The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1953-01-30

siderable; certainly the savings in
personnel costs will be consider
able. In other words, we are talking
about savings which 1 suggest will
total $100,0O0,0OO.
Now l wish to call further at
tention to the fact that when the
Bonner subcommittee went into the
investigation of military coffee
roasting plants and distribution
very clearly pointed out that we
were simply using coffee roasting
as an example and a test study;
that there were hundreds of other
civilian type activities that the
military had moved into which
were similar to coffee roasting.
1t is study of the field of what
| personally have termed to be
military socialism. Our committee
had a report prepared which l
trust will be printed for the Mem
bers' benefit by the new Committee
on Governmental Operations. If the
Congress were to completely study
these military activities, l suggest
we would find that the savings to
the taxpayer would be in the bill
lions of dollars. Just 10 operations,
like coffee roasting, cut down, as
the directive of the Department of
Defense has provided, would save
$1,000,000,000. One hundred would
save $10,000,00O,0O0.
But 1 wish to point out the sec
ond to the last paragraph of the
Department of Defense state
ment:
The directive on the roasting and
distribution of coffee is the result
of the first Munitions Board study
undertaken in the supply systems
study project, which project is "to
develop and recommend such
changes to existing organization,
policies, standards, and procedures
governing the supply operations
within the Department of Defense
as will maintain or increase mill
tary effectiveness and produce the
optimum efficiency and economy of
these supply operations from the
initial requirements and resources
planning stage to final consumption
or other disposition.
This is just the first study the
Munitions Board has made. Well,
it is imperative that the Congress
continue to see that these studies
are made. 1t is not unfair to say
that if the Bonner subcommittee
had not been making the study on
coffee roasting nothing would have
been done at all and the 100000
900 saving which we can anticipate
in our present budget would not
be Forthcoming. But in making
this study the first thing necessary
is to require the military to set up
cost-accounting systems so it can
be determined what it actually
costs the Government to engage in
these civilian-type activities. At
the present time the military has
no sound cost-accounting system
for any of these operations and
much of the actual cost is hidden
in general appropriations.
However, l am not taking the
floor to praise the Munitions Board
or the Department of Defense for
the stand they have taken on the
subject of coffee roasting in spite
of the fact that they tell US they
will save approximately 100000
900. Why am l not praising them?
Because, in my opinion, the saving
should be three times that amount.
The pressure from the Bonner sub
committee has produced nothing
more than strategic retreat. The
real answer is the military has no
business whatsoever being in the
coffee roasting and coffee distribu-
ton business.
They give US a lot of CUFF about
the Importance of good coffee to
the morale of the men and the fact
that they cannot get the high quail