The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-03-23


 hard to get. MT. Clayton admits frankly that he would rather work without publicity, but that in thi' matter of selling surplus govern. lnent property, the public is entitled to know what goes on.
 Already, while the Surplus War Property Administration is getting organized, there have been several instances of sales being questioned Congressman John J. Cochran oi St. Louis has disclosed how 50,00C over age dry cell batteries were sold by the Army for 30 to a buyer who resold a part for 10000. Congress man Wright Patman of Texarkana, Tex, has reported that the Treasury Department sold surplus Army chinaware in original packing cases at salvage prices, on the same day the Navy was buying 10000 pieces of the same items at IS cents each. 8,lO0,00O LOSS-OR
 WAS IT A 1000 GAIN?
 Such things naturally make tax payers sore, but amounts involved here are relatively small change in comparison to the figures in the first major deal which crossed Ad- ministrator Claytons desk-sale by the Maritime Commission for 200, ,000 of 40 acres of government land formerly part of an 800-acre tract occupied by the San Jacinto ship yards at Houston. Tex, for build ing concrete barges. Because the Maritime Commission and Defense Plant Corporation had sunk some 8,300 ,000 in the concrete barge ven- ture, it can be argued that the gov- ernment took an $8,l00,000 loss. Ac- tually, the Maritime Commission had previously written off most of It's $8, 100000 as a war loss already incurred just as though the barges had been built and sunk, and 1t sold the 40 acres, which with in- provements were appraised at $l85,- 000 for $200000.
 AS q surplus property disposal transaction, this wasn't so bad. The government had no further use for the property. It had Q buyer-Du- Pont-With an option on adjacent property which 1t had to exercise or loge. It had q project for using the site for a plant to manufacture q chemical used in eradicating sheep worms. Department Of Agriculture favored the development. It would provide employment for some of the labor displaced by folding Up the shipyard.
 Bringing out all these points en- phasizes need for the goldfish bowl technique.
 PRESSURE GROUPS
 ARE ACTIVE
 Already pressure groups are be. ginning to exert influence to pre- vent sales of surpluses that might enter into completion with tomor- rows manufacturers, tom rrow's labor. Such advocates want today's surplus of butter and wool held off the market or even dumped in the ocean. But today there is a sellers market, with numerous shortages and good prices. The job now is to find what the surpluses are and where they are and get them on sale. To that end numerous sales are now being made by the dis posal agencies. in accordance with practices established before SWPA came into being.
 After the war the story will be different. Timing of every sale will be important. Losses may not be considered. The question will be whether a given sale at given time and under given conditions will bring the best possible price.
 Conceivably. by bad timing of sur- plus property sales, throwing quan- titles of goods on the market at sacrifice prices just to get rid of them, the American postwar econ- omy could be wrecked.