The Washington times., 1915-03-31
Proposal for New Bureau and
Factory Awaits Approval Of
Secretary McAdoo.
TO MAKE ALL FURNITURE
Superintendent at $4,000, and
Two Assistants $4,000
Each, to Be Provided.

A plan whereby the Federal Govern
ment will save hundreds Of thousands OF
dollars In its annual purchase Of sup
plies awaits the formal approval or
Secretary OF the Treasury McAdoo.
This pinn was prepared by commit
tee of Treasury officials. OF which AZ
sistant Secretary B. r. Newton was
chairman. and unquestionably Will 90
presented to Congress- in December
with the backing of the Administration.
This plan calls for the abolition OF the
General Supply Committee and the es-
tablishment, in the Treasury Depart
ri,ent itself, of Bureau Of General Sup
plies with a superintendent at 5000 and
two assistant suporintendents at 1900,
together with a large number OF
clerks, detailed from the other depart
ments at $500 a year, including a chief
clerk at $780, all appointments to %
made under the civil service.
A radical feature is provision for
the Government manufacture and repair
of all the furniture to be used by the
Federal Government. including chairs,
tables, cabinets, desks, book and card
cases and all articles except those
which cannot be duplicated because OF
patents, whether made Of metal or
wood.
This plan grows out of an investiga-
ton of the general supply committee
which was made early in the Wilson
Administration. This Investigation was
caused by various accusations Of irregu-
larities and favoritism in the purchasing
Of Government supplies. Although 1t
resulted in a couple of designations. the
investigation brought forth none of the
scandals which its promoters had prom
ised.
Given Clean Bill.
The general supply committee was
given a clean bill Of health so far as
Its personnel was concerned. but the in
vestigating committee came to the con-
clusion that great economies and greater
efficiency could be effected by the estab-
lishment of special bureau composed
Of men whose sole duties would be the
purchasing Of supplies for the Govern
ment.
The committee which made the in.
vestigation and which has drafted tho
BIN to which Secretary McAdoo is ex-
pected toigive his approval. consisted, In
addition to Assistant Secretary Newton.
of r. w. woolley. director of the mint;
]. l. Baity. auditor for the War De-
partrhent; w. S. Braughton. chief Of the
Treasury, and A. L. Thurman. Solicitor
of. the Department of Commerce. Their
bill was perfected before the close Of
the Sixty-third Congress, but owing to
the rush necessitated by more important
legislation, 1t was not thought wise to
press at that time.
Every department OF the Government.
except the municipal government Of the
District Of Columbia, the Army, the
Navy, the Government Printing Office.
and, in part, the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing will be affected by this
plan, which gives over to the new Blu
reau Of General Supplies the task OF ad-
vertising and contracting for, and pur-
chasing and inspecting all supplies, ma
terial and equipment for all the execu-
tablishments- of the Government in
Washington and elsewhere, including
telephone. electric light and power serv-
ice. If approved by Congress this bu-
buying and selling millions of dollars
worth of all sorts of things from paper
to typewriters. and from typewriters to
pens. ink. mucilage, electric bells, and
delivery wagons.
One OF the most important tasks of
the proposed bureau will be the stand
ardization Of supplies. and the prepara-
tion of an annual schedule Of articles
for the use of the Government service
as well az for the use of interested bid
ders. This Standardization. II is hoped,
will eliminate all unnecessary grades
and varieties of purchasable objects. One
employe from each department will be
detailed to the bureau In order to pre-
sent. the needs and requirements OF the
different departments, and to assist in
the Standardization and in the prepara-
tlen of specifications and schedules. A
''stores fund" Is to be created for the
purchase of the supplies, and there Is to
be erected or rented in the District Of
Columbia Government warehouse for
the storage of supplies and to carry q
stock of staple supplies for issue when
needed.
The special committee of the Treas
ury, which makes these recommends
tions. discovered in the course Of It's
investigation that by using the car
pentershop of the Government Printing
Office as a nucleus. 1t would be prac-
ticable for the Government to go into
the office furniture business on a large
scale.
Need $115,000 To Start.
The bill calls for an appropr, alton of
$1,000 in order to start operations on
such a shop. If approved by Congress,
all the carpenters, mechanics. machin-
lists, cabinetmakers. and laborers who
are now being employed in any branch
of the Government in the District OF
Columbia IN the making or repairing OF
office furniture. together with their ma
chinery, tools. material, and so forth,
will be transferred to the Bureau OF
Supplies.
The sum of $4,000 to buy new ma"
chinery for the purpose OF making dies
and manufacturing steel and other
metal furniture will be asked for: the
rest of the sll5,Oo0 goes to rent. COM
pensation for additional offices and en-
plqyes and moving and installing ma
chinery.
1t is too early, of course. to predict
the effect of the establishment of a
bureau of general supplies upon the
numerous business houses which have
hitherto been selling their wares to the
Government through the general supply
committee.
1t is to be expected. of course. that
there will be some objection to the in
noyatton, particularly from the manu-
facturers of office furniture, but II is
pointed out in anticipation OF this OBJ
lection that the Government Is certain
In the long run to save money by the