The Daily Alaska empire., 1951-10-22
Local Government
 Purchasing Officers Heard by Legislators

eral Services Administration pur- chasing and procurement office in Seattle was expressed at the meet ing of the subcommittee of the House expenditures committee held this morning in the jury room, fed- eral building, with Congressman Bill Lantoff, tD-Fla), presiding, and with Congressmen Charles Brown son, (R-Ind), and Mrs. Cecil liar den R-1ndD, committee members
 Also present were Thomas Kerv nedy, general counsel for the ex- penditures committee, and Ray Ward of the Bureau of the Budget. formerly of the Forest Service in Alaska
 The General Services Adminis- tration, Congressman Lantoff ex- plained, to the representatives of the federal agencies present, had teen established to provide govern mnet agencies with an efficient and economical supply system.
 ''The General Services Administra- tion developed from plans of our committee and we want to express continuing interest in General Services and to improve it's opera ton wherever possible" the chair man said.
 Testimony Is Given
 Present and testifying to the use by their agencies of General Ser vices were Edgar N. Hales, Geo. logical Survey; Marvin Ripke, ad- ministrative officer, Alaska Native Service; Charles Burdick, assistant regional forester, U. s. Forest Ser ice; Vance Blackwell, office engin- ger, Bureau of Public Roads; Milton Furness, administrative officer, Fish and Wildlife Service, E. Robert Haag, supply officer, Alaska Road Commission; s. H. Lorain, Bureau of Mines.
 General Services Administration through it's Seattle office, does the d5mbined purchasing of supplies and equipment for federal offices in the northwest area and all AL aska supplies except for emergency purchases when needed are handled through the office.
 They are doing fine iob," was the expression of agency purchas- ing officers who spend from $25, ,000 to $2,500.000 a year through the Seattle GSA.
 Only problem voiced by witnesses before the committeeman the committee was asking for problems with which to deal-was delay in getting delivery-sometimes serious delays which affected seasonal op- erations of the agencies in Alaska.
 It developed that Alaska purchas- CTS get no jobhers rates through the GSA. Going-rates are paid with a flat surcharge of 6 percent for handling.
 Marine Station
 The question of a possible marine station to be operated in Alaska for use of federal agencies, and to be operated by the GSA was discussed The question was raised by Con- gressman Brownson as whether oi not government work could be done as economically by use of ex- isting commercial facilities. Brown son asked an agency head if in- stallation overhead was figured in his estimate that it cost his service about half as much to do it's owr marine repair work as commercial work would cost.
 We have found situations where economically, the government would be better off to use existing com. mercial facilities than to maintain their own," Brownson commented when he learned no overhead was figured in the agency's costs.
 Another of Brownson's interests was whether Alaska had available any quantities of scrap metal thal might be shipped out for defense purposes. Inquiry indicated that cost of shipping and small quantit. ies available would not justify hand. ling scrap at the present.
 The meeting was adjourned shortly before noon to allow the congressional party to enplane fol Anchorage.