The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1946-01-24
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min WASHINGTON
BY Waller Sheod
y WNU Correspondent.
The Middle in War
Surplus Sales
WNU Correspondent
WNU Washington Bureau.
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1O4O Eye 81,
THE whole machinery of Surplus
L War Property has broken down
and the entire situation surrounding
the disposal of more than a hundred
billion dollars worth of surplus war
material is a confused. disorganized
mess.
This is the conclusion Of your
Home Town Reporter after an in
vestigation. made because we have
received scores of letters from vet
Grams asking how they can obtain
surplus var properties. There have
been more than $50, 900 applications
from war veterans during the past
six months. all wanting to buy sur
plus property. mostly trucks. jeeps
and automobiles. Only in rare in
stances have they been able to do so.
Here's the situation about surplus
property. 1t is now scattered among
eight governmental agencies at 100
different points In the country-Re-
construction Finance corporation for
consumer goods, producers goods,
wal plants and aircraft; U. s. Mari
time Commission for marine prop
erty; the state department for goods
overseas; the department of agri-
culture for food and agricultural
products; the Federal Works admin
~istration for community facilities
such as sewers and utilities; the
Federal Housing authority for hous-
ing; and the department of the in
terror for grazing and mineral lands
and all surplus goods in Hawaii,
Alaska and Puerto Rico. Then there
Is the Surplus Property administra-
ton presided owe by W. Stuart
Symington, who, as administrator
makes policy, but who has absolute
ly no authority over any Of the 9th
er agencies selling the property.
War Assets Corp. Formed
And to make the confusion more
complete, President Truman. back
in midi October announced the for
nation of the War Assets corpora.
ton to be headed by 1t. Gen. Ed
mund B. Gregory. the quartermas-
ter-general Of the army, to take over
all surplus property from the other
agencies, except the state depart
ment, on November S. Then this
was postponed until December /.
then to January l. and now to Feb
ruary l. The transfer may take
place February l under the powers
the President has under the new
governmental reorganization act.
But still there will be divided au-
thority. with General Gregory acting
as sales manager and Symington as
policy head. but with absolutely no
authority over what Gregory or any,
one else does with War Assets or
poration.
Reason for much Of the confusion
and misunderstanding is this divid-
ed authority. and the fact that no.
where is there an inventory of the
PROPERTY which Is declared surplus.
Whenever, in the opinion Of the
army or the navy. property is no
longer needed. it is turned over to
the various agencies as surplus. The
agencies then put it up for sale.
What happens when a veteran
goes to buy surplus war property?
Say he is in the Philadelphia area.
He travels so or 100 miles to Phila-
delphia to buy a truck. a camera
and another gadget. First thing he
finds out is that some municipality
has priority over him and has taken
all the trucks fit to use. Then he
finds out that there are a hundred
other veterans there ahead of him
bent on the same mission, and fur
Their. that what he expected to buy
for ten cents or less on the dollar
is much higher and is being sold on
a ceiling price fixed by OPA.