Evening star., 1960-02-04
Fat in the Defense Budoet

testimony before the Joint Eco
nomic Committee of Congress has made
1t clear that millions, or even billions,
can be cut from the Nations defense bill
without taking dollar from funds
earmarked for missiles or other mill
tary hardware" In fact, the money
saved by elimination Of budgetary fat
might well be used to buy more military
strength.
We refer to disclosures of continued
waSteful duplication of services in the
logiStical field by the various armed
forces. According to competent wit
nesseS before the committee, the de-
fense agencies have made little progress
in eliminating duplication and over
tapping of many supply and related
services since the Hoover Commission
called for Capitalization of procurement
and supply activities. 1t has been esti-
mated by members of the Hoover Com
mission that some 50 billion might be
saved the taxpayers by Capitalization.
Controller General Joseph Campbell
cited to the committee a number of
glaring examples of blind buying and
selling by military departments that, but
for action by his office, would have cost
the Government millions of dollars, I'm
one caSe," he said, eve found that dur
ing the Sameoperiod one service had a
long supply and excess of aircraft en-
gines and accessory parts available for
interService use, while another service
was placing orders for identical items"
In another case the Army planned to
buy helicopter parts from private indus
try, although the Air Force had more
than $6 million worth of the same items
left over from reduced program.
One of the persuasive critics of mill
tary waste was Perry NJ Shoemaker.
railroad president and vice chairman of
the Committee of Hoover Commission
Task Force Members. He pointed out
that although Congress has authorized
the Defense Department to integrate
supply functions, as recommended by
the Hoover Commission, military off,
cialS seem reluctant to use the authority.
Their only move so far, the committee
was told, has been to set up a "single
manager" system for procurement of
few items used in common by the three
services. Under this system one branch
will purchase food or clothing or
fuel or medical supplies for the other
brancheS-but without information as
to present stocks, usage rates or other
important details Richard Newman, a
staff member of the congressional COM
mittee, stressed that the particular
service doing the buying cannot evalu-
ate requests or take steps to redistribute
excess stocks and reduce inventory in
vestments."
Defense officials pointed to the
Single manager" system as proof of
their concern over waste and their de-
sire to cooperate in reducing over
tapping Of housekeeping activities. But
Mr.. Shoemaker and other witnesses de-
clared that this was only first STEP"
temporary expedient" that is not a
real substitute for a permanent central
1zation of purchasing and distribution
functions in the Defense Department.
And If, as the Hoover task force of out
standing businessmen and other spe-
cialiSts has asserted, billions of defense
dollars are being wasted through unco-
ordlnated procurement and supply man.
agement, it is time to put military buy
Ing on buSineSslike basis and use the
savings to build up our tagging weapons
arsenal.