The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-07-18

Washington.-A business concern
which can increase its turnover 2,5oo
per cent in II months without radical
changes in method would seem to be
pretty sound organization.
Amid all the expansion of govern
ment activities due 10 war, with far-
reaching changes in methods of con-
Quoting business congratulations, in
crease in personnel, and addition or
wholly new departments, one big bust
ness agency of the government has
changed not at all, except In magni-
tude. That agency is the bureau or
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 chemicak
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
fcac in hn
United States. III
There are two reasons for the eff
ciency-an excellent business SYSTEM
and an excellent business man, Adj
miral MCGOWAN, who first became
Identified with the navy's purchasing
affairs four years ago, after demon-
strating his ability as purchasing Off
Ger for the American fleet when t
went around the world.
Its 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 fleet
Ships are provisioned in the West In
dies, sailors are provided with warm
winter clothing for destroyer service
i'm 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 innumerable points ready
for delivery to ships at instant notice.
Yet all activities center in Washington,
and 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
licity in dealing with the supply of
the navy'S innumerable needs. Under
pressure of war other departments
have found II 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
right to know exactly and in the full
est detail how its money is being eX
pended.
Another principle the navy adheres
TO 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 business-not a change in the fun
damental method of conducting bust
Oess. If the method has been proper
ly worked out in peace, 1t will meet
the eXigencies of war.
Directed by MCGOWAN.
If every institution is the length
and shadow of one man, as Emerson
said, then the bureau of supplies and