Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-03-16
War Surplus Property of l03 Billion
Dollars Will Be Made Available to Public
Some Goods Earmarked
For Farmers, Balance to
Enter Trade Channels
BY WALTER A. SHEAD
WNU Washington Correspondent.
Released by Western Newspaper Union

ny WALLER "A. SdEAD
wNU Washington Correspondent.
Released by Western Newspaper Union.
WASHINGTON, D. C.-Approxi-
mately half billion dollars worth Of
consumer goods from surplus war
stocks will be offered for sale dur
ing the coming year through the
medium of the procurement divi-
sion of the United States treas
ury, according to reliable sources
here.
Treasury procurement, however, is
only one of six governmental agen-
cies involved in the sale of surplus
war properties, so the total may run
to double that sum. The other agen-
cles are Reconstruction Finance cor
poration and its subsidiaries, ham,
ding capital goods, lands and war
plants; War Food administration,
selling food and foodstuffS; the
Maritime commission, handling all
marine equipment; the army and
navy, disposing of materials abroad
and certain small stuff here at home;
and the Federal Housing admins
tration, which will handle sale of
government-owned housing prof.
ectS.
Estimates are that the total
potential value of surplus war
properties will run approxi-
mately 103 billions of dollars, or
more than the total sales of
Sears, Roebuck & company for
hundred years at their present
annual rate Of sales.
During the first six months war
properties have been on sale, only
$l35, 1854, 900 was realized out of
total declared surplus valued at
1886, 000, 900. From this fact it can
readily be seen that sales must be
stepped up considerably if the gov
eminent is to realize high per-
centage of the appraised value of the
property. OF the amount already
sold, receipts were approximately rs
per cent of appraised value.
For this reason treasury procure
ment, which will handle about 60
per cent of the total declared sur
plus, is planning increased activity
during the coming fiscal year and
is now asking an appropriation of
$40, 100000 to virtually double its
present personnel of about 5000 en-
ployees in its II regional offices
throughout the country.
This surplus material will cover
every conceivable item of goods and
commodities from small hardware
items to defense plants and ship
yards. It must be borne in mind,
however, that the government is not
in the retail business and the gen.
eral public is not eligible to pur-
chase this stock direct.
Farmers to Get Break.
Intent of the law governing sales of
surplus properties is that farmers
are to get at least an even break in
opportunities to buy these COM
modities which are in demand and
applicable to farm usage. In some
cases farmers are given preference.
For instance the Defense Plant cor
poration, subsidiary of RFC, has
held several auctions for the par
ticular benefit of farmers, of COM
modities left over after war plant
construction. This property included
hoes. shovels, spades, paint, con-
Struction hardware and other items.
Treasury procurement, too,
holds some direct auctions of
livestock, such as horses and
mules for benefit Of farmers, but
otherwise all commodities are
sold through bona fide dealers.
Any dealer, including farm COOP
eratives, hardware stores, gen.
eral stores, grain elevators, is eligi-
Bile to bid on any of the commodi-
ties offered for sale in his region.
Twice each week treasury procure
ment sends out publication called
the Surplus Reporter" from each of
the II regional offices listing items
to be up for sale, method of sale,
etc. Dealers can readily be placed
on the mailing list by writing to
the nearest procurement office in
their territory. Procurement offices
are in the following cities:
Region Boston; covering Maine,
Massachusetts. New Hampshire,
Rhode Island and Vermont.
Region 2 - New York, Empire
Stdle DulluilS, CoNeIlnB EeHlSyI-
vania. New York and New Jersey.
Region - Washington, D. c.
Covering Delaware, Maryland and
North Carolina and Virginia.
Region 4--Cincinnati; covering In
diana. Kentucky, Ohio and West Vir-
ginia.
Region 5-Chicago, 209 N. LaSalle
street, covering Illinois, Michigan,
Minnesota, North Dakota, South
Dakota and Wisconsin
Region 6-Atlanta; covering Ala
bama, Florida, Georgia, Mississip-
pi, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Region Fort Worth; covering
Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and
Texas.