The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-03-07
By HARRY L. ROGERS. International News Service Staff CC
 rPSDonGent.

! respondent.
 Washington, March 7-The War 1 Department is back upon a pre-war | basis.
 1 Under the direction of John w: Weeks, called "the business man of the Cabinet the organization inner ited from the Wilson administration has during the year just closed been gradually diminished with great say ings to the Government, it is claimed | by Republican leaders.
 The department has been occupied
 during the year with a variety of imp ortant matters. Outstanding among these were the adjustment in | cident to reduction of the regular army to 150, ,OO0 men, inauguration of the provisions of the national defense
 act and the carrying out of obligations and duties remaining from the World l War, such as the interment of fallen l soldiers in their final resting places. | disposal of surplus property and equipment, and the adjustment of a i great mass of claims left over from the previous administration. The major portion of the work of contracting all activities of the miIi- tary establishment is practically is being undertaken with a view to preserving as far as possible those parts of the wartime organization
 best suited to permit expansion quickly and economically in case of another emergency
 LOps Of Expenditures When Mir. Weeks assumed the job of Secretary of War he announced that the keynote of his arnlinistra- tiOn would be economy. He had an idea that the best way to economize was to stop spending money, and, ac- cordingly. he Topped off estimates with q merciless hand.
 On the whole, President Harding has been very well pleased With the manner in which the heads of the various executive departments have followed out his program of econ omy in government, but he has made no secret of the fact that he regards Secretary Weeks as the banner Cab fnet member in so far, at least, as savings to the government are con- cerned.
 Following ars a few of the items
 which go to make up the War De- partment'S economy record: A saving of approximately S4,O00.-
 900 by reduction of army transport
 service and withdrawal from active boat service and coast artillery boat
 service; $36,OO0 by limitation of annual reports; S300,00O by putting shoe, clothing and hat repair shops
 on q self-supporting basis; S1,554,0O0
 through sale of waste; $S16,000 by
 laundry operations; $400,000 by use of stock of compressed forage; S49OO.O00 by reorganization of sup ply depot system, thereby reducing
 rentals and personnel; S24, 900 on uniforms; $730. 0000 by reorganization
 of the remout service. and S1,2OO,-
 900 by revision of clothing allow
 anceS.
 These are only a few of the
 economies effected.
 Where Savings Made
 Many other measures have result
 ed in savings which can not be
 readily computed, as, for example:
 Utilization of regular transport ser
 vice in return of troops from Ger
 many; restriction of use of motor
 transport; reduction in number of
 public animals; changes in design of
 new construction; curta1lment Tn
 use of water. heat and light utilities
 of all stations: change in disbursing and accounting methods and an enor-
 mcus saving through the termination of leases of buildings, factories and real estate.
 In addition to it's other activities the War Department has carried on an enormous selling campaign. for the disposal of vast quantities Of surplus property. the inevitable aftermath of the war. The total cost value of supplies declared surplus since March l f. 1921. was sSS04.ST6,799- Directions were also given for the disposal of | educational and vfcational training | under the program. of 191s- The
 greater part of this property declared surplus has been disposed of at prices arrived at by means of competitive sealed bids, and friends Of the admin | istration assert, that the receipts from these sales average remarkably high | considering. the handicap of marker conditions and the lack of suitability for public consumption which is char acteristic of much of the War ma | terial
 l Motor vehicles to the number of 126SO and costing approximately | $22, ,212,674 were transferred to the l Department of Agriculture, and 220 motor vehicles. costing approxi- mately S550.O00, were transferred to