Evening star., 1922-02-04

traffic costs of the past fiscal year,
over S2O0,000,000 indi-
.ate Unnecessary losses to the gov-
ernment. due to faulty classification
and other causes. variously estimated
at from ten to fifty million dollars:
1t is this wastage the traffic board
aims to eliminate. 1t has effected a
renewal of the equalization agree
ments of the railroads of the south
territory of the United States,
and has brought into a closer rela-
and greater harmony all the
traffic personnel of the various gov
departments. 1t has al
ready accomplished direct savings in
the sum of $4,000 and indeterminate
savings estimated in excess of this
amount"
In each OF the nine corps areas Of
the United States and in the District
of Columbia the chief co-ordinator is
represented by deputy who bears
the title of area co-ordinator. The
activities of these deputies are car
Of complete decentralization. The
policies of the President of the United
States with reference to the routine
business of government, as conveyed
to the chief co-ordinator through the
bureau of the budget. are conveyed
executed in accordance with the re-
Quirements of local conditions and
the operating policies of the chief CO
ordinator. The success of this plan is
indicated by the fact that no un-
toward incident has occurred attrib-
utebie to faulty understanding or
lack Of judgment during the period
that it has been in effective operation.
Col. C. o. Sheriff. is In charge of the
corps area for the District of Column
hia.
Lcast Favorable Conditions.
According to the report of the fed
eral purchasing board, OF all the sep
arate activities of government that
of purchase has grown up under con-
ditionS least favorable to interde-
coordination.
For the most part" the report says.
purchases within the departments
themselves were without central di-
rection or supervision "a condition
that requires departmental correction
before any department can reach 4
position from which to coordinate
with other departments. There is one
notable exception SO efficient in it's
purchase machinery that may, with
out seeming to cast reflection, make
mention of the bureau Of supplies and
Others have of themselves taken
steps to bring about interior improve
ment. and the federal purchasing
board. making use of its experienced
has completed studies of the
purchase organization of two depart
ments and has made suitable recon-
to the department chiefs.
In conjunction with the federal
hoard, the purchasing
board has perfected the routine OF
the requirements of one de-
partment against the surplus of other
departments so as to eliminai"
large portion of the paper work with
out prejudice to the object sought by
the statutes. In addition. II is at
present engaged in studying the con-
ditions surrounding the procurement.
delivery and use of ten items of basic.
view of determining whether pooling
of interests In these items willrresutt
in material advantage. Some pre-
liminary work has been done in the
matter OF Standardization of contracts
and procurement routine. This su''-
ject will be turned over to the board
of contracts and adjustments when
the latter is ready to receive"
Motor Transportation.
Col. Sheriff.. in his report regarding
the plans for efficient and economical
motor transportation for the govern
ment in the District Of Columbia. said:
"At the present time there are in the
District Of Columbia approximately 945
government owned vehicles. of which
500 are in daily opera
ton. There are 81 different makes of
cars in use. housed in 50 separate ga
RACES, holding from to 125 cars each.
The total rental now paid to private
OWNERS for garages amounts to 100000
per annum.
when this Office was organized it
was realized that there was consider
able waste due to the unco-ordinated
systems of control. but 1t was also
realized that changes must proceed
slowly and surely and only after a COM
piete survey had been made of all diff
ferent activities. With this in view,
after the office was Or
to all departments and establishments
calling for full information in. refer
ence to their motor transport services,
including garage and repair service. A
study Of this information Is being made
and from time to time small economies
have already suggested themselves, and
steps have been taken to put them into
effect through the cooperation of the
heads of the departments and establish
ments concerned.
From the data collected it has been
found that the general average cost
to the government to maintain and
operate vehicle with chauffeur Is
5000 per month. or without a chauf-
feur, $l10 month. This covers all
the various classes of passenger and
truck vehicles owned by the govern
ment, some Of which, Of course, are
low in cost of operation and some are
high,
ITO sum up, it may safely be said
that mootr vehicle transportation is
not being operated on a businesslike
basis. and In order to correct this
it is planned in the near
future to submit to the director of
the bureau of the budget. through the
chief co-ordinator of general supply,
a complete plan for placing the motor
in the District of CO.
lumbia on "a sound, efficient basis.
which will save the government sew
eral hundred thousand dollars a year
and should result in more satiSfac-
tory service to all the departments
and establishments concerned.
Principal Operations.
The principal coordination SO far
by this office has been to ar
range for the supply Of motor trans
port as called for by any of the gov
ernmental agencies without the me-
COSTLY bf hiring from private corr
except in few cases.
This office has also been able to
arrange for the removal of a number
OF vehicles from privately owned ga
RACES and to place these vehicles in
governmept-owned garages at a nomi-
nal cost to the department concerned
and without any cost to the govern
ment.
ordinattng the purchase of spare
parts and the, repairing of vehicles