Even those of us who are not in the armed services and do not live on a military base, we are familiar with the commissary. The commissary provide discounted shopping on base. The Commissary does not operate to make money, and by law must sell items "at cost". Although according to military.com, you are supposed to tip the baggers who receive no salary otherwise. The commissaries set their prices based upon the cost they negotiate with various manufacturers, they don't eat loss or gain any profit. Nothing is discounted, nor marked up. While a civilian shopkeeper will establish relationships with manufacturers to maximize profit and may receive certain kickbacks or rewards, the commissary is prohibited from doing so by law.
This law goes back to at least 1818, when Congress passed legislation to organize the staff of the army. Section 7, 8 and 9 defined how supplies for the army would be purchased, delivered, inspected and made available through the commissary-general. The law made it illegal for the commissary-general to be involved directly or indirectly in the purchase or sale of goods, nor to have any financial gain from his duties office. The act restricted the emolument or payments that the commissary general could receive from suppliers and put the commissary under martial law.
In 1818 when the law was first passed, the Commissary services were not available to military personnel directly, but nevertheless had proven itself to be quite valuable. In April of 1823, the act was going to expire, so President James Monroe urged Congress consider renewing it, reminding Congress that the commissary had been very useful and such a law was necessary to continue it's practical operation. In his 1822, Annual address to Congress President Monroe wrote these words about it.
"It appearing that so much of the act entitled "An act regulating the staff of the Army", which passed on [1818-04-14], as relates to the commissariat will expire in April next, and the practical operation of that department having evinced its great utility, the propriety of its renewal is submitted to your consideration."In January of 1823, Congress extended sections 7, 8 and 9 for an additional five years. Then, on March 3, 1835 Congress passed legislation that made sections 7, 8 and 9 permanently in force until repealed by Congress. According to www.commissaries.com, the Commissary office began selling goods at cost directly to army officers in 1825, and in 1841 this was expanded to include immediate family members of officers. Finally in 1867, the commissary sales was officially expanded to include all enlisted men without any geographic restriction. 1867 is considered to be the official start of the commissary, but it's organization actually goes all the way back to the 1818 law that Monroe wanted extended. In 1990, Congress established the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) to consolidate all military commissary systems. In 1868, the Commissary had a stock list of 82 items, but today the average commissary has approximately 11,000 items with larger stores having several thousand more.
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29464
The Military Laws of the United States by John Callan (2009) pgs 268-269, 310, 333
http://www.military.com/spouse/military-benefits/commissary-101-how-to-shop-at-the-commissary.html
https://www.commissaries.com/history.cfm
https://media.defense.gov/2013/Dec/16/2000888395/-1/-1/0/131213-F-ZT877-030.JPG
No comments:
Post a Comment