Officer in charge of delivery branch, Lieut. Col. H. S. Durant. Officer in charge, Capt. A. B. Nash. Assistant, Capt. C. S. Hayes. Transportation section-Inland Traffic Service, Mr. C. E. Denney. Inspection section, Capt. F. W. Hatten. Interbureau section, Capt. A. J. Allen. Tabulations and statistics section, Mr. R. N. McGuire. Principal clerk, Mr. J. N. McLeod. Contractor officer, Capt. C. M. Foster. COMMENTS AND CONCLUSIONS. In considering the procurement of materials by the Construction Division, it is to be noted that the method of purchasing differed from that usually used by the purchasing department of a large corporation. The terms of the Contract for Emergency Work required that all materials should be purchased and paid for by the contractor, who then submitted receipted vouchers for which the Government was to reimburse him. It was the duty of the procurement division to obtain material from the manufacturer or bureau capable of supplying it at a satisfactory price and to arrange for its quick delivery. When these arrangements were made the contractor was notified where and at what price to place his purchase order. The procurement division also sent inspectors to the various plants, obtained cars and expedited shipments. Generally, material was not directly purchased or paid for by the Government. As previously stated, in purchasing material for the construction of the cantonments and National Guard camps, the Cantonment Division dealt with the manufacturer or producer. At that time the Priorities Committee, Priorities Board, War Industries Board, Department of Purchase and Supply, Inland Traffic Service, and other Government war service bureaus and agencies which were later found necessary had not been organized. In October, 1917, the Secretary of War decided that the Cantonment Division should be continued and act as the Construction Division for all Army work in the United States, and it was necessary to enlarge the duties of the procurement division and to employ experts to aid in procuring materials and equipment of a technical character. During the fall of 1917, and the early spring of 1918, new conditions and problems arose due to the large demands made upon the markets, industries, and transportation facilities, causing on the railroads an inadequate supply of labor and an insufficient and rapidly decreasing fuel supply. This situation necessitated governmental supervision of procureent, mobilization of industries, and regulation of transportation and fuel distribution. The industries were thereafter gradually taken under the supervision of the Government, and the procurement division ceased to deal direct with manufacturers and abandoned its organization for the placing of orders. Under this arrangement the procurement division obtained authority to purchase by submitting bills of material to the clearance committee of the War Industries Board through the Department of Purchase and Supply of the Purchase, Storage, and Traffic Division. After approval it was necessary to request the several commodity committees of the War Industries Board for an assignment of an order to a manufacturer able to make the required delivery without interference with orders placed by other bureaus. Early in the summer of 1918 the War Department decided to organize and consolidate procurement. The several bureaus of the Army had previously purchased their supplies independently under the supervision of the War Industries Board, and competed with each other in purchasing and bargaining with the same manufac turers for prices and priority of delivery. To eliminate this difficulty the Department of Purchase and Supply was organized, with the Director of Purchase, Storage and Traffic in charge. This consolidation made it necessary for bureaus to place orders for various commodities and equipment through the War Department bureaus which were designated as the procuring bureaus therefor. Under this revised plan the procurement division of the Construc tion Division became the Government bureaus' agency for securing cement, lumber, millwork, plumbing supplies, building materials electrical equipment and supplies, building hardware, refrigerating machinery, structural steel, gravel, crushed stone, and sand. The Construction Division was, however, required to procure some commodities from other bureaus of the War Department, as railway equipment, rope, telephone equipment, automobiles, machine tools. paints and varnishes, hand tools, vehicles, etc. As stated before. there were service bureaus in Washington which controlled the manufacture of certain commodities, and it was necessary to secure through these bureaus such materials as lumber, millwork, hollow building tile, cement, wall board, brick, lead, automatic sprinkler systems, steel wire and cable, cast-iron pipe, and electrical supplies. As already stated, where the supply was inadequate it was neces sary before purchasing to get clearance of material through the clearance committee of the War Industries Board. The following is a partial list of the commodities subject to clearance: Compressors. copper and lead, drawing instruments, electric cable, electric generators, electrical supplies, hardware, iron and steel, linoleum, lumber. motors, oakum, plumbing and heating supplies, power equipment, pumps, transformers, turbines, typewriters. The material supplied by the procurement division during the 18 months from June 15, 1917, to December 15, 1918, was valued at $245,115,443.10. Some details are as follows: Cement.-6,181,194 barrels, costing $13,723,153, weighing 2,472,477,600 pounds, and requiring 36,148 cars. This would make a train about 300 miles in length. Brick. 325,783,400 brick, costing $2,631,799, and requiring 15,730 cars. Lumber.-2,880,000,000 feet, comprising yellow pine, fir, hemlock and other wood, costing $74,888,000, and, estimating 20,000 feet to the car, requiring 144,000 cars. This would make a train about 1,200 miles in length. Millwork. Costing $15,000,000 and requiring 7,500 cars. Steel. Totaling 64,000 tons and requiring 2,560 cars. During the four months' period from July 1, 1918, to November 2, 1918, the procurement division purchased material costing $94,294,099.90, or, excluding Sundays, at the rate of $906,674.04 daily. SECTION 29. ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION. DUTIES. The administrative division institutes the fundamental standards and policies for the general administrative work of the division. In this connection it Establishes and approves all labor rates and supervises all labor matters and conditions at all projects and passes upon agreements in connection therewith, receiving labor delegations and adjusting wages. Cooperates with the War Labor Policies Board, the Emergency Construction Wage Commission, and the General Wage Conference. Compiles and records all labor rates, conditions, and agreements. Studies matters of organization and prepares reports concerning improvements in methods and coordinations among the various functions of the work. Compiles from the various records all statistics covering cost and other special matters required in connection with reports to other branches of the War Department. Supervises all matters connected with the employment, pay, and separation from service of civilian employees. Attends to the issue of all travel orders for officers and civilians. Keeps all records of the officers assigned to duty with the division. Supervises clerical routine, records, files, mail and messenger service. Conducts a publicity section for the preparation and release of all information or data for publication. Conducts a section for the promotion of patriotism among the working men by giving them correct information on the reason for our being at war and the attitude of the Government with relation to labor. Maintains a section to cooperate with any advisory civilian or military committees that may be formed for the purpose of studying the organization or the work performed by the division. OFFICE PROCEDURE. The administrative division maintains a number of sections, the names and functions of which are as follows: The industrial service section handles all matters relative to labor arising out of the construction work of the division. Among specific matters it Establishes all schedules of labor rates and prepares same for approval of the War Department representatives on the War Labor Policies Board in accordance with War Department General Order No. 58, series 1918. Supervises all labor matters pertaining to wages, hours, and conditions at all construction projects. Receives and deals with labor delegations. Adjusts wages in cooperation with the War Labor Policies Board and the Emergency Construction Wage Commission and the General Wage Conference. Compiles and records labor rates, conditions, and agreements. The work is subdivided geographically into the following units: North Atlantic unit: Includes the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, South Atlantic unit: Includes the States of Virginia, North Carolina, South Southern unit: Includes the States of Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Central unit: Includes the States of Missouri, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Southwestern unit: Includes the States of Texas and New Mexico. Western unit: Includes the States of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arizona, Minnesota, Idaho, Nevada, California, Oregon, and Washington. The labor procurement section cooperated with the United States Employment Service in obtaining labor for the projects of the Construction Division and, in conjunction with the building division, established the priority of labor demand at various projects. It was also charged with the importation of labor from foreign countries and the island possessions of the United States. Under this section are the following units: Distribution unit: Having to do with the movement of labor from one project to another. Importations unit: Takes charge of the transportation of the supply of labor brought in temporarily from insular possessions or foreign sources. Field service unit: Studies administration details involved in the use of foreign labor. The office service section has direct charge of the following units omprising general office necessities: File and record unit: Has custody of and is responsible for the general records of the Construction Division. Mail unit: Takes charge of the handling, distribution, and collection of incoming and outgoing mail. Telegraph unit: Handles all telegrams in and out of the division. Information unit: Receives visitors and directs them to proper officers. Messenger unit: Maintains a messenger service for the general use of the division. Mimeograph and multigraph unit: Produces all mimeograph and multigraph work for the division. Property and supplies unit: Procures and maintains the necessary office furniture and supplies for the needs of the division and purchases all printing or special requirements. Is property officer for the division and keeps all necessary records in connection therewith. The organization and methods section advises on all matters elating to the organization or methods employed in the division. t prepares general reports to other bureaus and to the General Staff, and maintains a general record of construction projects underaken by the division. Under this section are the following units: Project unit: Prepares and maintains lists giving the essential information with regard to the various projects of the division in accordance with Supply Circular No. 90 from the office of the Director of Purchase, Storage, and Supply. Statistical unit: Develops and prepares statistical tables and charts presenting the general facts regarding the work of the Construction Division, such as labor conditions, progress of work, authorizations and allotment of funds. Forms unit: Studies all forms and suggests changes in their general make-up and combinations with other forms so as to conform to generally approved standards. Bulletin unit: Issues all office orders and office memoranda for circulation among the officers of the division and maintains proper files and index of same. The patriotic promotion section combats tendencies to discouragement among the workmen from enemy or socialistic propaganda by mass meetings, pictures, and other forms of publicity. Under this section are the following units: Speakers' unit: Covers all larger jobs with speakers who, with the assistance of |