Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-07-24

per cent in II months without radical
changes in method would seem to be
q pretty sound organization.
Amid all the expansion OF govern
ment activities due to war, with FAR
reaching changes in methods "of con-
Quoting business, reorganizat1ons, IN
crease in personnel, and addition or
wholly new departments, one big busl-
ness agency of the government mas
changed not at all, except in magnl-
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 it's 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
biggest business enterprises in the
United States.
There are two reasons for the eff
eiency-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 it
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
may 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
ia 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 a 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 it 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 a
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 businessmen a change in the fun
damental method of conducting bust
ness. If the method has been proper
ly worked out in peace, it 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
accounts today reflects the personality
of Admiral MCGOWAN. When the bu-
reau transacted its affairs with % peo-
pie, he knew them all, and they work
ed under his eye every day, helped by
the optimism and energy which he ra-
dates. After 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
all 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 on
about q dozen civilian experts from
business life, men who gladly resigned
frcnd rnnSitinnS md la Lon os.