WASHINGTON -- Sen. William Proxmire, D-Wis., today gave his Golden Fleece Award of the Month to the U.S. Army for spending $6,000 to tell the government how to buy Worcestershire sauce.
'That's right,' Proxmire said. 'Seventeen eye-glazing pages of single-spaced type on how to buy a 15-ounce bottle of Worcestershire sauce that retails for about $1.50.'
The study is entitled 'Federal Specification: Worcestershire Sauce.' But Proxmire, who presents the award for what he considers to be ridiculous expenditures of federal money, suggested it be renamed -- 'Everything You Wanted to Know about Worcestershire Sauce, But Would Never Bother To Ask.'
The study is required reading when a federal agency buys more than $10,000 worth of the sauce. It gives a chemical analysis of the sauce and provides a number of tips, such as when the bottles' caps and labels are on properly.
'Even a dollar spent on writing and using this document is a dollar too much,' said Proxmire.
'Only the federal government could devote a seven-line paragraph to show someone how to check if the bottle cap to the Worcestershire sauce is screwed on tightly,' said Proxmire.
Another nine lines are devoted on how to check if the label is stuck on the jar. Proxmire suggested a typical shopper would just pick at the label to see if it came off.
'That's too simple for the Army,' said Proxmire.
For those interested, labels may be checked by following paragraph 4.5.1.1. of Federal Specifications EE-W-600F for Worcestershire Sauce. Be forewarned however, that 'no alternative procedures (are) permitted.'
In addition to the 17-page document, developed at an Army research laboratory in Massachusetts, there are several thousand more pages of regulations an interested buyer or seller must examine, Proxmire said.
'The Worcestershire sauce specifications,' said Proxmire, 'represent the tip of the iceberg of a chronic problem the federal government has with needlessly complicted food specifications.'
Proxmire said, however, there is a glimmer of hope in the maze of sauce specifications. He said the Defense Department is experimenting with shortening them.
Adv 6:30 a.m.
