The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1918-08-21
oan,zotion. Growth has been entirely
from within out.
Can See Bids Opened.

from within out.
Can See Bids opened.
In Sanda court, the bureaus lem
porary structure In the central court u
the state, war and navy buildings
room is provided which can be entered
by anyone without pass, question: OF
formality. There Is an open door, en-
tered from the street. giving access 10
n room called 1.-THE Public's Koom'
and there any person interested IN OF
fering bid on navy supplies or WISH
ing to see that bids are opened fairly
can 60 and watch all TRANSACTIONS
Employees engaged in opening the
thousands of bids received daily work
in open view Of any person who wants
TO enter this room. AS fast AS BIDS
are opened the amounts OF each item
are posted in books and placed upon
counters. where anyone may examine
them, learning all the facts about the
prices bid by competitors.
Admiral McGowan's views on pub
licity for government purchases are
very pIuAOuASCu'
I'm handling other peoples money
things must not only be right" he
says, "but they must look right" And
the best way Of having them look right
in his belief, is to let the public SUPER
wise operations to the utmost extent.
Only in war has the navy found 1t
necessary to keep any information
about it's purchases confidential, and
even in war secrecy Is necessary for
but very small fraction Of the pur-
chasing, where knowledge Of details
might afford assistance to the enemy.
Centralized purchasing with a we'll
planned organization has made 1t pos
sible for the navy to increase Its turn
over many thousand per cent, not mere
ly without congestion or other diff
culties, but with actual increase In
incomes and efficiency. AS purchases
have grown larger and more numerous
they have been handled with greater
speed and at lower cost.
Quality safeguarded.
And with growth and magnitude
there has been every care to safeguard
the quality Of supplies purchased for
the navy. When we entered the war
confusion existed in commodity mar
kets, and there was apparent short
age of wool and other supplies. 1t was
believed for time that navy specif-
cations would have to be revised, with
lowering Of quality. But the bureau
of supplies and accounts took deter
mined stand on that point. Very often,
in view of assumed conditions, 1t look
ed like a stiff-necked stand against
reasonableness. Despite a widespread
belief among textile men that navy
uniforms would have to be made partly
of shoddy, If the enormous require
ments were to be promptly met, the
bureau refused to consider any lower
ing of IT'S standards for uniform cloth,
and, through the department Of agri-
culture, secured actual figures regard
ing the available wool stock in this
country at that time. This survey not
only proved that there was ample wool
in the country for military purposes
but checked a wildly rising market
The same stand has been taken N
food for our sailors, coal for battle
ships, and practically every article re
quired by the navy.
'"The best that is humanity possible,
says Admiral MCGOWAN, us none too
good for the men at the front, wheth
er they be In the army or navy.
hold myself personally accountable t.
every father, and every mother, Ant
every wife, and every sweetheart, thai
the men I have any supervision ant
care over are as well clothed and al
well fed as it Is possible for them t.
be. I acknowledge that as a persona
responsibility resting on me. l freel!
acknowledge 1t; excuses are not re
ceivable, and alibis are not accepted
What we want for the navy is tn,
best!"