The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-02-13

anyway, Sl II CS EdsOn you've heard there's lot of red tape connected with getting an order from the government, you decide to go right to Washington yourself, cut through the red tape, and get your contract.
 You arrive in town at night, get a big boot out of the sight of the capitol dome lighted up, taxi to a hotel-and find that it's sold out, Tourists. You go to more expen- Sive place with better luck, but realize that if you're kept around very long, it's going to cost you more than you've allowed for. The seafood, though, is good and it's too bad you can't get it fresh back where you come from.
 You get a guide book to the city and with a telephone book and map sprawled out on the bed, you figure out your attack for the next morn ing. You'll bust right down to the Defense Commission, giving 'em just time enough to get their mail read, and do business.
 DEPARTMENT OF PURCHASES DOES NO PURCHASING
 The Defense Commission is in the new social security building, which seems a bit cockeyed, but you don't let 1t get your goat. You walk right by a policeman seated at desk, but you can't find an m- formation desk and you can't make out all the signs on easels near the elevators, so you go back to the bluecoat who doesn't know the all- swers himself but does send you to the information desk of the depart ment of purchases.
 You get shunted around bit by number of rice but green secre- taries, till you finally get to man who speaks your language-a fellow from one of the chain store outfits, loaned to the government for the emergency. This gent brings you up with a shock. however, when he tells you the department of purchases doesn't do any purchasing.
 That is, it doesn't monkey with anything under $500O00, and on jobs over that amount, it merely acts in advisory capacity.
 Where you should have gone is to the War Department, army quar- termaSter corps.
 Undaunted, you taxi across town. To get into the building, you have to stand in line to sign card and be given a three-inch red button with a number on it.. which you wear, all the time you're in the building, surrender when you leave. You don't know whom you want to see, but the clerks are helpful and finally steer you to an officer in the contract information section who listens to your story, grins, and then sy1npathetically tells you that the only place the army buys curry combs is at the quartermaster de- pot in Jeffersonville, Ind.
 P. s. You have to get a permit to take your own briefcase out of the building.
 PAMPHLETS GIVE -s ARCS OF BUYING
 1 Now, it really isn't as bad as that, of course. Not few business men do come to Washington and go through experiences like this, but it's all unnecessary, and as meffi- cient on the part of the business men themselves as it is an indica- ton of red tape in the government.
 Army and navy buying has been going on for years. There are simple pamphlets, Selling to the Navy" and Army Purchase Information Bulletin" which give the ABC's of what the services buy where and how. Simple letters, which too many businessmen don't write, would clear up most of the difficulties and the answers would tell where any factory or selling outfit would have to go to do business.
 Buying for a war is highly spe- cialized business. The specifications and standards are high, for the stuff has to be good. Bargain base ment buying would be disastrous, and just-as-good substitutes mostly don't work.
 New inventions offered to the services are tested mercileSSly i'll laboratory and held before being accepted.
 General supplies purchased on the open market through competitive bidding are advertised in technical and trade journals. in the govern ment. bulletins, and there is & mail ing list on which any sales agency can get, to receive information on contracts to be let.
 It's nice cash business, if you can get it.