| Show War Surplus Property of Billion Dollars Will Be Made Available to Public i I Some Goods Earmarked I For Farmers Balance to Trade Channels By WALTER A. A SHEAD Washington Corre Correspondent Released by Western Newspaper Union WASHINGTON D. D C. C C. Approximately a half billion dollars worth of I consumer goods from surplus war warI I stocks will wilI be offered for sale during during dur dur- ing the coming year through the medium of the procurement division division division divi divi- sion of the United States treasury treasury treasury treas treas- ury according to reliable sources here Tre Treasury Bury sury procurement however is only one of six governmental agencies agencies agencies agen agen- cies involved in the sale of surplus war properties so the total may run to double that sum The other agencies agencies agencies agen agen- cies are Reconstruction Finance corporation corporation corporation cor cor- and its subsidiaries handling handling handling han han- capital goods lands and war plants War Food administration selling food and foodstuffs the Maritime commission handling all marine equipment the army and navy disposing of materials abroad and certain small stuff here at home and the Federal Housing administration administration adminis adminis- tion which will handle sale of owned government-owned housing Estimates are arc that the total potential value of surplus war properties will run approximately approximately approximately billions of dollars or more than the total sales of Sears Roebuck d company for fora a hundred years ears at their present annual rate of sales During the first six months war properties have been on sale only was realized out of a total declared surplus valued at From this fact it can readily he be seen that sales must be stepped up up considerably if the government government government gov gov- is to realize a high percentage percentage percentage per per- of the appraised value of the property Of the amount already sold receipts were approximately 75 per cent of appraised value For this reason renson treasury procurement procurement procurement procure procure- ment which will handle about 60 per cent of the total declared surplus surplus surplus sur sur- plus is planning increased activity during the coming fiscal year and andis is now asking an appropriation of to virtually double its present personnel of about employees employees employees em em- in its 11 regional offices throughout the country This surplus material will cover every conceivable item of goods and commodities from small hardware items to defense plants and ship ship- I yards It must be borne in mind I however that the government is not in the retail business and the general general general gen gen- eral public is not eligible to purchase purchase pur pur- I chase this stock dir direct ct Farmers to Get Break reak I Intent of the law governing sales of surplus properties is that farmers are to get at least an even break in opportunities to buy the these commodities commodities commodities com com- which are in demand and applicable to farm usage Incases In some cases farmers are given preference For instance the Defense Plant corporation corporation corporation cor cor- a subsidiary of has held several auctions for the particular particular particular par par- benefit of farmers of commodities commodities commodities com com- left over after war plant construction This property included hoes shovels spades paint construction construction construction con con- hardware and other items Treasury procurement too holds some direct auctions of I livestock such as horses and mules for benefit of farmers but otherwise all commodities are I sold through bona fide dealers Any dealer including farm cooperatives cooperatives cooperatives coop coop- hardware stores general general general gen gen- eral stores grain elevators is eligible eligible eligible eligi eligi- ble to bid on any of the commodities ties offered for sale in his region Twice each week treasury procurement procurement procurement procure procure- ment sends out a publication called the S Surplus Reporter from each of the 1 11 If regional offices listing items to be up for sale method of sale etc Dealers can readily be placed on the mailing list by writing to the nearest procurement office in their territory Procurement offices are in the me following cities titles Region Boston I-Boston 1 Boston covering Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island and Vermont Region 2 New York Empire State Slate building covering Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsyl Pennsyl- vania New York and New Jersey Region 3 Washington D D. D C. C C.- C. Covering Del Delaware ware Maryland and North Carolina and nd Virginia Region 4 Cincinnati 4 covering Indiana Indiana Indiana In In- diana Kentucky Ohio and West Vir Vir- ginia Region 5 Chicago 5 N N. N LaSalle street covering Illinois Michigan Minnesota North Dakota South Dakota and Wisconsin Region 6 Atlanta 6 covering Alabama Alabama Alabama Ala Ala- bama Florida Georgia Mississippi pi South Carolina and Tennessee Region 7 Fort 7 Fort Wor Worth h covering Arkansas Louisiana Oklahoma and Texas 3 4 4 4 c G A large number of horses are being sold as surplus Region 8 Kansas 8 City Mo covering covering covering cov cov- ering Iowa Kansas Missouri and Nebraska Region 9 Denver 9 Denver covering Colorado Colorado Colorado Colo Colo- rado New Mexico Utah and Wyoming Wyo Wyo- ming Region 10 San 10 San Francisco 30 Van VanNess VanNess VanNess Ness avenue covering Arizona California California California Cali Cali- fornia and Nevada Region 11 Seattle ll-Seattle Seattle 2005 Fifth Filth avenue avenue ave ave- nue covering Idaho Oregon Montana Montana Montana Mon Mon- tana and Washington Large Assortment Given In advertising the products for sale treasury groups them under eight general heads as ns follows furniture general products machinery automotive automotive automotive auto auto- motive paper and office supplies medical and surgical textiles and wearing apparel and hardware Furniture may include mattresses bedsprings household furniture to office shop beauty parlor barber barbershop barbershop barbershop shop tables stools and numerous other furniture supplies General products may include anything from live animals lamps water coolers lighting fixtures photographic goods storage batteries and thousands thousands' of other items Machinery may include powered trucks tractors agricultural machinery machinery machinery ma ma- chinery and implements farm trailers trailers trailers trail trail- ers farm service tires wagons dairymen's and apiarists apiarists' apiarists apiarists' apiarists apiarists' supplies Automotive includes all sorts of motor vehicles and trucks automo- automo b I s t 3 ca D Surplus army mattresses bile parts and accessories tires motorcycles and and- other automotive equipment One of the largest stocks is surgical surgical surgical cal and medical equipment including including including ing dru drugs s. s Textiles and wearing apparel may include shoes rubber goods shirts raincoats sleeping bags gloves cots cols pins needles and dozens of other articles Other items include thousands of hardware hard articles such as kitchen supplies wire screens nails wheelbarrows pushcarts saddles tableware jewelry musical instruments instruments instruments ments small arms ammunition and others These lists merely give an idea of the thousands of different commodities commodities commodities com com- which w will JJ be offered for sale on bids and important to know know bids bids under ceiling prices which have been fixed by the OPA On some occasions OP OPA A has not fixed a ceiling until after the articles articles articles arti arti- cles have been sold so what happens happens happens hap hap- pens then the treasury doesn't know Even do dons dogs s 's trained in warfare warfare war war- fare are carrier pigeons and monkeys monkeys mon mono keys have been sold as surplus war property A large number of monkeys have been sold to zoos after they have been used by the theair theair theair air corps to test altitude in compression tanks Through these tests the lives of thousands of our aviators have been saved Some of the objectives of the regula regulations regulations regu regu- la lations governing the sale of this tremendous volume of surplus war property as set out by the war properties properties properties prop prop- board seek to foster wide distribution of surplus commodities to consumers at fair prices to achieve prompt and anci full utilization of the property with due regard for the protection of free markets to prevent prevent prevent pre pre- vent dislocation of prices from uncontrolled uncontrolled un un- un- un controlled dumping to avoid dislocations dislocations dislocations dis dis- locations of the domestic economy to encourage and foster postwar employment employment employment em em- opportunities to assure the sale of surplus property in such and on such terms as aswill aswill aswill will discourage disposal to speculators specula specula- tors or for speculative purposes to prevent insofar as possible unusual and excessive profits and to afford returning veterans an opportunity to establish themselves as proprietors of agricultural businesses This last objective brings up the regulations regarding the sale of lands by the All government owned land which is declared surplus surplus surplus sur sur- plus will be offered for sale to the original owner from whom it was purchased by the government at the price paid If sale is not then made it is offered to heirs or assigns Then the property is divided into family sized plots and war veterans are given preference as buyers Thus farmers will have an opportunity opportunity opportunity to buy back their land and if they do not war veterans are given preference Although much of this land is farm land hundreds of acres are arcs included in suburban plots near or adjacent to cities and towns How Farmers Can Act Procedure for farmers to to obtain a military vehicle either truck or automobile is as follows Make applIcation application application ap ap- to your local triple A of of- fice The farm transportation committee committee committee com com- PAW or regional offices are authorized to issue letters letters letters let let- of certification to essential users After the certificate of need has been obtained sales must be negotiated through a dealer who has purchased the vehicles from procurement pro pro- No trucks autos or other vehicles will be sold direct to consumers There has been some complaint from farmers about the indirect method of purchase but the procedure outline is about as direct as possible under the regulations A trip through the sample room of the treasury procurement division division division divi divi- sion in Washington is a revelation Its It's the most amazing collection of commodities imaginable overalls khaki shirts lined fleece-lined sleeping tents and blankets rubber lifeboats for five people rubber and leather overshoes nurses' nurses shoes tarpaulins tarpaulins tarpa u- u lins steel all tool boxes table ware kitchen ware of all aU descriptions medical supplies surgical and dental dental den den- tal instruments snow shoes jungle knives imitation rifles hardware of all descriptions such as nuts bolts chains hooks and metal gadgets saddles signal lights flashlights spotlights steel all-steel boxes which would be suitable for mailboxes or for locking away valuable papers rubber all-rubber suits woolen mittens leather gloves photographers' photographers su sui sUl plies even cameras Patently it is up to the dealers dealers dealers deal deal- ers in the small towns of or under population throughout the country if farmers farmers farmers farm farm- ers arc are to be able to buy this surplus war property The dealer deal deal- er who is alert and watches for the sales dates may be beable beable beable able to lay in a stock of com com- Farm Cooperatives particularly who deal in m most everything t the e farmer needs might well be able to stock up on surplus commodities at prices which would be favorable to their customers or members In an effort to further inform these dealers about prospective sales and commodities for sales the procurement offices in each region region region re re- re- re gion notify newspapers newspapers of an impending im im- pending sale through intermittent releases |
