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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF .INDIAN AFFAIRS. XLI PURCHASE OF ANNUITY GOODS AND SUPPLIEa Bids for furnishing goods and supplies for the Indian servioe for the fiscal year 1886 were opeueri in New York on the 5th of May last. Four hundred and thirty-three bids were received in New York, and at the opening at S8an Francisco 36 bids were received, n~akingth e total num-ber received 469. Two huudred and eight contracts were awarded, made out in qladruplicate, each contract accompanied wi'th a bond for its faithful performance. The awards in New York were made by qe, ' I with the assistance of the Board of Indian Commissioi~ersa nt1 the ap. . , . pointment clerk of the Interior Department, who represented the De-partment, and also with the assistance of inspectors appointed to ex-amine the samples oEered. The prices of all the goods and supplies purcha~ed for the present fiscal Sear were lower than tliose of the last fiscal year, and by that means %saving of from $150,000 to $200,000 was made. At the open. ing of bids in New York, on May 6 last, the prices of beef for the Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Crow Cceek, anil Yaiikton Agencies were deemed by me to be too high, snd all bids for beef for these Ag e n+~ie' sw ere re-iectbd. Another adrerti6ement, calling for bids for beef for these agen-cies, was l~ublished, and on Jone 10 last tbese bids were opened and found to be considcrabiy lower, resulting in a savirlg to the Government of over $37,000 on that item alone. Owing to. the late date at which the appropriation bill is generally passed, the sl~ipmenot f goods and supplies must be hurried throughin a few mouths, and this entails a vast amount of labor upon this office .' during tho summer months. Last year the appropriation bill did not pass uutil J u l j 4, 1884, and no shipments could be made until late in August. During the months of August, September, October, Novem-ber, and December, 1884, there mere shipped from the New York ware-house, direct, 18,398 packages, weighing 2,665,157 pounds. Shipments of sugar, coEe.e, rice, sirup, and similar articles, which are shipped di-rwt from the wharf in New York, without being first delivered at the warebouse,amounted during the five mouth~above mentioned, to 12,132 packages, weighing 1,770,402 pounds. Shipments from western points, viz: Chicago, Saint Louis, Saint Paul, Ssc., amounted to 2,074,680 pouuds, makiilg a total shipment in five months, of 6,510,239 pon~tds,and, as'in every year since 1878, not one package remains unaccounted for. The invoices received during t.hese five montl~s, and permauently re-corded, as to numbers, marks, articles, dates of receipt, inspection, and ship~nent&, c., were 5,611 sets, of four each, three of which were trans-mitted from the warehouse in New'Pork to this office and one transmitted to t h 1 2 proper Indian agent for his information. A detailed record of each shipment is also kept in New York, by which any package can be de-scribed, and in case of its loss can be duplicated. After the invoges are received at thin o%ce, they are settledltnd paid for through the Treasury Department. A11 of the 5,611 sets of invoices |