Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-08-06

" dHOlItL WCI AlOk dAAltdAo u ooA Aho thS o0sN
Of the old system, but usually 1T was accom-
panied by haggling and difficulties which would
government, instead of being important cogs
in the same tremendous machine, were rival
and competing private organizations.
Very many times, when one department was
selling or auctioning supplies in the open market
at low prices, and another department had need
Of Just those supplies. the selling department
would refuse to make the buying department
as good a price as it gave private purchasers.
The department seeking the goods would point
out that private individuals and firms were
allowed to have the supplies at a low figure.
The selling department would counter by point
ing out that it was impossible to secure the
needed supplies in the open market at any such
price.
Hundreds and hundreds of instances of this
and other kinds were uncovered In the investiga-
zion which led to the issuance of the executive
order putting sales and transfers under one
head. The system installed by the executive
order. worked out by General Dawes and his
assistants, divides the country according to the
nine army corps areas. The man in charge OF
sales and transfers of supplies from one depart
ment or bureau of the government to another
is known as q co-ordtnator, one being PROVIDED
for each of the corps areas. There is a chiet
co-ordinator also. This system will remain in
effect unless a better one can be worked out
and provided by legislative enactment.
The Army Not in Control.
General Dawes is particularly anxious to pre-
vent the impression gaining ground that because
the system is laid down along the geographical
lines of the army organizations the army, VIII
have any kind of control over the work or the
or the supply division generally.
The corps areas were taken merely for the sake
Of the convenient division of the country, and
no department will have a greater interest OF
influence in this work than any other.
One of the important duties of the co-ordi,
majors is to fix prices at which supplies shall
be transferred from one department to another.
The old system of haggling and attempting 10
hold up other departments is abolished. Inc
co-ordinator has the final word in fixing a falr
figure for the transfer of property, and there
is no appeal from his decision:
General Dawes and his staff are particularly
-xy;1, mt p nnnnar IN ha CrltlClSlnR IHe
officials of any portion of the government. For
that reason General Dawes believes it would
be unwise and create bad feeling wnen "nas ~ nf
most seeks is cooperation, to set torth any ~
he instances which occurred by the hundreos
forced the change in system as a step
.oward economical running OF the government
machine. However,, many OF THESE nave cohhe
% light. H.
duplication of effort on the part of many OF
he departments. Representative Tess or ONO
,nce pointed out in the House that In many
Eases a dozen bureaus OF the goVerhhiehs 80 w.
duplicating work, and that under the old system
congress is called upon to appropriate money
en- or twelve times over for the same work'
where it is thus performed in these uozeh Oil
'erent places. The budget system will remedy
his among many other evils when the hrst
budget is presented to congress.
A Film Film Flam.
A recent instance is known OF where one
branch of the government desired to eptain
|. quantity of moving picture film. AS the ou
system provided no means of this departments
that another department., flgnt mere
n Washington, had a surplus stock OF MIN ana
hat an exchange might be effected, the depart
nent seeking the film went into the open mar
,et for it. A private individual discovering
he excess supply in one department ana me
iced for film in the other bought the MIN IN MS
,wn name and sold it back to the other brancn
# the government. making a comfortable pront
or himself which was, of course, a aeaa "ss
% ordinator would have fixed a fair price TOT
he film and the transfer would have been maze
lirectIv, from one department to the other with
- -, JoI,, and happ1ing over the amount |
If funds to be transferred as a consideration
or the Aim supply.
Probably the greatest loss in the matter OF
.ale of supplies is chargeable to the War Depart
nent. It was almost inevitable that the war
Department should be overstocked with 1000
,tuffs at the end of hostilitles and alter tne
A merican Expeditionary Forces were returned
10 this country and demobolized. Everyone ls
ra niliar with the manner in which the war
Denartment disposed of it's excess supplies, ana
many families benefited through the purchase
IF canned goods and other surplus STOCK at
very low prices. ~ uos+
of blankets, textiles of all sorts, auto
and almost everything else. Thousands
md thousands of dollars worth OF TINS material
we're sold to any purchaser for fractional parts
IF their real values. The old bugaboo arose OIL
he department having the surplus STOCK ae-
handing much higher prices from other depart,
nents which needed them than were demanded
in open sales to the public.
While all of this was going on the S Snipp ping
Board, for one example, was buying 1000 sup
plies for the crews Of it's ships in the open
market. There is no doubt that much OF the
hid War Department stock purchased by private
individuals for a song was resold to the other
branch of the government. the Shipping boaro,
at prices which were reasonable enough, out
represented a handsome profit to the individuals
bought up quantities of War Department
surplus stock for this very purpose.
This sort of thing is Impossible now. Each
is to have a director OF purchases
and a director of sales, both of whom will Keep
in close touch with the chief co-ordinator.
Copies of the surplus property reports of each
are to be furnished to the chief CO.
General Dawes has emphasized that the new
agency for the sale and exchange of government
supplies is entirely independent of all other
of the government, just as Is his
Budget Bureau.