, 1921-08-11
PROMiSCUOUS SALES
OF PUBLIC PROPERTY
Saving OF 500, 900 900 by Govern
ment's Using Accumulated
Stocks

WASHINGTON, Aug. BY order
OF the Director OF the Budget the
sale Of any departme 1t or bureau OF
any government surplus property is
stopped, pending the organization of
a system whereby the disposition of
such property may oe controlled.
This order affects all classes OF
property, except perishable goods,
owned by the government and In the
hands OF any department bureau or
depot.
At the same tine this order was
issued, orders we're issued for all
government purchasing agents, sup
ply officers and others in charge OF
government property to make an in
ventory Of material on hand and re-
port the same to the Budget bureau.
AT the same time an order was
issued for all departments needing
supplies to file their requsitions with
the Budget Bureau. The immediate
result OF this will be the saving OF
millions of dollars a year-it is esti-
mated 500, O00, 900 the first year
Under the new arrangement an in
ventory Of all surplus property held
by any department will be in the
hands of the Budget Bureau as we'll
90 "iI " oupEiiSo
all departments. acquisitions will
be checked against inventories and,
wherever possible, instead OF going
into the onen market, as has been the
custom for years, and purchasing
material and supplies at market
prices and often in competition with
some other government department,
acquisitions will be filled from the
surplus property as shown by the in
ventories . In addition, there is ex-
pected to be a tremendous saving in
For example, n bureau Of the
transportation charges.
government erecting a hospital
reaches the point where it needs
large supplies of plumbing OF electri-
cal fixtures. In stead OF going into
the market and purchasing them, the
inventory of stocks of such depart
merts as the army and navy will be
examined and. ii they have a surplus
of such supplies on hand, they will
be transferred to the department
erecting the hospital and an accom-
panying transfer of credits will be
made on the books OF the govern
ment showing the transaction be-
tween departments.
1t may be these supplies are stored
within a reasonable distance OF the
hospital site. If so. instead of ship
ping them by rail they will be
shipped by motor trucks which are
owned by the government and Of
which there is a large surplus on
hand located at various depots
throughout the country. By this
method the government will not only
save the cost of purchasing fixtures
which are on hand and for which 1t
has already paid once, but it will
also be able to save the high freight
rates which would be included in the
private bids of contractors furnish
ing the supplies.
In round numbers, the govern
ment has surplus property to the
amount of over $4,000 900 .O0O
which, If placed on the market a
auction sale would bring but a fxac'
ton of its cal value and even less
than that of the original cost to the
government, as most Of it was pur
chased at wartime prices. 1t is the
belief Of those who have Investigate
ed the problem that most of this
property can be disposed of by the
government to TIE various depart
ments. Eventually, as a part of the
budget program there will be
created a single bureau which will
have charge of the purchase and sale
of all government property. In the
meantime, the Budget Bureau will be
the clearing house for transfer of
property from III department to an
other.