The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-10-02

| people, but 1t all traces back to the fact that some problem arises which needs to be cleared or managed or looked into, and unless there is definite appropriation for handling 1t, the task is showed into some convenient department, there to stay until the specific appropriation is set up for an organization to handle 1t.
 Take flre-flghting equip nent. With all the new cantonments being built and all hte new factories go- ing up, there was ssortage of new fire engines. Then the office of civilian Defense, under Mayor La Guardia, came through with sug- gestions that every community get at least a couple more fire engines as a safeguard against tncendiary bombs.
 DEGLAMoRIZE
 FIRE TRUCKS
 Fire engines weren't tanks and they weren't automobiles and they weren't trucks and they weren't boats. There wasn't any specific bureau or division to take over the control and production of fire en- zines, but they involved definite .priorities and supply problems of rubber for the hose, nickel and cop per and chrome trim and all that. So the control job was given to the purchasing division and its sad duty has been to take lot of the glamor out of five engines.
 They may still allocate red paint for them, but all the stuff to polish and shine will be missing. If Mayor La Guardia gets his federal appro- priation to buy lot of cities some extra equipment, what they'll prob- ably get Is one-ton truck with a tank of chemical, 0 hose reel and a pump. All the sex appeal will be sacrificed to defense.
 Fire engines make up just one of the commodity sections which OPM's purchasing division has to look after. Some of the others are textiles, clothing, hides and leather, equipage Gents and such Stuff), drugs and medical supplies, con- tainers for everything containable in cans, jugs, bottles, boxes, bags, drums-what have you.
 These commodity sections are really just getting down to business now. They're made up of represen- tatives of the industry who confer with the government agencies and help work out programs of allocation so that the military will get every thing they want, and the nonmili- tary won't be given too raw deal. A lot of the conservation, substitu- ton and allocation work of these commodity sections will be creeping Up on you gradually from here on in. The matter of colthing simpli- fication, for instance, won't be hand led as the silk stocking thing was, with Q lot of fanfare.
 Tn the case of silk, 1t couldn't be helped. The embargo on imports of raw silk from Japan was big news which couldn't help sending a lot of women-and men-into the mar ket to do Q lot of unnecessary buy ing. With other items of clothing, and textiles and shoes, the effort will be made to have the simplih- cation of lines made by the trade without getting everyone all excited But when you 90 in to buy, along about six months or a year from now, you'll find the number of models and styles to choose from greatly reduced.
 NO ARMY POST
 PROFITEERING
 It was General Marshall himself who got the purchasing division interested in overhauling the ma chinery of the Army post exchanges. These camp canteens supply soldiers with things the Army doesn't fur nish, and get about half the $2l a month the average soldier earns Tn the last war there was a good bit of dissatisfaction with the way they were handled. Profits, If any, were supposed to go to the com pany funds for recreation equip- ment. Most of the exchanges were run on Q high price schedule, and soldiers got soaked.
 Rounding up @ staff of experience ed merchandiZers, @ survey was made of soldiers demands, and the camp stores were started off on 6 new sales policy. It was found the total business of the post exchanges for the new Army would run $250 mil- lion year. A loan of $200 million was made from REC, and the can- teens were stocked with stuff that would sell, priced right for @ $2l monthly income.
 One of the worst headaches which the OPM purchasing division has tackled is complete revision of the Army accounting and distribution methods, aimed at eliminating or reducing paper work.
 It has always been a snarl of red tape, and the inventory control of company, battalion and regi- mental supply officers has caused almost as much mental anguish as shell shock. Now Q staff of some of the best accountants in the country is trying out new methods and they hope eventually to balance the books and lick their problem-"for the honor" they say, "of the account