Evening star., 1949-02-14
Hoover
Continued From First Page.)

Is Spe0C LOT supplies LOT tIle mll4-
tary and civilian agencies.
Property in storage is valued at
$27. .000, 100000.
The Government spends more
than $1,o00,000.000 a year for
property transportation. which re-
presents about a tenth Of car
rier revenues.
Nearly 10000 employees work
In supply operations and they re-
ceive $440 .00o, 900 in salaries.
The commission estimated that
{, 10 per cent Of all stocks now held
by Federal agencies are in excess
of need. 1t said that in some cases
50-year stockpiles have been
amassed.
Both commission and task
force reports 90 into the deficien-
cies of present supply operations.
The task force said "the problem
of supply is treated all too casual
ly" by the Government. The
commission reported:
"One of the major weaknesses
in Federal purchasing stems from
the lack OF any central body 10
co ordinate Government pur-
chasing activities. Small agen-
cies buy for themselves, although
the volume Of their purchases
does not permit the employment
of a competent staff. In common
use items, consolidated orders for
several agencies by a single pur-
chasing officer would achieve
large savings.
The Bureau of Federal Supply.
which was established as the GEN.
tral supply organization. has in
sufficient funds to purchase. on a
centralized basis. A properly Or
ganized central supply service
could almost completely eliminate
purchasing Offices in the smaller
agencies.
The task force reported that
the rather hating and inef-
fective efforts of the Bureau Of
Federal Supply formerly the
Procurement Division) is,
in part, traceable to its lack of a
clear-cut mandate from Congress,
and also,' Ia part. to- its location
as a bureau in the Treasury De-
partment."
Fears Lack of Support.
The bureau is described as con-
stantly haunted by the fear the
Treasury will not back UP its pol
icies against protests from other
agencies.
Centralized supply operations,
according to the task force, still
await a fair trial after IA years
Of bungling administration and
uncertain leadership" in the Bu-
reau of Federal Supply. Although
the report said the bureau is not
wholly at fault, having inherited
an unsatisfactory situation, it
found it blameworthy for having
allowed the situation to continue.
Morale is described as low. disci-
pline nonexistent and policies
evanescent.
The bureau that the commits
sion would set up would be pri-
marliy, but not exclusively, for
policy-making and coordination
of procurement and other supply
functions for the executive depart
ments. 1t would assign RESPONSE
billty for the purchase and stor-
age of commodities peculiar to the
use of an agency to the agency
best suited for that purpose. 1t
would also designate certain
agencies to purchase specified
supplies for all agencies, and it
would award contracts to sellers
Of items in common use.
One Of the major recommended
tions in regard to supplies that
the commission made is that civil
lian and military supply opera
tions be co-ordinated. The COM
mission also urged the amend
ment of the National Security
Act of 1947 to strengthen the De-
fense Secretary's authority so that
"he may integrate the organiza-
ton and procedures of the various
phases Of supply" Of the armed
services.
Policy Unit Urged.
The COORDINATION of civilian
and military supply would be
through a Supply Policy Commit
tee, not formalized by statute but
serving at the pleasure Of the
President. There are many items
Of common use, such as medical
supplies. where purchase and stor-
age by one or the other (but not
BOTH would result in major saw
inys, according to the commits
sion.
The commission said it would
be the function of the policy COM