sively. Even more interesting, however, is the fact that only 7 percent of all the municipalities surveyed fail to make any use of written specifications, and these are restricted to the smallest population groups. Table 16 shows a breakdown by population groups of the extent to which specifications are used by these municipalities in purchasing supplies and equipment.

TABLE 16.—Extent to which municipalities use written specifications in purchasing supplies and equipment

1 This city reports that "written specifications are compiled and advertisements made only when purchase exceeds $500."

Formulation of Standards and Specifications.

The great majority of the municipalities reporting indicate that the central purchasing agency, where one exists, has the responsibility of formulating the standards and specifications used in the purchasing of commodities. Sixteen percent report that standards and specifications are formulated by using departments, four percent report that specifications are prepared by a special committee set up for that purpose, and six percent use Federal Specifications exclusively. In those cases where special committees have been created they are usually composed of the purchasing agent, if any, a representative of the city engineering department, and a technician or chemist connected with the city testing laboratory. The city of St. Louis, Missouri, reports that its standards and specifications are formulated by a "Board of Standardization." 12 This Board is composed of the city comptroller, the supply commission, and the president of the board of public service (the membership of which board includes, in addition to the president, the directors of the departments of public utilities, streets and sewers, public welfare, and public safety). Several municipalities report, incidentally, that the establishment of special committees for the formulation of standards and written specifications is now under way. Table 17 shows, by population groups, the general practices with regard to the formulation of standards and specifications.

12 The work of the Board of Standardization of Department of Purchase, city of New York, was not reported in this survey.

1 "Board of Standardization" (see explanation in text).

This city reports that specifications are prepared "by the purchasing agent, also by using departments and, when necessary, by both." In one case specifications are formulated by "the purchasing agent, the engineering department, and the eity chemist;" in the other city, jointly by the using department and the purchasing agent. Specifications are formulated in these cities as follows: (a) By purchasing agent subject to approval of "board of contract and purchase;" (b) by engineering and purchasing departments; (c) by the using departments and the purchasing agent; (d) same; (e) by the purchasing committee of the city council and the head of the department involved; (f) by the purchasing agent and the head of the department involved. Specifications formulated in these cities as follows: (a) By the engineering department and the purchasing agent; (b) by the department head, the purchasing agent, and the city manager; (c) by the engineerng department in all cases where structural requirements are involved, and by the purchasing agent in all other cases.

Only seven municipalities in this population group gave information on this point. Percentages here Even are figured on basis of these seven replies. Specifications formulated in these four municipalities as follows: (a) By the city council; (b) same; (c) by a committee of the city council and the purchasing agent; (d) same.

Commodities for Which Specifications Have Been Prepared.

Many of the cities reporting indicate that written specifications have been prepared by them to cover nearly every type of commodity commonly purchased for municipal use. The following is only a partial list of the commodities for which written specifications have been prepared by one or more of the municipalities replying to the questionnaire:

Use of Specifications Prepared by the Federal Government and National Trade or Technical Associations.

Of the 52 municipalities replying to the question concerning the use of specifications of the Federal Government and national trade or technical associations, about 80 percent used these specifications for one or more purposes. The replies indicate that extensive use of specifications prepared by the Federal Government, as well as those prepared by national trade and technical associations, is made in at least two important respects-first, as guides for the preparation by municipalities of their own written specifications, and, second, as the specifications actually used for requisitioning municipal supplies and commodities. Some cities report that they try to incorporate in their own specifications those of the Federal Government plus those of trade or technical associations so as to make the local specifications, as one city purchasing agent termed it, "liberal yet positive." On the other hand, 6 cities report that they make very little use of either specifications prepared by the Federal Government or those of national trade or technical associations because of the fact that there are "too many local conditions prevailing." Table 18 shows the breakdown by population groups.

TABLE 18.-Extent to which municipalities use specifications of Federal Government and of national trade or technical associations

Municipalities reporting use of specifications of Federal Government and
of national trade or technical associations

Munici palities

never

using

such

spec

ifica

pur

tions

633300

10 24

6

15

11

Testing for Compliance With Specifications.

If the replies to the questionnaire may be accepted as indicative of the trend throughout the country, it would seem that American municipalities are now resorting to extensive use of tests to determine whether samples of commodities submitted with bids, and supplies and equipment actually delivered after purchase, comply with the representations made by the vendors.

Of the 47 municipalities replying to the question concerning the use of tests, only 7, or 15 percent, report that they never test commodities after delivery to ascertain if they conform to specifications. However, 14 municipalities, all of which have less than 100,000 population, report that they do not make tests regularly but only at infrequent intervals, or, as 1 purchasing agent states, only "when we are suspicious." Several others regularly test only a few special items, such as coal, fire hose, gasoline, and oils of all kinds. It is significant, however, that all but one of the cities of over 100,000 population reporting regularly test all purchases for compliance with specifications, and that one tests all "coal, gasoline, oils, soaps, chemicals, and building materials" and also other commodities "when deemed necessary." Table 19 shows, by population groups, the extent to which the municipalities, from which information was obtained, make use of tests to determine whether purchases comply with specifications and with the representations made by the vendors.

TABLE 19.-Use of tests by municipalities to determine compliance with

This city reports that "coal, gasoline, oils, soaps, chemicals, and building materials are all tested; other commodities tested only when deemed necessary."

"

Even in the matter of samples submitted with bids a large percentage of municipalities report that tests are regularly made, at least on all major items, to determine compliance with specifications. Nearly all cities of over 100,000 population from which information was received report that samples submitted with bids are tested in all cases where compliance with specifications cannot be accurately determined merely by personal inspection and measurements. All cities of over 100,000 population report that tests of samples are made. Only 3 cities in the population group between 30,000 and 100,000 report that tests are never made. Of the 13 cities surveyed with populations ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 only 1 reports that no tests are made, while in the smallest population group (5,000 to 10,000) only 3 of the 7 municipalities reporting state that tests of samples are never made.

In conducting such tests wide use of college, State, and private or commercial testing laboratories is made, and 1 city in close proximity to Washington, D. C., reports that tests which cannot be made by the city laboratory "are made at the National Bureau of Standards." Several cities report that arrangements have been made with the State highway department to test certain supplies and equipment,

especially road and street construction materials, purchased for the department of public works. While nearly all of the cities of more than 100,000 population maintain some kind of testing laboratory, the smaller municipalities, for the most part, depend upon the facilities of private or commercial laboratories or those of colleges and universities. Moreover, most of those cities which maintain their own laboratories make some use of private or college laboratories, either for the conducting of tests requiring more facilities than are provided at the city laboratory or for the making of tests so that the results may be compared with those obtained at the city laboratory. Three cities in the 10,000 to 30,000 population group report that the laboratory facilities maintained by the State highway department are used for testing certain kinds of supplies, chiefly road and street construction and maintenance materials. Another city in this same population group reports an arrangement which many other municipalities may find possible for local application. This city advises that much use is made of the laboratory facilities of a local hospital which is maintained jointly by the city and the State. Table 20 presents detailed information concerning the ownership of testing laboratories which municipalities of various population groups use in testing supplies and equipment.

TABLE 20.-Ownership of testing laboratories used by municipalities

1 This city reports that tests which cannot be made in the city's own laboratory are made at the National Bureau of Standards.

2 One of these cities reports that some use is made of the laboratory facilities of the local hospital which is owned jointly by the city and the State; the other three report that arrangements have been made with the State highway department to test certain road and street construction and maintenance materials.

Of the 6 cities with more than 500,000 population which were included in this survey, 3 report that their city laboratories are equipped to make "nearly all kinds" of tests of commodities and materials purchased for municipal use. Another city reports that tests are made at the city laboratory "on nearly everything except fire brick and complex electrical goods." The fifth city reports that "building materials and foods" only are tested at the city laboratory, while the sixth tests "building materials only" at the city's testing laboratory.

Of the 5 cities surveyed in the population group ranging from 200,000 to 500,000, 1 does not maintain a testing laboratory and 2 others are equipped to make chemical tests only at their city laboratories. The other 2 report that their city-maintained laboratories are prepared to make "nearly all kinds" of tests.