The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-11-18

| ooPol ImcHt VI supplies tOOR
a survey of the whole subject OF
supplying these machines and found
that 1t was practical to buy large
quantities of certain goods and place
them where they were sure to be
needed, awaiting the hour of their
need. At first the buyer was told
that the state must pay the same rate
as an individual, and that seemed
falr, but when the buyer offered to
BUY IN large Quantity and pay cash
| quantity, most of the dealers re-
Piled by telling him how hard it was
10 get the goods and that the price
| TOT large purchases would be Just
ABOUT the same as for small amounts,
ana that their regular run of bust
ness took about all the goods they
could get etc., ETC., etc., you know
how some dealers talk.
Under those circumstances the
buyer felt justified in going to a
source OF supply where they really
wanted his trade and where they had
goods to sell and were glad to sell
them in exchange for the states good
money. He found there were such
dealers. He found, too, that he
could buy in quantity and make mat
tiers easier and simpler for the state
~ doing it all in fewer transactions
and simpler for the dealers, and
more business could be done with
less help. Under such conditions he
was offered better prices, or dis
counts of 20 or 25 per cent. Then
the dealers who had not been able
TO get the goods and who were in so
much trouble supplying their regular
customers, began to bid for the
states businss, and now the depart
ment OF supplies is getting the
benefits of discounts of 25 and 80
per cent, and dealers seem keen for
the business. The purchase of tires
for fleet of trucks and touring cars
amounts to big blocks of money
every month, and when the depart
ment saves $500 on every $1,000
worth of tires bought, it attracts at
tention among people who observe
the saving. In making all these pur-
chases, the business is awarded if
possible to Idaho dealers If a
dealer outside of the state bids only
the Idaho man gets the order.
Besides buying repairs for cars,
the department of supplies has to
furnish for the highway department
such things as bridges, culverts, &C.
ment, pipe, scrapers, graders, scarf |
iers, tractors, dump-wagons, pencils,
tablets, pens, rulers, draughting
paper and ink, erasers, typewriters,
tents, cooking utensils
bedding, groceries, provisions, sur
1eyors instruments, pencil sharpen
srs, grease guns, pumps, trunks,
nails, cotton waste, brooms, hose,
graphite, water bags, nose bags,
brushes, wrenches, rubber stamps,
calculating machines, lumber saws,
,rowbars, picks, shovels, axes, ak
handles, electrical supplies, putty
nives.-quite a variety of stuff that
me would not think of at first
glance, and some that has to be ex-
'lained before we can decide how or
Why they need it in road work any
way. |;
And since we are in the road
making business, these things have
o be supplied to construction camps
nd offices all over the state, and
1hy not standardize their require
nents so far as practical and buy in
uantity at low prices and pay at
enion to having the goods at the
roper places when needed. The
rmy does it and SO can depart
lent of supplies if they have an
rmy man at the head and they have.
School trustees who have served
our town schools and country dis
ricts know about what has to be
ought for school and the average
itizen would not think of all the
lings that trustees have to buy now
avs. Neither would the average
,hool trustee think of a complete
st of all that enters into the list of
lpplies for a normal school. Here
re some of the things they recently
ought for the Lewiston normal. Six
ITS OF cement, groceries, lumber,
ectrical supplies, brick, machinery
lch as lathes, vices and things for
lie manual training classes in the
achine shop; tools for the same
asses in the carpenter shop; sup
les for the sewing room, for the
ome economics classes, dental sup
les, dental mirrors, hose, rescue
lies and other things for the play
'ounds, apparatus for the gymnas-
m, chemical supplies for the lab
atory, mercury, tripods, maps,
arts, office supplies, dyes, brushes,
lrdware. The list shows dozens
things that l have merely named
classes such as hardware,
oceries etc. III
On the list Of things needed at the
form school was surprised to see
resets, rugs, raffia, brass nose
ates (for the stairs) polish for the
ass, nine kinds of sugar to choose
ON, nine kinds Of soap. The re-
isition did not show that they
ught all the kinds, but If certain
nds were more suitable than others
ey might as we'll. When one
inks of buying supplies for the
lsh house he is likely to think of
ap and water, some tubs and a few
nds of tools, but the laundry list
select from showed fifty articles
rs nine kinds Of soap, thirteen
nds washing and cleansing powders
d many subdivisions of some
ingS named,