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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONEE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. CXXI I PURCHASE, INSPECTION, AND SHIPMENT OF SUPPLIES. After due advertising, sealed bids to the number of 513 for fiirnish-ing goods and supplies for the Indian service were opened in New York on May 23, 1890, in the presence of a large number of bidders or their agents, by myself, assisted by Assistant Secretary Cyrus Bussey and members of the Board of Indian Commissioners. At the opening of bids at San Francisco by the assistant commissioner, July 16,1890, 45 bids were received; making a total of 558. The number of contracts awarded was 254, each one being made out iu quadruplicate and aceom-panied by a bond for 50 per cent. of the amount of the contract. The awards mere made in all cases with the aid of expert inspectors, and only after careful comparison of samples submitted and for such goods as the best interests of the service seemed to reqoire. Special pains were taken to select serviceable goods ; but the lowest-priced goods are not always cheapest. The supplies purcbased consist of subsistence supplies, such as beef, bacon, coffee, sugar, lard, hominy, rice, corn meal, oat meal, salt, hard bread, pork, etc., and of miscellaneous goods, clothing, agricultural implements, etc., which are divided into seventeen classes, as follows : .. 8. Grooeriae. I tuTes. I I There were also purchased large quantities of medicines, surgical instr~iments,booksa nd school supplies, in all over 2,500 articles. Over 50,000 samples were submitted, examined, and passed upon. The delivery, inspection, and shipment of most of the supplies takes place in New York, in a warehouse rented for the purpose, at 67 Wooster street; but such articles aa wagons, plows,iron, steel, stoves, fence wire, eto., are iuspected and shipped from Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, etc., as may be most advantageous. Beef and flour are delivered at the agencies. The other subsistence supplies, except coffee, sugar, and rice, are generally delivered at points in the West, the points of delivery being governed by the price bid for the article plus the cost of it% trans-portation to the agencies and schools. During the fiscal year ended June 30,1890,34,316 packages, weighing 4,297,049 pounds, were shipped from New York, and 46,091 packages, weighing 4,388,743 pounds, were shipped from Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Sioux City, Omaha, and other points west. A detailed record of eaoh shipment ia kept, which shows the mark, number, kind of package, character of contents, end weight. Receipts for packages shipped are made in triplicate and are also copied in a book kept for that purpose. This enables the office to trace any package; and, in case of shortage on arrival at an agency, to locate and determine the liability for the deficieucy. 14. Paints and ails. 15. Brass and iron kettles, tin and tinware. 16. Stoves, hollow ware, pipe, eta. 17. Hardware. 1. Blankets. ' 9. Crookew and lamps. 2. Cotton goods. 3. Woolen goods. 4. Clothing. 5. Boots aud shoes. 6. Hsts and cap. 7. Notions. 10. Fu~nitureandwooden-ware. 11. Harness, leather, eta. 1'2. Agricnltur a1 imple-ments. 13. Wasonsend weeon fix- |
