MXTERNAL RELATIONS. 137 



8. That to avoid circuitous methods, both officers be em- 

 powered to directly receive and issue material, under the general 

 rules now governing the dealings of the Storekeeper with the 

 outside world. 



9. That the Stock Clerk shall complete both returns of the 

 Executive Officer and the Storekeeper, and that the data from 

 which the returns are compiled be preserved for future reference. 



10. As indicated by the preceding propositions and the ac- 

 companying tables, the two returns would be made on strictly 

 parallel lines, each one being supported by its own abstracts and 

 vouchers, essentially as at present. 



The circumstances suggest the following departures from the 

 details of the present system : 



I. Abstracts B and 5 would be dispensed with as part of the 

 Store Return. The functions of a Storekeeper are only to re- 

 ceive, care for and issue stores. He has nothing whatever to do 

 with fabricating them, nor is he empowered to expend them. 



11. Abstract C should have nothing to do with the cash papers, 

 but would be based on the fly bills invoicing the property actu- 

 ally received by the Storekeeper or his assistants. These bills 

 would be numbered as received in a continuous yearly series, 

 and, without obliterating the original entries the nomenclature 

 of these bills would be plainly altered on the face of them in red 

 ink, so as to correspond with the headings of the returns. The 

 quantities would also be similarly altered to correspond with the 

 numbers and units actually received. 



These bills would be forwarded to Washington for comparison 

 with the Paymaster's vouchers, so as to check the actual objects 

 of his expenditures, as explained Chap. XIV. 



III. Present Abstract 5 would be reserved for actual expendi- 

 tures in fabrication by the foremen. 



IV. Receipts and issues from either return to the other would 

 be borne on Abstracts E and 6 respectively. 



V. Receipts and issues by transfer between classes or condi- 

 tions would be born on Abstracts D and 7 respectively. 



VI. Abstract F would be reserved for articles taken up as found 

 on the post in excess of the quantity called for by either return. 



