Evening star., 1924-11-30
THE United States Government I
L is the. largest purchaser OF
materials and supplies In the |
Il world, both as to quantity and


is the largest purchaser of
materials and supplies In the
world, both as to quantity and
variety. Brig. Gen. Herbert M
Lord, director of the budget. says so.
The bin runs up to $26O.O0O,0O a year
. Under the new budget system 1t
has been recognized that when Uncle
Sam goes shopping he must have
suitable quality standards on which
to base his selections. The herculean
task OF drafting such standards, the
use of which is made mandatory on
all Government establishments by or
der of the President, has been in
trusted to Norman i. Hartman. He
was selected because of his peculiar
qualification by technical training and
practical experience as purchasing
agent for big corporations. Working
with him are Sc technical committees
made UP of experts on everything
from bugs to battleships.
These standard specifications are
used not only by all United States
Government agencies, but are adopted
also by manufacturers. corporations,
States and municipalities and even by
foreign governments,-so, it will be
seen, that Mr.. Hartman Is virtually
setting up world standards on prac-
tically all commodities.
With the installation of the Bureau
of the Budget, in 1921, the President
of the United States became for the
first time in the history of this coun-
try tho actual business head of the
Federal Government. One of the
principal questions before him was
the necessity of setting up certain
agencies for the coordination and
control of Government routine busl-
ness To promote economy and ef-
f1cioncy in this routine business, the
President designated chief CO.
ordinator. who is charged with the
application of uniform business prin-
ciples and methods, and acts under
the general supervision of the direc-
| tor of the Bureau of the Budget.
One of the most important OF the
co-ordinating boards Is the Federal
Specification Board. which Is COM
posed of one representative from
each department and independent es-
tablishment, officially designated by
the head of that branch OF the Gov
| ernment. The preparation and use
of master commodity specifications
for the entire Federal Government
| is. an essential step In the economy
which results from the purchase of
materials and supplies In large
quantities.. In no field OF Govern
nent operation was there greater
need of constructive work than in
the field of purchase standards.
For certain classes of materials
and supplies there were almost as
| many variations in the departments
| specifications for given article as
! there arc kinds of pickles. These
! specifications were developed through
| the years, and bore the impress of
notions, Whimsicalities, and idiosyn-
crasies OF officials long since gath
| cred to their fathers. The peculiar
| requirements of certain OF these
| specifications meant departures from
commercial practice necessitating
| special fabrication. which always in
| wolves greater cost. The Government
| has paid large sums OF money for
| this lack of Standardization.
| x * *
The chairman ex officio of the Fed
! eral Specification Board Is the direc-
| tor of the Bureau of Standards, but
| the detail work Of the board and the
| supervision of the technical commit
! tes is handled by Mr.. Hartman. rated
as sicist of the National
Bureau of Standards, who is vice
| chairman and technical secretary of
/ the Federal Specification Board and
! also a member Of the Federal Pur-
| chasing Board. Formerly he was
! also the Commerce Department repre-
! sentative on the general supply conf
| mittee of the Government, and had
| charge Of the contracting for engi-
neering and electrical supplies and