Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-08-02
HOW THE U. S. NAVY
BUYS IT'S SUPPLIES
Purchasing Department, Under Admiral MCGOWAN, Has Met All Tests
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the Chief Merit Of the
Systenr-compimented for Efficiency After
Investigation by Congress.

per cent in II months without radica
changes In method would seem to b
a pretty sound organization.
Amid all the expansion Of govern
ment activities due to war, with far
reaching changes In methods Of con
Quoting business, reorganizations. In
crease in personnel, and addition o
wholly new departments, one big bust
ness agency of the government hal
changed not at all, except In magni
tude. That agency is the bureau o.
supplies and accounts Of the navy
which purchases practically e~verythin.
required by the navy except arnol
plate, guns, and shells. 1t feeds ant
clothes the navy, buys its steel. met
ais, lumber, textiles, and chemicals
provides transportation for the navy'i
supplies, Goals its ships, and pays its
officers and men. During the last
year this bureau has been greatly en-
larged by the addition Of new officers
technical experts from civil life, and
clerical workers, but its organization
and methods have fully met all tests
Of war and have required practically
no change, says the New York Times
After thorough Investigation, con-
gress recently declared this great bust.
ness Office Of the navy to be notable
for efficiency, as well as n Of the
biggest business enterprises in the
United States.
There are two reasons for the efn-
ciency-an excellent business system
and. an excellent business man, Ad-
miral MCGOWAN, who first became
Identified with the navy's purchasing
affairs four years ago, after demon
btrating his ability as purchasing off,
cor for the American feet when 1t
went around the world.
its Chief Merit.
The chief point Of merit in the
navy's purchasing system is c~entrali-
cation. AL its supply activities are
administered from Washington, no
matter how widely the American feet
may be scattered over the world.
Ships IRE provisioned In the West In
dies. sailors r provided with warm
winter clothing for destroyer service
In the submarine zone around the Brit
ish Isles, coal is dispatched to ships
IN the Philippines, nitrates are brought
from Chile, clothing Is manufactured
I'm New York and Norfolk, stores are
carried at innumerable points ready
for delivery to ships at instant notice.
Yet all activities center In Washington,
ind navy supply business is not only
kept under the eyes Of q few execus
tives, but is expedited by a fine work.
ing spirit. q
Next to Capitalization and this fine
working spirit, probably the most i'm
lportant element IN the system Is pub
licity In dealing with the supply Of
the navy's innumerable needs. Uudef
pressure Of war other departi1ents
have found It expedient to set aside
the normal peaee.time methods Of pur-
chasing under competitive bids, but the
navy has adhered to the method Of
open bidding, with full publicity, on
the principle that the public, contrib
uting wal funds by taxation, has Q
right to know exactly and in the full.
est detail how its money 10 being ex-
pended.
Another principle the navy adheres
to is that war demands should be met
by the peace-time system Of puschas-
ing. Great as war demands are, they
call simply for an increase In volume
Of businessmen a change In the fun
damental method Of conducting bust
ness. If the method has been proper
ly worked out In peace, 1t will meet
the exigencies Of war.
Directed by MCGOWAN.
II every institution IL the length
and shadow Of one man. as Emerson
said, then the bureau Of supplies and
accounts today reflects the personality
Of Admiral MCGOWAN. When the bu'
reau transactedi Its Affairs with % peo'
pie, he knew them ell. and they work
ed under his eye every day, helped BY
the optimism and energy which he ra'
dates. After a year Of war, with bis
organization approaching 1000 people
he still knows them all and sees then
frequently. and maintains the original
spirit of organization by making IN,
limited demands upon each individual
for work, according to his or her capae
ity, with unstinted c~ommendatton fol
all good work, whether the Job bt
great or small.
When the strength Of the navy wal
about $4,000 ohieers and enlisted mer
the bureau Of supplies and accounts
did all its purchasing and t~ransporta
ton through naval oficers Of the pay
masters corps. When war came. ant
activities increased BY several hun
dred per cent monthly. the organiza
ton was strengthened by taking OF
about a dozen civilian experts iron
business life. men who gladly resigneI
good positions and large salaries witt
private business concerns to don Uncl'
Sans uniform and work day and nigh
for the comparatively slender salarie
Of naval officers.
Other purchasing departments o
the government met their early wa
problems BY existing advisory com
mittees Of business experts. who In
yestigated given problems outside
complied facts. made arrangement
and offered suggestions. The navy
on the contrary. took it's civilian eS
perts in bodily. put them into uniform
end made them part Of the Organiza
uQu.