Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-23
COOPERATION MAKES
j. 5. BUYING SIMPLER
Supply Committee Of Chamber OF
Commerce and Business Zen Help
Government Agents.
The co-operaticn Of business men and

The cooperation OF business mon and
the supply committee of the Caamper
OF Commerce of the United States mas
greatly solved the numerous buying
problems OF the government. As re-
suit OF this work. too. there have oeen
many changes in specifications "heIe
the Governments demands have appar-
ertIy been unnecessarily rigid or coaid
&c met by modern conditions, 4 puitetih
OF the chs nher of commerce states
The government believed in shoe bay
INK that tie usual procedure ho"tNet
satisfactory for small quantities. mish,
not be best for securing four 20 nSe
million shoes on IS recent purchases
.nyestfeatfon hy the supply committee
Immediately developed that OF the re
CURED grades there was not enoush
leather in the entire country Tor suea
an order.
Following meetings with the manu-
facturers ii was agreed when tie shee
manufacturers came to buy me prices
on leather should be no higher tnan
when the war began, which prices also
were lower than those prevailing when
the conferences were held similar
n-i,es were also secured on shoe sup
piles.
Take Time by the Forelock.
ar.e- tho committee had made these
arrangements the VA and Navy de-
partn.ests asked for sealed bids On
shoes--inquir:ag OF eish;y-fo2c s:ieS
man,factur frctn Marie 10 GATOR
.,ia and Minnesota 70 Georgia. il took
the hids of went; manufacturers 70
a;lI the requirements o. the government
and the twenty lowest bidders were &C
e.pted. In fact, 1t is said, the lenders
ware found TO be SO low that additional
orders in anticipation OF future require
EaeEts were also placed.
II, purchasing Gotten duck and shell
ter duck a different situation was met
and overcome. All existing facilities
for producing these cotton dGcks were
UNEQUAL 20 the government require
u.nts These goods are required for
tie prramidal and othe. tents now
ases BY the army arc new SOURCES CT
supply had &c he developed 1ae eA-
pcr;s OF the supply committee CON
Guided that carpet and other manniac
turers could produce suitable DUCKS II
rneir looms were changed and II sHe
government requirements were some
what modified. The manufacturers OF
fabric for automobile tires maze atsc
been developed in the same mamie.
into another source OF supp.S- anu
other industries are also making GOT
ton ducks for the government
Another means of helping the quar-
fermaster's department. it is said. has
been developed in connection with the
governments purchases of meat The
s,1n,iv committee arranged a confer
enee in Chicago between important
representatives of the War and Navy
aenzrrments and meat packers.
II Is explained the army has REQUIRED
a can of corned beef to weigh thirty
two ounces To supply this a speclai
can has been manufactured by hand at
great expense and in limited quantities.
The commercial can contains twenty
four ounces and is MADE IN large QueH
titles by machinery at low cost Inc
army accordingly accepted the twenty
four-ounce cans.
When the government learned 1t had
TO buy canned peas for a million men
tine estimated pack for this year had
already been sold to the wholesale
trade. in accordance with the custom OF
the trade. AT the request OF the supp!
committee, the Gamers undertook TO re-
serve for the government ~ pea cent
of each producers output, and agreed
with the army ofhcers mat the prices
should be determined by the division OF
costs and accountancy OF the De-
partment Of Commerce after the PACK
ing season ended and the size OF the
crop and the costs were known ana
should be what this department re-
Garded as fair and just prices. The
supply committee then secured the con-
sent of the wholesale jobbers and other
buyers of canned peas to the deductloh
by the Gamers of IL per cent on
all contracts. In this manner and be-
cause of the public spirit by which can
ners and wholesale jobbers were &C
ruated the army il to receive its full
supply of canned peas at fair prices
anu without delay.