The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-01-31


gest the thousands of other supply
items and include only supplies in this
country:
100000 cans of tomatoes.
100000 cans of corn.
100000 cans of pork and beans.
100000 yards of duck.
4,8O0,OO0 cotton coats.
100000 wooden coats.
100000 leggins.
100000 pairs shoes.
100000 miscellaneous hats.
100000 pair of mittens.
100000 bed sacks.
100000 pair of summer and WIN
ter underwear.
4O,OOO,OOO pair of summer under
shirts.
$4,000 automobile trucks.
100000 pounds of horseshoes.
100000 toothbrushes.
100000 shovels.
The intention of the War Depart
ment contemplates an army OF 2,OOO,-
600 men until July 1, 1919, and 5OO,-
600 thereafter. After setting aside
supplies necessary for the number
named, there remains vast store of
goods" all of which would deterior-
ate in time; much of which would in
a few months or years become worth
less. To salvage this property was
the question confronting the War De-
partment. To answer it surplus
stock board was created. This board
has. with remarkable rapidity, work.
ed out a selling plan which will be
ready to become operative soon after
the inventory of the 1900 supply de-
pots is concluded, or about January
Is, 1919.
Were these stocks comparatively
small they might be Immediately
closed out to the highest bidders, at
a price far below their cost to the Gov
eminent, to be retailed throughout the
country at about one-half the cost
of production, and no special disturb
ance result. This method while the
eaiest and quickest, if applied to sup
plies running into billions, would result
in chaotic conditions to the manutac-
turer and likewise to the rate of wages
paid employees. The condition may be
fairly compared to an abnormal ac-
emulation Of snow lasting late into
surfing. If it can spread its melting
over days, little or no damage need
result; but if it goes off in a rapid
thaw of few hours, floods and mum
dations are bound to occur.
The surplus stock board intends to
prevent the flood by controlling the
melting process. To accomplish this
the board has requested the various
industries interested each to select
from its number few men of largest
experience and ability, to confer with
the board. 1t is planned to follow
so far as possible the recommends
tions of these committees as to the
amount of goods which the country
can absorb from time to time without
"breaking the market" The commit
-tee on shoes, for instance, will name
a date on which two or three million
pairs of shoes can be released. Then
some more at later date, and so on
until exhausted. 1t might seem that
under this plan the shoes committee
by soldering on it's job" would never
reach date which the shoes factories
really thought was convenient time,
but the supply board, if neglected too
long, always has the alternative to
offer all its shoes at one time and at a
price which would sell the Govern
ment's shoes. No one anticipates any
such contingency; quite the contrary,
for the manufacturing committees
which have already had their hearing
have pledged their hearty, patriotic
support.
Take, for instance, the sulphur In
terests. The government finds itself
in possession of 10000 tons Of sulphur
some sulphur which it has now no
use for. The sulphur trade has solv-
ed it's problem by offering to sell one
ton of the Governments sulphur for
every ton it sells of its own. In this
way the market it not disturbed at
all; production drops back to about
peace-time basis; and the price re-
ceived results in a comparatively
small loss to the Government. Even
in the case of partly worn articles, the
industry which manufactures that line
lis naturally interested in seeing fair
price obtained for second hand arti-
cles, rather than permitting the price
TO be smashed" and the goods sold
Tor next to nothing.
In order to make the process of alb
sorption here as light as possible, the
supply board will first endeavor to
sell just as much as possible Of its
stock to foreign governments through
ont he world. Already negotiations
go C|ndcr nay with Montenegro, Ecu