The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1919-01-30
BY H. H. WINDSOR

this country:
10000, 900 cans of tomatoes.
$4,000, 600 cans of corn.
5000, 600 cans of pork and beans
10000, 900 yards of duck.
1900 600 cotton coats.
10000 600 wooden coats.
5000, 600 leggings,
| 10000, 900 pair of Shoes
5000, 600 miscellaneous hats.
5000, 200 pairs of mittens.
6,U00, 600 bed sacks,
| 5000, 600 pair of summer and winter
underwear.
40, 600, 600 pair of summer underShirtS.
| $4,000 automobile trucks
10000, 900 pounds of horseshoes.
1000, 600 toothbrushes.
10000, 900 shovels.
The intention of the War Department
contemplates an army of 1000, 900 men
until Jsly 1, 1919, and sou, 900 thereafter.
After setting aside supplies necessary for
the number named, there remains vast
store of goods" all of which would de-
teriorate in time; much of which would
in few months or years become worth
less. To salvage this property was the
question confronting the War Depart
ment. To answer it surplus stock
board was created. This board has, with
remarks BILE rapidity, worked out selling
plan which will be ready to become OPP
erative soon after the inventory of the
| $500 supply depots 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 Government, TO be re-
tailed throughout the country at about
one half the cost of production, and no
special distur bance result. This method
while the easiest and quickest, if applied
to supplies running into billions, would
result in chaotic conditions to the manu-
! facturer, and likewise to the rate of
wages paid employees. The condition may
! be fairly compared to an abnormal accu-
mutation of snow lasting late into spring
| If it can spread its melting over days,
little or no damage need result; but if it
goes off in rapid thaw of a few hours
floods and foundations are bound to occur
The surplus stock board intends to pre-
vent the flood by controlling the melting
process. To accomplish this, the board
has requested the various industries in
tereSted each to select from its number a
few men of largest experience and ability,
to confer with the board. 1t is planned
to follow SO far as possible the recommen-
dationS of these committees as to the
amount of goods which the country can
absorb from time to time without ''break-
ing the market" The committee on
shoes, for instance, will name date on
which two or three million pairs of shoes
can be released. Then some more at a
later date, and so on until exhausted 1t
might seem that under this plan the shoe
committee by soldering on it's job
would never reach date which the shoe
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 Government
shoes. No one anticipates any such con-
tingency; quite the contrary, for the
manufacturing committees which have
already had their hearing have pledged
their hearty, patriotic support
Take, for instance, the sulphur inter
ests. The government finds itself in
possession of 90, 600 tons of sulphur
some sulphur-which it has now no use
for. The sulphur trade has solved its
problem by offering to sell one ton of the
Government sulphur for every ton il
sells of it's own. In this way the market
is not disturbed at all; production drops
back to about p ace-time basis; and the
price received results in a comparatively
small loss to the Government. Even il
the case of partly worn articles, the in
dustry which manufactures that line i.
naturally interested in seeing fair pric,
obtained for second hand articles, rattle
than permitting the price to be Smash
~ H. lr e. |.
ing.
In order to make the process of ABSORB
ton here as light as possible, the suppl,
board will firSt endeavor to sell just a
much as possible of it's stock to toreigl
governments throughout the world. AL
ready negotiations are under way witt
Montenegro, Ecuador, and the Neither
lands; Hoover will require a lot of tn
foodstuffs in mis- work abroad. The Pos
Office Department, Indian Purchase OF
flee of the Department of the Interior
the Panama Canal, Red Cross, and simila
bureaus will purchase as far as possible
The various states and cities will be give
the opportunity to purchase for thei
penal and other institutions, as all of tn
avenues named are considered to be leas
disturbed to ordinary trade
The supplies must be sold, and the eff
fort will be to make the salvage just a
large as possible, and to disturb industr
and wages just as little as possible.
There has been widespread, and per
fectly natural apprehension that the vas
tonnage of supplies would be let loose lik
an avalanche. L. H. Hartman, the chic
of the Bureau of Surplus War Supplies
gives assurance that there are no ground
for fear of any serious disturbance; il
| fact he says to the manufacturers, "Yo
have nothing to worry about" He ais
cautions against misleading rumors, som
of which are already afloat. There vii
{ be cases where, in closing the scattere'
camps and offices, few units of this O
that, say dozen or 20 typewriters ar
disposed of locally because the cost o
assembling the few articles of an item
from near and far would be more thai
could be saved; and in any event tn
total of any such item sold in any localit!
would not be more than the proverbia
drop in the bucket, and could have abso
lutely no influence on the general trade.
There will be no secrecy or privacy at
tached to any sale. but, on the contrary
it will be conducted only after the widest
advertising, and with equal opportunity
for all to purchase. In fact it is expected
no sales will be made none have beer
made as yeti until the requirements Of