Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-17
STORAGE OF UNCLE SANS GOODS
EX-DIRECTOR COOKIES WAR TASK
Governments Warehouse Problem Presents Many
Difficulties Organization Being Built Up to
Save Transportation Systems From
Dislocation
BY WILLIAM ATHERToN DU pUY
WASHINGTON, Sept. 10.

w
MO BETTER example of the remarkable
~ cooperation that is coming into ex-
istence between the commercial interests OF
the United States and the military could be
found than in the work of Morris l.. Cooke,
former Director OF Public Works of the
city of Philadelphia, but now chairman OF
the storage committee of the Council of
National Defense.
called upon AIr Cooke today and found
him in the midst of many activities His
office is in the new Interior Department
building, huge structure OF the Govern
ment, recently completed. In that building
is located tho storage committee Of the
council Morris H. Cooke directs its
activities which are multtudnous. lie
is a man of intense activity, capable or
lending his mind to many details at the
same time, ncisive quick Of decision and
Of action. lie is accomplishing much to-
ward securing storage capacity for the
Government for all those supplies that are
to maintain that rapidly increasing Amer
lean army that is to do its part toward
whipping the Kaiser.
His is the task of finding a place to
put every item that the Government needs
that it may be kept handy and without
deterioration until it is needed Tho first
point in such a task is the building up Of
Il personnel that is equal to it. The Gov
ernment has never before gone with bust-
nesslilic thoroughness into the storage
problem on anything like this stupendous
basis. Now IT has asked the men Of the
nation who know most about warehouses
to help II build up an organization.
Colleges Train Workers
The storage committee has looked over
the warehouse situation Of the nation. 1t
has begun by saying to the great ware
housemen: "The Government needs experts
in taking care of its supplies. Who have
you in your employ who can help win the
war;"
The warehouse operators throughout the
country have offered their experts. These
men have gone regularly into the Govern
ment service. Many of them have been
commissioned in the army. They are lieu
tenants and captains and majors. They
draw from $4,000 to $4,000 a year. Some
of them have drawn salaries ten times as
great before the war.
But for the tasks in hand there have
not been enough such men. 1t was found
necessary that many men should be trained
for this service. \ number of colleges
have co-operated in the development of
storage experts. There are schools in half
q dozen of these now turning out trained
men These youngsters are taught how 10
depot in such way that supplies may be
placed there and will not deteriorate, They
know how TO take care of the cargo Of IA
ship when unloaded on a dock i'm France.
They are given intensive and practical
training for two months and put TO work.
The personnel is only an incident to the
work OF Mr.. Cookies committee.
The problem arises from two main con.
ditions--nrst. the enormous purchases
which the Government is making, and, sec
ond, the heavy demands upon the railroads
for transportation service The former
will result in great accumulation of mate
rials during the process of manufacture
and in the assembling Of vast quantities of
finished product prior to use here or ship
ment to France, and the latter is going to
interfere with the transportation service
given TO general business, producing from
time TO time much accumulation of raw
materials and finished products in all lines
of business,
The storage committee has been at work
for many weeks in connection with the
first phase of the problem and has been
of far-reaChing assistance to the War and
Navy Departments, not merely in making
clear the nature and extent of the problem
and the measures which must be taken to
meet it, hut in effectively cooperating in
putting these into effect.