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Show REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. 157 On the 3d of May, at the same place, and in the same manner, sealed proposals for subsistence supplies were opened in the presence of one hundred and forty bidders, coming from many of the leading citirs and towns both cast and west. Aiter spending considerable time fa examining the bids and samples furnished, the awards were made strictly with a view to the real wants of the Indians and the interests of the Government, and were as follows: Beef, on the hoof $ 125,630 35 Bacon 142,248 60 Sugar , 89,476 25 Flour 258,177 95 Coffee 69, 855 00 Soap 5,721 37 Salt 1,040 25 Tobacco... 28,60000 Total.. 720,74977 Your committee again met on the 15th of June, at the office of the Indian Bureau in Washington, where bids for beef and flour were opened in the same manner. The number of bidders was ninety, and the awards were as follows: Beef 011 the hoof $ 589,366 50 Flour 29, 050 00 Total 618,416 50 All these purchases, aggregating the sum of $ 1,783,729 29. were at prices averaging much below what had been paid before our board began to exercise its supervision, and enabling the Indian Bureau to furnish a larger and better supply to the several tribes. The price paid for beef on the hoof was 1.991 to 2.97 cents per pound, while previous to the supervision of your committee the price paid was from 3 to 6 cents per pound, or an average of 4.39 cents per pound against 2.60 cents per pound. The following is a comparison of the result, as compared with the previous year: 1870: 12,669,790 pounds beef, average cost 4.39 cents $ 556, 850 70 1- 7 I : 27,441,750 pounds beef, average cost 2.60 cents 714, 996 85 27,441,750 pounds beef, at 4.39 cents, would be $ 1, 204, 692 82 27,441,750 pounds beef, at 2.60 cents, would be 714, 996 85 Saving in favor of 1871 439,695 97 While it is true that a portion of this difference may be due to a decline of prices the present year, yet it is believed that it is chiefly due to the confidence which the board were able to inspire in the minds of contractors that the business would receive their personal attention, and the awards be honestly made to the lowest responsible bidders. A number of the bids were made at prices ranging even higher than the pre-ceding year. Besides supervising these public awards, your committee have aided, from time to time, as called upon, in making purchases in the open market to meet emergencies. The last and the largest of these purchases were made last mouth, and amounted to $ 24,09d 64. It is due to the late honorable Commissioner of Indian Affairs to say that he generally manifested, as regards the matters intrusted to your committee, a desire to carry out our recommendations. Our surprise was, therefore, the greater to iind him entirely ignoring our action in the important matter of transportation, which forms one of the most serious causes of outlay in connection with the question of Indian goods and supplies, and has been the source of great abuses when controlled by unworthy parties. On the 4th day of May last, in order to determine the relative cost of several heavy articles, such as flour, coffee, sugar, * fcc., for which bids wen? tendered by both eastern and western merchants, we asked the New York Central, the Erie, and the Pennsylvania railroad companies to specify the lowest rates at which they would carry any or all of the articles named in the advertisements As the terms ottered by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company were found to be rnvich the lowest, your committee put on record |
