Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-06
Uncle Sans Buying
and Selling
By Frederic .. Hsskin

By Frederic .. Hsskin
washington, Aug. g. One Of the
big steps in the movement for gov
crnmental economy was taken whom
the executive order was lseued re-
Gently shutting down on sales Of sur
plus supplies BY nli government de-
partinents and putting the disposition
an d exchanges Of these supplies
/ under the direction Of General Dawes.
new chief Of the Bureau Of the Bud
/ get
This step put stop TO an old sys-
/ tenn through which the government
has lost money for many decades, the
amounts running tremendously high
since the expansion Of the government
machine made necessary during the
World War.
/ IL is impossible to get together ali
" the figures TO show how great the
/ foss has been TO the government, and
/ therefore 10 the American people. be-
cause each government department
has handled it's own sales In getting
rid Of property acquired during the
war and at other times for which II
now has no use.
I a
TEN before the new one was put in 20
supplsnt it say that no one man or
group Of men is to blame FOR the old
wastes. It was simply the fault Of
the system. they insist.
Transfers Of property from one de-
pariment TO another were not un-
/ heard Of during the days Of the old
! system, but usually ii was accompa-
MED BY haggling and difficulties which
would make II appear that two de-
| partments of the government, instead
| Of being important cogs ii the same
tremendous machine. were rival and
competing private organizations.
Very many times, when one depart
ment was selling or auctioning sup
plies IN the open market at low prices.
and another department had need Of
| Just these supplies, the selling de-
/ partfnent would refuse 10 make the
/ buying department as good price as
| il gave private purchasers. The de-
partment seeking the goods would
/ point out that private individuals and
firms were allowed TO have the stip-
plies at low figure. The selling de-
/ partment would counter by pointing
out that L was impossible 70 secure
the needed supplies In the open mar
ket at any such price.
| Hundreds and hundreds Of instances
~ this and other kinds were un-
| covered in the investigation which led
i to the issuance Of the executive order
putting sales and transfers under one
mead. The system installed by the
executive order, worked out by Cen
leneral 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 department OF. bureau of the gov
| crnment to another as a co-ordinator.
/ one being provided for each of the
| corps areas There IS chief co-or-
dinator also. This system win re-
main in effect unless a better one can
oe worked out and provided by legis-
ative enactment.
The Army Not IN Control.
General Dawes is particularly anx-
ious 10 prevent the impression gain
| ing ground that because the system
is laid down along the geogra phicaI
lines of the army organizations. the
army viii have any kind Of control
over the work Of the co-ordinator or
| the supply division generally. The
corps areas were taken merely for the
sake Of the convenient division OF the
country, ana no department viii have
/ / greater interest or influence in this
| work than any other.
One nf the important duties Of the
lco-ordinators is 70 fix prices at which
supplies shall be transferred from one
department to another. The old sys-
TEN Of haggling and attempting to
ThoId up other departments is
abolished. The co-ordinator has the
final word in fixing a fair figure for
the transfer Of property, and there Is
20 appeal from his decision.
General Dawes and his staff are
particularly anxious not TO appear tc
be critieising the officials Of any por-
ton Of the government. For that rea-
son General Dawes believes il would
be unwise and create bad feeling when
what he most seeks is co-opera ton. "a
4 set forth any of the instances which