Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-23

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tinct improvement.
David L. Podell, prominent New
York lawyer, drafted" by the de-
partment to handle emergency mat
tiers for the duration, is in general
charge of the clinic. Mr.. Podell
heads several other units of the de-
partment's Antitrust Division. He
has special interest in small busi-
ness and has made exhaustive
studies of its requirements and Diff
f1culties.
The chief physician of this clinic
is Chalmers Hammil lawyer with
a background of business expert
ence. He has staff of attorneys of
whom nearly all have had business
or industrial experience. The clinic
was organized by Guy Holcomb and
he directed it until he resigned in
| September.
Mr.. Hammil, gray-haired, with a
manner at once kindly and incisive,
studies every case, whether it in
store on back road.
Precision Device Case.
One day man from the Middle
West dropped in. This man, who
might be Mr.. Brown, but isn't, has a
small manufacturing plant that
makes a precision device which the
Army and Navy must have. And he
said, in effect:
The Army has asked for bids on
my article, for large quantity. OF
course, I can't make but small part
of the order, but I'd like to get in
on it. Well, can't even bid"
Mr.. Hammil took out figurative
stethoscope and listened carefully.
why can't you bid?" he asked.
We'll, I can't comply with the
specifications.
And he explained that the specifi-
cations were so rigid they called for,
in effect, only one type of the device
"a type which single Arm con-
trolled by patent. MY stuff is just
as good" Mr.. Brown insisted. But
it's not exactly as described in the
requirements"
Specifications Changed.
Mr. Hammil examined carefully a
copy of the specifications and did
some investigating. He made an
appointment with a colonel in one
of the procurement branches at the
War Department And when Mr..
Hammil went to the department, he
took Mr.. Brown along Mr. Brown
had samples of the work his plant
turns out.
why, this looks like irst-rate
stuff" said the colonel, Il don't see
why you can't bid
Mr. Brown explained. He showed
how the specifications excluded him.
The colonel was amazed. Il didn't
know a thing about this" he ex-
claimed.
The colonel called in the drafting
staff. No one seemed to know why
the specifications had been drawn
just as they had. They thought
they were ordering standard, tested
equipment, some one said. but had
no idea they were restricting it to a
single company.
well, let's rewrite the specifica-
tons right now" the colonel di-
rected
They were rewritten. Mr.. Brown
put in bid. And he got all the
work his little plant could turn out.
Naturally not all the divers ills
which afIlict small business these
days can be cured so easily, so
quickly. But the case of Mr..
Brown illustrates the sort of work
Mr.. Hammil's clinic is doing. Mr.
Brown had tried to protest to the
Army and various other agencies
and had got exactly nowhere. He
hadn't known what to do when he
asked Mr.. Hammil's advice.
] Agency Set Up Last Year.
The small business unit of the
Justice Department was set up
August 4, 194l, by Assistant Attorney
General Thurman w. Arnold, In
charge of the antitrust division
1t was designed originally to pro-
tect small businessmen from beine
squeezed out of existence by more
powerful competitors. But 1t hal
taken on the task ct trying, II
possible, to help every merchant and
manufacturer who comes in o.
writes.
Sometimes businessman does
complain Of 4 deliberate plan tt
deprive him Of business. Such Z
complaint Is investigated, ana, Il
-