Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-12-13
BUYING SYSTEM
TOBE BETTERED
Governor Gives Hospital Super
intendentS Some Ideas
About Purchases

Following yesterdays prolonged meet
Ing of the Economy and Efficiency Com
mission and the superintendents of the
state institutions and the Board of
Public Charities. it was unanimously
suggested by the superintendents that
they confer as to their uniform needs
and the best method of standardiza-
tion of supplies in order to increase
their efficiency and produce greater
economy.
1t was suggested that the commits
sion consider the advisability of a co.
operative system of purchasing, which
would enable the superintendents of
the various institutions to standardize
their wants and get the benefit of large
purchases and the elimination of the
middleman. 1t was also suggested that
a State Central Board be established
to supervise the purchases and IL found
advisable to make the purchases direct
subject to delivery at the various in
stitutions. Committees were named to
look after details.
| The economy commission was re-
quested to furnish the various institu-
tions with list of the prices paid each
month for staple articles so as to give
the widely scattered superintendents an
| opportunity to compare their prices
with those of sister institutions. 1t
was contended by those present that the
insane asylums with their large popu-
lation were more uniform in their needs
than the smaller medical institutions
and that the latter could purchase as a
group to better advantage than when
classed with all State institutions as a
whole.
While no definite action was taken
by either the superintendent or the
commission, 1t was generally agreed
that the great variation in prices paid
by different institutions for the same
commodities was poor business and
should be discontinued. The question
to be solved is-what system will best
meet the demand of all institutions and
eliminate TO the greatest extent the ex-
travagance caused by variations in
price?
The Governors Idea
Governor Brumbaugh, who is chair
! man of the Economy and Efficiency
Commission, was introduced to the su-
perintendents by the solicitor, Harry S.
McDevitt, and in his opening address
indicated to the superintendent that
the commission was not crticising but
trying to help all the institutions. He
emphasized the need of cooperation,
both in purchasing supplies and adopt
ing Standardization and Specifications
He called attention to the apparent in
efficient production of the land con-
nected with the State institutions and
announced that plans were being for
mulated for making a careful study by
the Agricultural Department experts OF
the soil, crops and livestock connected
with the institutions. He stated, un-
II f1oN H.
have too much land and that the land OF
no institution could yield too much in
crops. In addition to standardizing
supplies, he called attention to the need
OF uniform system of accounting for
all the State institutions, and advised
closer cooperation between Harris
burg and the institutions.
Attorney General Brown in his re-
marks dwelled upon the Importance of
a central purchasing system that could
purchase standard supplies in maxi
mum quantities at minimum prices, and
stated that in his Investigations along
, this line he had become thoroughly
! convinced that central purchasing was
the best method for the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania.
: At the conclusion of the conference
. the superintendents agreed among
D themselves to make a careful study OF
the needs of the individual institutions
v ana TO report to the Economy and Eff.
= cheney Commission what in their opinion
9 would be the best method to improve
$ existing conditions.
q The Commission Plan
n Harry S. McDevitt, solicitor of tn,
Economy and Efficiency Commissio on
outlined to the superintendehts thu
scope of the commissions work and in
vited the superintendents to avail them
selves of any information on file in tn,
office. He submitted the figures com
y piled during the past twelve months
y dealing with purchases of staple sup
y plies and showed not only the fuctua
= 4 tion in prices paid by the same insti
. tuition, but the great variation in price
among all the institutions. He indi
- Gated the desire of the commission t,
: remedy local defects as we'll as genera
= defects and stated that an examination
= = of the specifications prepared by tn,
: institutions showed that all the in
stitutions were asking for practically
the same quality of articles. He EN-
phasized the necessity of anticipatin,
needs of standard articles rather thar
emergency purchases and stated that {
. system would be recommended tha
would enable the institutions to inter.
change what they produce individually
The value and variation of crops pro.
duced by the institutions was submit.
ted to the Superintendents and an ana.