Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-04-17

With all it's millions in the Treas
ury, the Federal Government only
recently began to reap savings made
possible by paying its bills promptly.
Until few months ago only the War
Department and the Reclamation
Service made it a point to discount
their bills regularly. That Is. these
two branches were the only ones reg
ularly to go after the 1 or 2 per cent
discount offered on monthly bills by
paying them within 10 days from date.
How great the possibilities for saw
ing along this line can be glimpsed
from the fact that the War Depart
ment saved 1894, 900 by the practice
during three and one-half years. Sim
liar savings chalked up to the credit
or the Reclamation Service during II
years were about $685. 900.
Total purchases by the Federal
Government amount to from $780,
100000 to $4,000, 900 annually, and
on much of this the discount would
apply. On many purchases, of course,
there would be no discount. At the
lowest estimate, the Government could
save 100000 a year If all its pur-
chasing agents adopted the policy.
1t might save two or three times that
sum.
When President Coolidge first learn
great force working under his direc-
ton were practtcing this obvious econ
omy. regularly he became much con-
cerned. 1t Is said that he was quite
appalled, at the opportunity to save
which seemed to be going to seed.
Word has gone out now that here
after all departments must discount
their bills whenever possible.
Many Details Involved
So much for some of the major
policies. Now for some Of the de-
tailed savings within the recent past.
The list is a long one and the fol
lowing instances have been selected
at random. They are typical, big
and small, of all savings.
The Government spends about $780,
600 an hour of every working day
for passenger fares of its employees
and freight charges on its goods.
Time was in the recent past when
nobody bought a round-trip ticket,
even when excursion rates were in
effect. Nowadays, under a new order,
a clerk or official buying a one-way
ticket to his destination and another
one-way ticket back when he could
save money by buying a round-trip
ticket Is subject to dismissal.
Free use of the Government tel
ephones for employees has been cur
tailed at the Treasury Department,
with a saving of 81 500 year. Pay
stations are installed throughout the
building and employees are required
to use these stations when making
personal calls.
About $50. 900 a year is being saved
at the Government Printing Office by
requiring authors of Government pub
locations to revise their papers in
manuscript form. Until recently they
revised the proof, and some proofs
were reset from to 10 times. One
revision only, except in extraordinary
cases, is the rule today.
Saving in Little Things.
The Government has gone into the
manufacture of its own mimeograph
and multigraph ink at an estimated
saving of $4,000 a year. 1t is print
ing certain Government publications
in smaller type at a saving Of paper
running close up to 100000 a year.
1t has standardized the paper stock
and sizes of letter heads and elimi-
mated embossed stationery. The es-
timated saving is $4,000 a year. BY
doing the same thing in the case of
wall calendars for the departments, it
is saving about $1,000 a year.
1t is shipping it's freight wherever
possible in carload lots, thereby Sc
curing lower rates. 1t has obtained
many lower rate classifications on
certain commodities and is still press
ing the work. 1t has saved thousands
of dollars in losses through the adop-
ton of better methods of Grating
goods.
Recently the New York post Office
was instructed to check up on short
postage on incoming letters. In a
single month carriers collected more
than $4,000 in postage due. The
principle has been applied to other
large cities and probably will be car
ried into every stable post office in
the country.
Receipts are now being taken by
the postman for all insured mail which
he delivers, thanks to a recent order
born of the economy program. AL
most Immediately claims for losses be-
gan to fall off. The Post Office De-
partment estimates that 1t will save
by the adoption of this practice alone
from $4,000 to 81 900, 900 a year
which otherwise would be paid out in
indemnitieS.
A new division has been built up in
the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the
sole duty of which is to distribute in
coming letters and kilograms and col
lect and send forward outgoing COM
munications. Until recently 72 en-