New-York tribune., 1873-05-10
THE INDIAN CONTRACTS.
ARID THAT WAS REJECTED.

tn IN, Fdftor Of The Tribune.
SIR: notice by your issue of to-day that Mr..
Cree Secretary OF tho Board OF Indian COMMISSIONER
has explained your reporter how the awards ior Deer
were made to the higher bidders. He states that DDS
for two classes o; beef called or the hrsJ goou
merchantabe CATTLE all steers from to years DID, ana
averaging at least 800 pounds live weight" the other
what are known as native American cattle, or cattle
that have wnered north OF Kansas the cattle 30 de-
yered TO meet the above requirements as regards age
and condition. and average not less than 1850 pounds
He further states that my bid only for merchanta-
BILE beef cattle conform TO the advertisement In quail
lty age weight, and time Of delivery for the Whole
amount" He says the Board understood TINS to efer 10
the first or inferior class of cattle cannot comprehend
how an unbiased Board OF Commissioners could under
stand it In that way for the simple reason that my bid
was for the whole amount aqyeyse9 for those specified
neees to which my bid referred for the year ending
june 1874. Their advertisement reads as follows;
The beef cattle must be goo merehaniaoe cattle all ee ron
three to seven years o n goSd o. % neay h1-p - @ h" eb5s
scales when practicable Their delivery must be IN AZ % aca o. 2
Of The whole qaanty will be aeyed ana tlenei tns Ri
be delivered in ea & @ s U Se quantity Of beef required Tor
the months January Peba march Apn MAY and JgO st Of
Sae SSss Sssn S5s THer north Of Kansas, meet b
requirements garis and condition. ana TO average Ho
less than $50 pounds, live weight
You will observe their advertisement reads for the
delivery for the months of January February March,
April May and June 1874 OF what known as native
or American CATTLE or for cato that have been win
tered north Of Kansas" What other construction could
unbiased persons put upon my bid than that 1t Included
the latter kind OF cattle for the months above mentioned
as did not use the words Texas cattle" anywhere iD
my proposal Texas cattle merchantable for Six
months in the year only, and for the other six months
Northern wintered" alone covered by that
term II / had bid for half the quantity only.
they might with some consistency have placed that
construction upon il, but bidding for the whole
amount required for the fiscal year. most assuredy
included the latter quality OF cattle for the last six
months Of the fiscal year, Texas cattle for the last
six months not merchantaole, and would NOT nave
confOrmed their advertisement You VIII nOtlce IN
their advertisement above they use the words natNe
orr American cattle" These terms apply TO cattle born
I'm Kansas the vicinity of the agencies, mentioned IN
the proposal, which worth about Tour cents per
pound gross there Who heard OF Government CON
tractors giving Indians this kind OF beei The bids Tor
natiVe American cattle" all rejected, the
price being too high. The term Northern wlntered'
applies 20 cattle wntered north of Kansas, which Is the
kind the Government contracts for for the last
six months OF the fiscal year. and the other terms
ambiguous, all cattle born ID America are native
american cattlep $500
II was generally admitted by western bidders that.
however the bids might rum the Ring would get the
award from tue Commissioners. L do MT wish 10 be
that al Of The Commissioners were unduly
Influenced. A few Of them high-toned gentlemen.
allowed themselves TO be manipulated by the others.
would further call attention TO the TACT that the
awards given TO several different persons fOr
the seven agencies each OF whom put in bid lOr the
whole, and two OF the bids were the same IN price,
HeV- York, May 3 1878. y. .. DAWSON