The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1918-08-03

u pretty sOunu OiSuhiEutoh.
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 Of
wholly new departments, one big busi
ness agency Of the government has
changed not mt all, except In magni
tude. That agency Is the bureau OF
supplies and accounts Of the navy
which purchases practically everything
required by the navy except armor
plate, guns, and shells. 1t feeds and
clothes the navy. buys Its stee., met
ais, lumber, textiles, and chemicaf
provides transportation for the navy's
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 one OF the
biggest business enterprises In the
United States.
There are two reasons for the efii-
ciency-an excellent business system
and an excellent business man, Adj
mira MCGOWAN. who first became
identified with the navy's purchasing
affairs four years ago, after demon
strating his ability rs purchasing off,
Ger for the American fleet when 1t
went around the world.
lts Chief Merit.
The chief point of merit In the
navy's purchasing system Is centrali-
cation. All its supply activities are
administered from Washington, no
matter how widely the American feet
inny be scattered over the world.
Ships are provisioned In the West In
dies, sailors are 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
In New York and Norfolk, stores are
carried at innumernble points ready
for delivery to ships at instant notice.
Yet all activities center In Washington,
md navy supply business Is not only
kept under the eyes of few execu-
tives, but Is expedited by fine work
ing spirit.
Next TO Capitalization and this fine
working spirit probably the most i'm
pOrtant element in the system is pub
Lefty in dealing with the supply Of
the navy's innumcrable needs. Under
pressure of war other departments
have found IL expedient to set aside
the normal peace-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 war funds by taxation. has n
right to know exactly and in the full
est detail how Its money Is being ex-
pended.
Another, principle the navy adheres
10 is that war demands should be met
by the peace-time system Of purchas-
Ing. Great as war demands are, they
call simply for an increase in volume
of businessmen change In the fun
damental method of conducting bust
ness. II the method has been proper
ly worked out In peace, 1t will meet
the eXigencies of war
Directed by MCGOWAN.
II every institution is the length
md 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 transacted Its affairs with % peo-
pie, he knew them oil, and they work.
ed under his eye every day, helped by
the optimism and energy which he ra-
dates. After n year of war, with his
organization approaching 1000 people,
he still knows them all and sees them
frequently, and maintains the original
spirit of organization by making I'M
limited demands upon each individual
for work, according to his or her capac-
ity, with unstinted commentator for
oil good work, whether the Job be
great or small.
When the strength Of the navy was
about $4,000 officers and enlisted men
the bureau Of supplies and accounts
did all Its purchasing and transporta
ton through naval officers~of the pay
masters corps. When war came, and
activities increased by several hun
dred per cent monthly, the organiza
ton was strengthened by taking OF
about dozen civilian experts from
business life, men who gladly resigned
good positions and large salaries will
private business concerns to don INCL,
Sans uniform and work day and nigh
for the comparatively slender salarie,
of naval officers.
Other purchasing departments o.
the government met their early wal
problems by enlisting advisory com
rnittees of business experts, who in
vestigated given problems outside
complied facts, made arrangements
and offered suggestions. The navy
Oh the contrary, took Its civilian ex