Show Smaller Firms Get Most Orders For Army Says MC Chief PHILADELPHIA Feb 4 UPA UPA OB OBA UP- UP A major share of the contracts now in force with the army quartermaster quartermaster quartermaster corps is held by manufacturers manufacturers manufacturers manu manu- with fewer than em em- despite higher costs to the government Major government Major General C C. L L. Corbin acting quartermaster ter tel gen general tal said Thursday The policy was followed even before Congress gave smaller plants first call on war contracts I Corbin told reporters during a atour I tour of ot the huge Philadelphia quartermaster depot The general said he was in accord accord accord ac ac- cord with the idea that guaranteeing guarantee guarantee- ing enough business to small companies companies com com- panics to keep them alive was asocial a asocial asocial social responsibility of the government government government govern govern- ment but noted that it cost money For example he he said the cost of distributing arri army y shoe orders to more companies runs to about a price in-price n price differ differentials n. n V When the quai quaH quartermaster corps was required by la law v to to a award ard contracts con oon- contracts tracts to the lowest bidders four I or five shoe companies almost invariably invariably in invariably in- in variably submitted the lowest figures figUres figures fig fig- ures Corbin said The Q M C also contracts for clothing food tents cooking utensils alls ails and virtually all other supplies supplies supplies sup sup- plies and equipment not purchased by the air all corps signal corps and ordnance department Some manufacturing is done is-done done althe at al atthe atthe the Philadelphia depot and a alother al at t other depots as well but nos ost t supplies are acquired from private private vate ate concerns The Philadelphia d depot pot which handles bandies clothing purchases reported reported re reported re- re ported that 75 per cent of ot th the e clothing contracts now In force are with smaller plants The depot itself concentrates o othe on n the development and testing o 01 of f clothing It has a staff of 27 0 officers and employs more than workers Its factories laboratories laboratories laboratories lab lab- oratories and warehouses cover cove f some me 85 acres i I |