his reforms
Make 1t bureau with a small b and
navy with a big y" is one, and Re
member that the stores exist for thu
feet. not the fleet for the stores"
The Paymaster-General and his bu
reau Of supplies and accounts hav'
their offices in the great pile known a
the State, War and Navy Building, oil
Pennsylvania avenue, fiarking tn
White House on the west. When tn
building was erected some forty year
ago it was the largest office building
In the world. Each corridor in 1t ha
the appearance OF a battalion Of bar
rooms, for each Of the many corrido
doors has its middle two-thirds maske
BY a shutter door. The rooms are a
accommodating.
The Paymaster-G Generals ONCE
the end n in a suite Of Ave room.
Across the hall are sever more roomI
In the navy annex building. in a stree
near by, are some more offices Of tn
bureau. q,
When Paymaster- General McGowa!
took over the job he inauEurated q
once a cleanup campaign. Down fror
the walls came the dusty old picture!
Bookcases and file went on
Current and absolutely necessary bu
reau files went into one room In a sc
Of steel vertical containers. for gener
purposes, and in the purchasing enc
across the hall. they likewise were re
duced. Private libraries also went GU
Upstairs the Navy Department main