The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-18

Paris Aug ---A warehousing sys-
tenn which handled many millions Of
dollars worth of supplies of all de-
scriptions for distribution among the
doughboys In France and Germany.
placing II on business basis where
by strict checking in and out made
possible dhe best OF results, u one OF
the interesting features of Y. M. T..
a. activities overseas.
Chan. =. Foster a wholesale beef
I merchant of Chicago, a man of large
experience in wareflousing and dis
tribution. organized the system with
large staff of assistants. When il
was checked by Martin X. Bush. Of
Bount Vernon, n. y. an expert, he
said that there Is nowhere in the
| United States n warehouse which is
more efficiently organized or oper-
ated" and made no recommendation
for changes, either In personnel or
method.
The warehouse department was es-
tablished after Il had become impos-
sible to handle the great volume #
adopted nian of treating base ware
] 's"t'sc@ rs storing eenters in which all
departments HAVING occasion TO store
n,>i.nsnaise had jurisdiction over
particular commodities belonging to
their departments.
Mr.. Foster was appointed director
and at once esta bliahed two bases ot
| operations, one in Paris and the otneI
in Gievres. concentrating the relatiya-
ships of all secretaries having to do
with this branch of the service into
the two centerS. and placing the ware :
house superintendents and their EN-
pioyes under one headquarters or,
With the installation of this systerf
there was brought into being a strict
t
ling distribution. billing and account
ing. facilitating tn" conduct of oera-
ton and co-ordinating relations be-
/ tween warehouse SuerintendentS 3ad
deartment heads interested in sup
| plies stored ut base points. and with
re'-i mai. divisional and district bust
ness managers in the field.
I nder this arrangement. co-opera
ton between the traffic department
and heads Of general supply Offices
/ was shown in the dispatch of ra-
/ ceiving. handling and shipment of Or
ders. and ii was possible TO push
goods through 20 distribution points
! much more rapidly
AT The Paris and Gievres base ware
houses the personal organization cor
sisted Of SUPERINTENDENT floor man
aCer, shipping clerks, receiving clerks.
foremen in charge of checkers. check
ers and assistant floor mana gers. In
! the Paris branch French employees
/ were engaged to handle detail WORK.
but in Gievres army details were sup
piled An average of thirty-five ~
/ secretaries were required for general
supervision and direction in the Paris
warehouse, and fifteen at Gievres.
French civilian employees were en-
gagged as the business required, kee p
ing pace with the demands in he
field, and no difficulty was expert
enced lin obtaining sufficient OF this
help. the largest number on the pay
roll at any time being LOB in the
Paris Office.
Under shipping and Assembling" a
! daily car report sheet from French
: 7; ilroad officials was sent to the ware
3. fouse. by which the receiving clerk
Bile to anticipate the arrival and
contents OF carload lots. Cnloadin &
}cf all cars and auto trucks ~"s gu"
! psrintended by ~" man as checker,
Material was listed by him 1t was
taken into the warehouse and he ar
ranged with the floor managers for its
I placing Through a modern system OF
! blanks, goods were adequately checked
! Il their final destination in the field,
/ after going through the headquarters
! office and receiving an official order
number An order through the ship
! ping or warehouse departments was
J the only one recognized, and no sup
plies were furnished otherwise.
1 All material shipped was assembled
Under the direction of floor managers
I and when ready for shipment was
! checked into car or truck by ~
| man. and finally inspected by the ship
ping clerk before its departure.
From December |. 1917, to April 90
1919 a total of 2275 tons of supplies
! valued at st3,06S.i95, was shipped into
/ various fields from the Paris ware