TABLE XXXVI-DETAILED STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND EXPENSES OF THE OPEN AIR SCHOOL LUNCH ROOMS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1917-1918.

In this statement payments made during fiscal year 1917-1918. which should apply on previous year's business, have been deducted, and payments made since the close of the books, June 30, 1918, and which pertain to the business of the fiscal year 1917-1918 have been added.

ANNUAL REPORT

OF THE

SUPPLY COMMISSIONER

FOR FISCAL YEAR 1917-1918

St. Louis, Mo., October 8, 1918.

To the Board of Education of the City of St. Louis.
Gentlemen:

In accordance with Rule 3, Section 9, of the Board, I beg to submit herewith a report of the business of this Department for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1918.

Respectfully submitted,

E. M. BROWN,

Supply Commissioner.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SUPPLY COMMISSIONER.
FOR FISCAL YEAR 1917-18.

The following report is submitted in two main sections, the first covering a general resume of exceptional phases of the department work during the year and the second dealing with statistical reports arranged by titles as follows:

II

III

I Delivery of New Stock out of Supply Department Depository.
School Lunch Rooms.

Bookbindery.

IV Transportation of Pupils.

V Text Books lost or destroyed on account of Contagious Diseases.
VI Text Books Condemned and returned for Rebinding.

VII Cost per Pupil-Various Supplies.

VIII

Text Books in Usable Condition in the Schools.

IX Statement Showing Expenditures of Accounts Handled by the
Department.

PURCHASE AND DELIVERY OF SUPPLIES.

The past fiscal year has been exceptional in many ways. The purchasing of the great volume of supplies, books, etc., needed for use in the schools has been handicapped by congested freight conditions, and our inability to secure prompt shipment on some of our contracts due to the fact that so many of the factories are busy filling orders for war work. The contractors have been slow in filling their orders on this account. Delivery of materials to the schools from stock has also been somewhat handicapped, owing to bad weather during the past winter and to the shifting of the help in the warehouse caused by the demands of the draft. Regardless of this handicap, we have been able to keep the schools supplied with all the essential articles needed for the operating of the school system.

It was found necessary, with the approval of the Board, to insert in our specifications and contracts a "war clause," both for the protection of bidders and the Board. At no time during the past fiscal year was it found necessary to use this clause in settlement of any litigation over contract deliveries. The clause follows:

"In the event that during the existence of a state of war the United States Government takes over the plant of any manufacturer with whom the contractor has theretofore contracted to furnish the articles referred to in this agreement, or any essential elements thereof, and in the event that because of such action of the Government the contractor is unable to furnish and deliver the articles referred to in this

agreement and cannot obtain them elsewhere, then and in
these events the contractor may furnish proof of said facts
to the Supply Commissioner, who shall thereupon conclu-
sively determine whether such facts exist, and if such facts
are so found by the Supply Commissioner to exist, the con-
tractor shall have the right to cancel this agreement by no-
tice in writing delivered to the Supply Commissioner within
ten days after the date of the finding of the Supply Commis-
sioner."

BEN BLEWETT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL.

The Ben Blewett Junior High School was opened last fall on very short notice and equipped sufficiently to enable the school to open on time, notwithstanding the fact that no provision could be made in our Annual Letting for Supplies in the spring to take care of this school.

TECHNICAL TRAINING CLASSES.

Last spring the Board made a contract with the United States Government to take care of a number of drafted men in technical training at the Central, Soldan and Ben Blewett Junior High Schools. These classes have been supplied with the material needed in the work, in a manner satisfactory both to the Superintendent of Instruction and to the Government.

SCHOOL LUNCH ROOMS.

The school lunch rooms show a material increase in business, approximately 33 1/3 percent. Notwithstanding the high cost of food products, we were able to serve the pupils with the same portions as heretofore without any increase in price.

INSPECTION OF SUPPLIES.

While the inspection of supplies has not been carried out to the satisfaction of this department during the past year, the net results. obtained are quite noticeable. We find that the stocks carried at the schools are more carefully scrutinized by the principals and that they have made an effort to economize so as to obviate in a way, the demands of the present war conditions. Stock rooms in the schools are more methodically kept and there is an apparent lack of surplus stock on the shelves.