THE ECONOMISER Of MILLIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 February 1918, Page 4

THE ECONOMISER Of MILLIONS.

A WAR, OFFICE ROMANCE- j I Here is a new fairy story that is being told in London. ; Once upon a time there was ' stationed in the British capital an 1 officer belonging to a great Allied nation who was responsible for the supply of food and materials to the armies his 1 country was sending to fight side by side with our own upon the Western front. The faster they came the greater grew the difficulties of his tasks, tor his own land was far distant and shipping was scarce, so that he had to look to the British' War Office for stores of many kinds. One day it happened that there was made upon him a sudden and urgent demand for iucredible quantities of ali sorts of things to be delivered with all possible rapidity. His friends gathered round him saying, “ What about it ? ” and he said, “ I must go round to the British War House, hoping that they will get a move on and see me through.” So he put on his hat and coat and went, and his friends mourned him as one lost in the interminable corridors of the Never-Never House, where men are referred from Department to Department until they die of despair.

When the officer entered the gloomy portals he encountered one who bade him fill up a form, and his heart sank. But when he had done so, filling in the name of the Top Dog, to his great surprise the janitor bade him pass straight up. He ascended a noble flight of stairs, at the head of which a polite messenger received him, and saying “ Come this way,” led him along a corridor that seemed to extend to infinity ; but again, Nto his surprise, after a few steps the messenger opened a big door and presented him to a pleasant young official who, without delay, led him into an inner room where there sat at a big desk a large, placid-faced man surrounded by piles of filed documents in extraordinarily neat array. Once more he was surprised when the large man proved to be the Very Top Dog whom he desired to see; but a still greater surprise awaited him. For the large man went straight to business, and in two minutes it waff all settled.

The olhcer noticed that one 91 the features ol the large man’s placid and benign countenance was a broad, level brow, beneath which were a pair of keen eyes wide apart, and that the lower part of his face was of a strength and firmness which even his easy, goodhumoured, lull-lipped smile did not entirely camouflage. When lie hadascertained the officer’s requirements he consulted his files of documents and, turning over the pages with extraordinary celerity, ran his finger along lings and columns of figures referring to each of the commodities concerned. He had daily returns showing the quantities in store, the quantities already under requisition, the quantities in course of production. In two minutes he restored his documents to their former neat array and told the astonished officer that he could have all that-lie had asked for at the dates he had mentioned.

“Gee whizz! but this is goings some ! ” cried the ofucer, as with the whole business settled he descended the stairs. When he returned to lieadqnarters his friends were overcome with amazement and joy. “ What good fairy has wrought this wonder? ” they asked, and the officer, taking off his cap, said, “ It was the large fairy that delivers the goods.” « # * * *

But tilt most surprising thing of all in this fair}' story is that it came true and was true, and is really happening in London every day. The real name of . the large fairy is Andrew Weir, and the magic wand he waves is called Business System. He has only been at the War Office since last March, and lie has done marvels, Jlis official title is “ Sur-veyor-General of Supply.” It is a new office which combines and coordinates a number *of functions that were formerly separate. Few people outside the high circles of business and finance know anything about him, but in shipping he has long been known as one of the master-minds of business! He was a Kirkcaldy boy who just \yent to Glasgow and became a great! shipowner, and then went on to London and became a super-shipowner. He know r s all there is to know about things such as products and raw materials, processes and markets, because he wanted to know and bad the capacity of learning. He is a master of system. Mr Bonar Law. an old acquaintance, knew that. Mr Weir went to, the War Office last spring, with a competent staff of voluntary helpers, to have a look round. He spent six weeks in finding out how things were done or not done, and w r hy, and at the end of the six weeks lie sat down and drew up a scheme of reorganisation which was accepted and committed to hisidheetion.

It lias worked a fairy change. Nobody at the War Office works any harder than before—they all worked to the utmost before he arrived—but they work under a better system, and therefore work better. He knows exactly what they are all doing, and they know he knows. There is a wonderful system of records and accounts which enables the SurveyorGeneral to survey everything. Figures to him mean, as much as music to a musician. He has a feeling for statistics which is the poetic expression of Business System.

He is saving the country millions. Before the creation of his department it was nobody’s business to exercise the broad and comprehensive control which only became possible by means of the complete organisation which he has devised.

The big war which demanded big things done is discovering big men to do them. Andrew Weir is one of the very big ones. He never makes speeches, plays no games, has no recreations or hobbies or foibles.