, 1859-05-06
OLYMPIA WASHINGTON TERRITORY, FRIDAY, MAY g. 1885,

) report of the Third Auditor, upon whic
this Honse has founded its action, is uniuS
to the volunteer service, it is unjust to tn
people of Washington and Oregon, it
full of errors, misunderStundingS and falls
conclusions; and it has led this House t,
take action which | predict will lead t,
nothing, because you have devolved dui,
upon that officer which he has not th
means Of executing.
To show how inconclusive and absurd-i
this devolving upon officers examination
and reports which can only be made on th
ground, will touch only upon very few
of the points in the report which the ThirG
Auditor has made to this House, in ordel
to show the errors and inconsistencies in it
and the errors and Inconsistencies which
are to he expected in any future report
| will speak Grst in regard to the price o.
horses used in the volunteer service. The
Commission fixed the maximum price o.
horses at $400 each, and the price ranged
from $400 down to $l00. The Third Aud
itor finds that horses were purchased fol
the regular service in the same locality at
prices varying from $50 to 5000, aud he
very naturally came TO the conclusion that
such was the cash price of horses Now
sir, ! may very properly pat the question
to this Committee, what is the price current
Of horses? If buy horse and pay $50
for him to-day, does it follow that horse
which you may buy for $40O tomorrow is
worth simply $50, or if | buy a horse at
$4OO to-day does it follow that the animal
which you may buy tomorrow at $50 is q
cheaper horse? Are horses to be measured
by a regular price current like wheat or
O2ts2
Now, sir, these are the facts established
by sworn testimony before that Commission
in regard to the horses purchased for the
regular service. They were mostly Indian
ponies, or horses of Spanish blood, with a
few worn out American horses. They were
purchased for the purpose Of remountng
the dragoons, under an order from General
Wool prohibiting tile payment of more
than 5000 for one horse. They were taken
to Vancouver, and everyone Of them, be-
fore board Of regular officers, was con-
demned as unfit for the purpose for which
they we're purchased. Not an animal came
up to the regulation standard. Not onu
was ct for cavalry use The agents who
purchased these herses for the regular ser.
vice gave their sworn testimony that the
horses purcha ed for the volunteer service
were every one up to the dragoon stand
ard, and that their value was more than
double the value in cash Of the horses pur-
chased for the regular service That was
the reason why the Commission fixed the
maximum price at S4O0. Has the Third
Auditor any means of getting at the prop
er cash prices Of tue horses purchased for
the volunteer service2 Sir, the report Of
that officer upon this subject docs great in
justice TO the purchasing agents Of these
horses, and any report which he may make
will, Of necessity, do injustice, for the sim
pie reason that lie has not the information
before him.
Now, l undertake to say that an iDyesti,
cation into the other matters conluined in
this report would show nearly the same re-
suit 1t would show that there was judg-
ment and care exercised in the purchase Of
supplies, aud that great Judgment and care
was tuken by the Commission in protecting
the rights OF the Government. Why, sir,
the value Of American horses in the valley
Of the Willamette, in Southern Oregon aud
at Puget Sound at that period, ranged
from $3.50 to $500 cash value. In making
up the value Of personal property to be
taxed, every one knows that the assessed
value Of property is some per cent. below
the cash value, aud yet the assessed value
Of horses in that country show these prices.
/ have here paper from Captain Keller,
the largest lumber manufacturer on Puget
Sound-a gentleman who manufactures
some 10000, 900 feet of lumber a year ;
who employs one hundred and fifty hands;
who Keeps two large steam saw-mills going
constantly; and who is one of the best in
formed mep Oh the Pacific. / have here a
statement from him in regard to prices,
which will make part Of my speech.
II will appear from this paper that for
his mills at Port Gamble, he paid for oxen
1920 per yoke, and for mules as high as
1926 each; and that hay cost in San Fran
cisco sixty dollars per ton. He also gives
many interesting facts In regard to the
huctuation OF prices.
Now, sir, what means has the Third
Auditor for ascertaining these factsl !
submit that it is an absurdity to refer the
matter to him. Unless you send him tu
Oregon and Washington to take testimony,
he caHhot make up the report, required by
the House, without involving great injus-
tice in the proceeding.
There are some animadversions in the
report Of the Third Auditor 10 regard to
our claims, at which have been very much
surprised, because the report ITSELF as a
general thing, furnishes the material for its
own refuation; and the only apology which
can dnd is, that the work was necessarily
done in short time, and that the Third
Auditor was not able to give it proper
examination. In justice to him, it ought
to be said that he speaks of his report as
the result of somewhat cursory examina-
ton. He complains very much of the auc,
tuution Of prices in the volunteer service
He sDeaks of il ms extraordinary and re-.