Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-16
As Told to william p. Helm, Jr.

OF course, we were not uniformly sue
cessful In the Budget Bureau In saving
by co-ordinating work. recall one
instance when the Government had
considerable number of odd metal con-
tanners, manufactured for war purposes
and apparently useless for anything else.
The war had ended and the containers
were among the surplus to be sold, but
nobody could use them.
A jealous Government worker had an
idea the containers could be converted
rather inexpensively into articles that
could be sold. AS remember 1t. the
cost Of conversion was approximately
$40 a container. The idea was APP
proved and a few of the containers
were converted into marketable prod
uctS.
At that point the sales force discov-
cred the converted containers. It pro-
ceeded to sell them at SIS each, al
though it had cost $40 to convert them.
The original Idea was excellent, but for
lack OF proper coordination each con-
tainer sold cost the Government IS.
Such mistake would be virtually
impossible today. The Governments
business is too well systematized. Too
many eyes are watching for errors, too
many checks are made, as a rule, to
let patent error get by.
An order was sent into the Govern
ment Printing ONCE calling for $4,000
copies of publication. At the Print
ing ONCE there had been set up as part
OF the budget procedure acquisitions
review board, a committee of hard
headed practical printers. It's duty was
to watch for careless or extravagant
orders.
The board knows printing. It has no
interest In the agency submitting the
requisition. If there Is any indication
of extravaganza the requisition Is in
vestigated. Every requisition must pass
before this board of doubling ThomaSes.
The board Lit like ton Of pig iron on
that requisition.
Saving Money by Illusion.
FIFTY thousand copiesP" inquired a
voice in obvious surprise, when one of
the board called the department max
been a mistake. We asked for only
5000 copies"
The requisition was sent back to the
of1cial who had signed 1t. He ex-
planned that 1t was typographical err
ror, that the typist had added an extra
cipher. The typist, however, didn't
sign the requisition-a fact the ofdcial
couldn't explain away.
Mistakes, Of course, sometimes hap
pen; illusions, too. Once the Govern
ment saved money by producing an IL
fusion. The Department Of Agricul-
ture needed a forestry exhibit showing
four sets of mechanically operated
woodmen saving down trees. The me-
chanical apparatus for one set came
within the sum available for the ex-
hibit, but the cost Of four sets was be-
yond 1t.
So the department installed q lone
set Of woodmen and placed mirrors
about it so ingeniously that it appeared
to be four sets. The arrangement Of
the mirrors attracted more attention
than the four sets would. The illu-
sion was big success and the Gov
eminent saved 80 non- illusory dollars.
Down to the minutiae Of the Gov
ernment's circulatory system the germs
OF economy have carried, and annual
savings are made in no small measure
of tiny things. One branch of the
Navy has substituted good grade Of
chicken feathers for goose feathers in
pillows. The sailors sleep just as
soundly and few more dollars repose
in the Treasury.
Messengers at Washington have con-
tributed to the cause by using over
and over the same manila envelopes
for letters. The Bureau Of Mines at
Pittsburgh saved $50 one year by manu-