Evening star., 1923-09-16

per cent; on tubes, ~ per cent, and
on solid and cushion tires, 35 per cent.
An important saving to the District
government in it's purchase of tires
and tubes can indirectly be ascrtbfd
to the outcome of this new plan Of
purchase for the federal government.
The District government delayed
making awards on bids submitted
under its running contract method
pending the results of the expert
ment by the chief co-ordinator and
the bureau Of efficiency. Immediately
upon receipt of information that the
new plan had brought good results
the District government advertised
for bids in a similar manner. The re-
suiting prices have saved the Dtstrtct
government approximately $1,s4s.s4
or 81 per cent.
would Give Latitude.
Tn general terms the report says:
There should be latitude vested In
| a real purchasing agency acting Ior
all branches of services 10 use the
most advantageous metnoos OF pHI-
chase for each class of items, Tor
each speciflc article. in fact. The pur-
chasing agency should study eacn
lftem-buy some outright perloolCdlty
for interdepartmental STOCK, otneTs
periodically in consolloateu sa,,,icas
otbars as required on running sholns
scaia contracts, others under the ex,
Sstinp kind of contracts, ana stliI
others only as requisitioneo oy
service. AS matters matters the hew generaI sup
NV Committee, all services are tieo
nm TO what has proved COSY
method. Cumbersome processes
naeessary to escape tne Sara
no,ved in this method and thereIore
:, does but little good for the sen
araI supply committee to give nlucn
ettantion to anything but the r4uetne 9'la ~ .
a. eating almost every conceiVaoiSs
| item under an annuaI comii cnniies
itStad In a dictionary OF supplIes.
us .spiana for releasing the govern
from the penalties or TINS sICu-
tSnr have been devised severn 49,
~ the general supply comInlteee
Sos established. but for one S,a
.nother all of these plans hSS ~ 5.
OF rr;ad Perhaps one reason 1or
this has been that important maSe
- noIicy have occupied SO much u
tha attention of both EXECUTIVES aIar ~
legislators as to leaVe NO Iii fac-
tnr ns nnrchase. OF what importance
,sas II that the government was pay
Ing more for its supplies tnsn ~
sbol,ld and was by no means ,
full advantage or It's tremenoo 81
mo mower when the nation was a.
war or was involved Ia ZIG
of readjustment7 xor
"Another very obvious reason LoI
the failure of the government 70 acl
~ tbis relation has been the inaDillty
- obtain united support among those
Who have been closest TO tne sup
NV problem. 1t seems all TOO aps
narerlt that there exists q ieeIlns ot
downright opposition to change on
the mart of many government SCI wants
usho apparently fear that they Will
snfSar thereby-will perhaps be sepa-
rated from the Jobs which they nave
haan running in the same grooves
Frona time immemorial.
"But outstanding among tne rea-
aops FOR failure to put the govern
ment on a real business pasis IN l.s
purchasing, storage and distribution
Activities has been the otten sA
nressed notion that change means q
muItipIying of the governmen
warehousing. Apparently those I'M
bned with this idea have VisualLzeo
Tremendous warehouse in Washing-
ton. erected at high cost, ana pos
sthiy many others throughout the
country. where great stocks would
he maintained at expense or large
amounts Of interest on investment.
with deterioration. wastage and
obaolescence. It is only necessary to
examine into the present government
! 70 aciIities for storage and distribu-
fion OF common supplies to realize
that there is far more expense in-
yofyed now with wastage, detertora-
ton. obsolescence, fire hazard and
cumbersome operation than would
he the case under an up-to-date gys-
a4em with proper facilittesss