OCR Text |
Show XLVI REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS tbe same thcre were reoeived 341 bids at the opening in New York, and at the opening at San Francisco, on the 15th of. August last, 37 bids were ~ ~ c e i r emda,k ing a total of 368 sealed bids received for fl~rnishing goods and supplies for the present fiscal year; 207 contracts were exe-cuted, made ant in q~viLdr.~iplicateea,c h oue accompanied with a bond for the faithful performance of the same. The contracts ill New York were arvarded by me, with t,he assistance of the Board of Indian Com-missioners, and the Hon. J. K. McCa~umon, representing the depart-ment, after the san~ples offered with the bids had been properly exam- ' ined by inspectors appointed for that purpose. It is of the utmost importance that contracts for goods and supplies for the Indian service be let early in the spriug, and I cannot too strongly urge upon Congress the necessity for the early passage of the appropri-ation bill for the Iudian service. The amount appropriated for the dif-ferent tribes and bands varies every year, and the work of determining what supplies can be furnished cannot begin until after the passage of the appropriation bill by Congress. This work is one of great impor-tance, but, owing to the late date at which these bills are passed, has to be done hastily, at night, in order to enable this offlce to prepare and have printed scl~eduleso f all articles required. A large proportion of these goods and supplies are for agencies on the Missouri River, and they have to be shipped before the clove of navigation, which occurs, on an average, not later than October 1. Bacon pnrchased at t,heselate lettings must be shipped duriug0t.he hottest summer moutlrs, aud of the 1,000,000 pounds pnrchased every gear, not less than 10 per cent,um is lost by shriuka,ge in tra~~sportatiodnu ring the warm weather, making an annual loss of over $10,000 on that article alone. The delivery, inspection, arld shipment of goods is mostly ilo~~ien. New Yorli, in a warellouse rented for that purpose. There all goods are delivered, properly marked wit11 a n~utnber which nlnst correspond with the n~unbero n the invoice of the articles f~~mishecall;l invoices must be made out. in quadruplicate, and must give the number, weight., and contents of each package charged for. After delivery of the goods, tbey areinsp&t,ed by a per6011 appointed for tlmt purpose, and eacll pa,ckage stamped by the inspector with his name. A copy of eaah in-voice is forwarded by first nail to the agent for whom the goods are intended, in order that l ~ 1el ra~i-o nlpare the quantities recei\-ed with the articles invoiced. A comp1et.e record of all packages ~eceivetal nd shipped is k e ~gi~vi~ng? th e name of the a,rticles, date of inspection, of shipment, &c. The number of packages received and shipped from May 23 to 0ctober 15, 1882, is 27,988, the total weight being 4,330,361 pounds, and, as in every year since 1878, not one package remains unac-counted for. The invoices received and permanently recorded as to nnmbers, marks, articles, dates of receipt, inspection, and shipment, routes by which goods mere forwarded, and names of transportation con-tractors in each instance, have reached the number of 4,224 sets, of |