OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSlONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. XXIX cenes; 9th. crockery and lamps; loth, furniture and wooden ware; l l th, saddles, harness, &c. ; 12th, agricult~~raiml plements ; 13th, wag- OBR and wagon fixtures ; 14th, glass, oils, and paints; 15th, hardware. The deli~eryi,n spection, :and sl~ipmenot f most of the articles is por-formed in Xea York, in a warehouse rented for that purpose. The manner of receiving, inspecting, and shipping these got~dsh as been re-peatedly detailed io my reports. From May 23 last to the 15t,h of September there were received and shipped from the Xew York ware-home 22,718 packages, weighing from one ounce to 600 poun~lst?h e total weight of t,hese packages being 3,428,638 pounds. A11 hare been accounted for. The invoices received and permanently recorded as to name, number, nlarks, articles, dates of receipt, inspection and nhip-ment, routes by which goods mere transported, and names of transpor-tation contractors in each instance, were 3,703 sets of four each; three of each set are transn~it.tedf rom the warehouse to this office for settle-ment, and one to the respective agencies. These are in addition to iu-voices covering a large number of shipments from Chicago, Saint Louis, and other mestern points, for which the papers are forwarded to the New York office, carefully examined, and in n~anyin stances returned for correctior~b efore being transmitted to this office for payment.. The number of western shipments for which invoices had been received up to Sel~tember 15 is 500, but many are yet to be received, the delay being doubtless owing to the amount of clerical work necessary to be done by the inspectors in the West in filling out and signing receipts after shipment. A detailed record of each shipping receipt is also kcpt, which shows the marks, numbers, kinds of packages, character of con-tents and weight of each package; these receipts aremade in duplica.te for shipment and then copied in it special book for t.hat purpose. The uomber of receipts so recorded, each haring been written three times. is 1,260. This enables the office to trace any package, and in eventaf shortage of contents on arrival at the agencies, to locate and determine (upon receipt of a report from the Indian agent as to the weight of the package when received by him] the liability for deficiency, whether it rwts with the contractor who furnislles the goods or with the trans-porter. Nearly 800 requisition sheets hare been issued in ordering goods from contractors, besides the orders for medical supplies, of which there were 90; these requisitions contain full directions for shipment, a,nd aschedula of the requirements of each agency, involving the placing of about 125,000 sets of figures in as many diEerent squares. Prom April 24 last to September 15,731 letters were received at the warehouse in New York, and 1,176 pages of letters written in answer. The goods delivered under contracts have been f111ly np to sample, and with the exception of two iustances where the provisions of Article V of the contract8 wereenforced, were satisfactory in every respect; in aeaepting the goods in the above instances under Article V of the con-tracts, the interests of the Government were wholly protected and full |