CSC Class.Pos.Stds.for Realty Asst. GS-1172-9, (Nov 49) and by reference to job of Chief, Shops Supply, CS-10, in OQHG Guide for Eval. of Key Jobs, Engr.Depot Maint.Div., dated 10-13-49.

Notifies

Headquarters National Production Authority, of availability of aluminum, lead, and batteries. Holds such materials pending distribution instructions since items of this sort are not offered for public sale. Subsequently, receives returned listing and ascertains current market prices to be charged those firms designated by the NPA for awards of the scrap material, prior to making shipment Carefully reviews all items offered for public salo to make certain that terms and conditions cited on the reverse side of the standard form 114, "Government Property Invitation to Bid and Acceptance", also apply to those items involved in the immediate sale. Additional terms, conditions and instructions as considered necessary by incumbent, are preparod as supplements to standard form. 114. Forwards listing to Headquarters 5th Army for circularizing educational institutions entitled to take up surplus items under the donation privilege. Subsequently, receives returned listing and has sale announcement, with any special conditions deened appropriate attached thereto, circulated to prospective bidders in locality or on a nation-wide basis when deemed advisable. Displays property to prospective bidders, and answers questions regarding approximate weights, general condition, kinds of metals, etc. Whan sealed bids are received, accumulates them until closing date, and then directs public opening of the bids. Seos that currency and checks, submitted as deposits by bidders, are listed on schedule of collections and turned in to Finance Officer.. Has abstract of bids prepared, and identifies high bidders. Has high bidders checked against list of disbarred bidders. Personally makes awards on bids of $2,000 or less, and sees that successful bidders are notified. Forwards abstrac to 5th Army for approval of awards over $2,000. Has refund vouchers made up for return of deposits to unsuccessful bidders. Rejects all bids made by officials and/or employees of the Department of the Army, both civilian and military

3. Arranges for re-utilization of property by government agencies: Throughout the process of property disposal, seeks means for returning property to military usage instead of selling it to the public. In this connection, sees that items received are checked against CLASSIFICATION OF RETURNED EXCESS QUARTERMASTER SUPPLIES to determine whether repair of such items for return to stock is authorized, and if so transfers them to Depot Maintenance Division. Circulates listings of property on hand to Fort Knox and Camp Atterbury, together with information as to possible uses for the items, and subsequently displays property to representatives of those establishments. Volume of such property put back into use averages between 1,000,000 and 1,500,000 pounds per year.

4.

5.

Job No. 1812 (Rev.) Conducts negotiated spot sales of salvage: Occasionally, as directed by higher headquarters, conducts spot sales of property at nearby installations, such as the Jefferson Proving Grounds, ladison, Indiana. Travels to cite of sale to familiarize self with the kind of material to be offered, looks up prospective bidders and salvage dealers in the surrounding area, arranges with installation officials for display of property, and telephones invitations to dealers to attend the sale. Negotiates sale of the property on the spot, determining whether offers provide a reasonable return, and making final awards on bids of 32,000 or less. On bids over $2,000 obtains written offer and 20% deposit from bidder, and forwards bid to 5th Army for approval. When approved, has contract drawn up and forwarded to bidder.

Performs a variety of other tasks, such as the following: Supervises reclama-
tion of used lumber and its return to depot use, and the cash sale of kindling
and wood boxes. Reclaimed lumber averages between 100,000 and 200,000 board
feet per year, and kindling sales range up to $75 per day. As directed by Depot
Commander, cooperates with civic and industrial groups engaged in reclamation
and conservation programs, including the release of pertinent scrap, salvage
and surplus property information and furnishing free access to unclassified
areas in the interest of scrap and salvage drives. Attends conferences at 5th
Army Headquarters, during which new or proposed salvage and surplus property
regulations and policies aro discussed. Personally participates in open forum
discussions regarding methods of operation in the Salvage Branch. Investigates
specific problems with the end in view of overcoming deficiencies brought to
light by audits of Salvage Branch operations or comparisons with such opera-
tions at, other installations. When purchases of salvage of surplus property
claim that material received is not the same as that bid for, or that totals
of articles released by Depot are not in agreement with documented amounts,
etc., conducts thorough investigation into allegations made. Notifies bidder
of findings and either approvos or disapproves the claim. If isapproved,
forms buyer of his appellate privileges, including the responsibility for
supplying required evidence to substantiate the claim. Upon receipt of this
detailed evidence, incumbont again reviews the case and if still disapproved,
submits a complete statement of findings to higher authority, together with
data furnished by the purchaser. Claimant is notified through OQIG of conclu-
sions reached, with copy of same routed to incumbent.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Miscellaneous Services Office, Salvage Branch

Mr. IKARD. What is your opinion of having the authority right here to sell items below a given cash value, say $100, small items, or small lots, and to merchandise them freely?

Do you think some plan along that line would have any merit to it, where you did not process it through your normal channels, so far as paperwork was concerned, where the items were below a certain value, moneywise?

Mr. KASTER. To do that you would have to bypass your educational group. Now, that, I cannot do. That would have to be determined at a higher level that they would be bypassed. If that were possible, then on your small lots you could merchandise them and, as the General suggested, put a few simple items out and say these are on sale or will be on sale beginning at such and such a date.

But if you are going to follow your present regulations and in giving your educational agencies a chance to withdraw it, then it may be withdrawn before you put it up for sale.

Mr. IKARD. I realize the problem from your standpoint with regard to the educational agencies. The question I was asking is whether or not you think you could do a better job selling on the small lots by being able to merchandise them that way.

Mr. KASTER. I hardly think there are any of us who would not be glad to buy certain items that come up either on a sealed bid invitation, in which case we are not authorized to do it, but there are any

41957-54-26

number of people here who would go in and purchase and I think they would give us more than we could get from bids.

Mr. COTTER. That makes trouble, too.

Mr. KASTER. There is always a fault there of collusion.

Mr. IKARD. You are apt to get collusion in anything.

Mr. KASTER. That is true. You hardly ever receive the same type of items in the same condition. The same item in a worse condition than another will have a different price. Your paperwork on your retail sales will increase, but it does have some merit to it.

Mr. MORRIS. Would you like to run through these particular sales and describe them?

Mr. KASTER. I forgot to mention on sale No. 19 that there were 408 bidders who sent in invitations to bid.

Mr. BALWAN. How many replies were there?

Mr. KASTER. That has not been opened yet. We do have that information on certain others.

Mr. MORRIS. That No. 19 included roughly 56 miscellaneous items, including such things as an ice-cream can, butcher's cleavers, metal dipper, coffee grinder, meat hooks, 780 horseshoes, quite a few gasoline and kerosene lanterns.

All of these we will be able to see. The property is still physically here.

There is a bakery oven and some baking utensils, several electric and gas ranges, six refrigerators and some miscellaneous items including military saddles and saddle soap.

Mr. RIEHLMAN. It seemed to me that they pretty well tie in, other than the saddles and saddle soap. Those would run into a category where one particular dealer might be interested in the whole field, and they would tie into a supply man of some kind if he wanted to use it, to rebuild it.

Mr. KASTER. We have approximately 200 bidders who are interested in everything. So, in addition to those bidders, then we go through our catalog grouping on each item, each sale.

Mr. COTTER. Are 99 percent of your buyers junk dealers?

Mr. KASTER. No.

Mr. COTTER. What percentage would it run to, roughly?

Mr. KASTER. I would say there wouldn't be over 50 percent that are junk dealers in the term that we consider it, having a junkyard. Most of them have these surplus stores. That I would not class as a junk dealer. They may buy certain types of junk, but as far as having it in a junkyard or in a store, I would say "Not."

Mr. COTTER. Do you get much interest from any of your national or distant surplus outfits, or is it just local?

Mr. KASTER. Most of the furniture, the gas and electric ranges and refrigerators, it is mostly local because the transportation problem is so great. But on your textiles, they come from all over, California, New York, Milwaukee, Chicago, and so forth.

Mr. COTTER. Do those people have a local representative who comes in and represents them?

Mr. KASTER. I would say that 95 percent of them either come and inspect, or someone from their place comes in and inspects. General MARSHALL. Not necessarily local?

Mr. KASTER. No.

Mr. COTTER. I wondered if there was enough business flowing out of here that it paid them to keep a local representative who appraised them.

Mr. KASTER. No; because on any great quantities they know definitely what they want it for, and rather than tell someone else who will get in there and bid, they usually come in here. We are trying to arrange it so that when a bidder comes in, to attract the California or New York or the out-of-town bidders, that they can inspect 3 or 4 sales on 1 visit. We are trying to get enough in the offing that they will be able to see 3 or 4 sales.

Mr. COTTER. Do you get any problem merchandise dumped on you that, as a last resort, you put it in the sanitary dump?

Mr. KASTER. No.

Mr. COTTER. Haven't you put any merchandise in the sanitary dump?

Mr. KASTER. Very little. We had some water purification tablets that had lost their strength and we reported it through channels, and it was destroyed. We make an honest effort on almost anything to get rid of it, even if we can offer it as so many pounds of scrap furniture.

Colonel SEALS. We went into the possibility of having the bottles emptied on that water purification tablet deal, but we found out that it cost too much to try to empty the bottles.

Mr. RIEHLMAN. Are there any more questions on the sale we were talking about?

Mr. MORRIS. That was bid No. 19. That was not yet opened.
Mr. KASTER. No; that is scheduled on the 23d of October.

Mr. RIEHLMAN. What is the next number here?

Mr. MORRIS. We have one more which was mailed but not opened, invitation No. 18.

(Abstract of bids received in response to invitation for bids No. 12-036-S-54-18, see appendix 4, p. 797.)

JEFFERSONVILLE ARMY QUARTERMASTER DEPOT EXHIBIT No. 8

In compliance with the above invitation, and subject to all the General Sale Terms and Conditions and any special conditions, the undersigned offers and agrees, if this bid be accepted within. calendar days (60 calendar days if no period be specified by the bidder) after date of the opening, to purchase any or all of the items described herein upon which prices are quoted, at the price set opposite each item. Bid deposit in the amount of $. BIDDER REPRESENTS: (1)

is enclosed.

SIGNATURE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN THIS BID

TITLE