366 ROSA: SCIENTIFIC WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT 



The value of such work is incomparably greater than its cost, 

 and it would be well if all government purchases were as intelli- 

 gently and systematically handled as lamps and paper and cer- 

 tain other products now are. It is proposed to establish a cen- 

 tral purchasing bureau and to have supplies purchased and 

 delivered in wholesale quantities and tested as to quality, instead 

 of ordering small lots separately that cannot be inspected or 

 tested systematically. This would be a long step forward in 

 putting the business of the government on a business basis. 



TEXTILES 



24. The textile industrv- is one of the largest and most impor- 

 tant of our industries and one which concerns every man, woman 

 and child in the country. If textiles were standardized, so that 

 they could be bought and sold on adequate and intelHgent speci- 

 fications, and consumers as well as wholesale and retail dealers 

 could know what they are buying and could get what they pay 

 for, it would be of enormous benefit to all. Suppose the brand 

 or name of every textile product was defined in such a way as to 

 convey precise information, and the same name always meant 

 the same quality. And suppose that dyes were tested and cer- 

 tified, and one could depend on the mark as to their permanence, 

 and were told what conditions they would stand or would not 

 stand. Would it not be worth hundreds of millions of dollars 

 every year to the public to have such information? And would 

 it not be a boon to honest dealers, both wholesale and retail? 

 The only class to be injured by such a situation would be those 

 w^ho thrive by misrepresentation or by selling inferior goods on 

 their appearance without representation. It seems almost 

 certain that money intelligently spent in research and education 

 along the lines indicated would yield results of very great value, 

 and while it would involve some expense and trouble, it would be 

 constructive and wealth-producing and would raise the standards 

 of business. It seems certain that it would be as useful as the 

 grading of lumber, or cattle, or wheat. 



