New-York tribune., 1875-05-13
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
THE COMPLAINTS OF INDIAN COMMISSION
AWARDS.


COMMENTS FROM UNSUCCESSFUL TOBACCO BIDDERS
PURPOSES or INSPECTOR HooDLEss.
The disclosures i'm THE TRIBUNE yesterday
IN regard 10 the complaints made against the recent
Awards Of tobacco contracts by the Indian Commission
created much comment The opinion seemed general
that the action OF the Commission certainly deserved
very close scrutiny, because OF the dissatisfaction ex
pressed by several well known business men, In order
TO get at all the facts in the case reporter of THE
TRIBUNE called yesterday upon members OF all the
which protested and on several dealers In leaf
tobacco and also saw the Inspector, Mr.. Hoodless
member of OF the largest tobacco MANUFACTURING
rms in the city said that the tobacco which froi MATS"
had found fault with at the Red Cloud Agency was pur
chased two years ago OF Franklin MacVeigh d Go. OF
Chicago During this and previous years IL had
been customary with the Indian Commission TO
have the samples examined at the time OF
the award by expert and the goods actually delivered
examined by a local examiner, who was apponeu
after the letting Of the award. The CONTRACT Oh
Macveigh Co. is said TO nave peeh nieu
with a miscellaneous assortment OF old ana sur
pus stocks including navy skies, tens fours and fyes
The tobacco is said to been smelng, mouidy ana
.our and totally unfit for the purpose required Last
year for the first time the Commission, instead OF Sc
curing the services Of disnterested TOBACCO
dealer or expert. appointed eaf-inspector. Inc
award was made to the Pioneer Tobacco
Company, and number OF protests were enereu
against the ncompetency OF the Inspector dsinter
ssted dealer and an expert then called in by the
Commission and he promptly condemned the previous
award and decided In favor OF p LOrard Co. and DO
hon. Carroll The Commission had all OF the samples
forwarded TO Washington. where after another examh
lion nv several department experts the award OF the
NewYork expert sustained Later in the season the
amount OF tobacco furnished found TO be inadequate
for the suppOsed requirements OF the Indian Commisson
and Commissioner E. p Smith purchased on Dec. H.
1874 13 cases Of tobacco weighing 122s4 pounds at As
cents per pound from H. X. Thurber Co OF this cry
The senior member Of the firm of II. K. Thurber Co.
said yesterday that they had been this year the lowest
bidders for the tobacco contracts but that they had not
Thought it Of any 10 enter protest The tobacco
which they had offered was good, sound,
sweet. and merchantable tobacco. upon which
hey would hardly have made per cent from the orig
nal manufacturing In fact, Mr. Thurber SAID that
owing to the length Of time necessary 10 wait ana the
difficulty in getting paid, they did not care enough
about the contracts to enter protest The tobacco
which he had sold Commissioner smith was sun a' tAe
Cheyenne Agency late in February
Following is transcript of the protest which was sent
in by the Pioneer Company P. LOrard & Co., Dohon'
Carroll Co.. and DOhan Taite and OF which no notice
was taken by the Commission:
NEw-yoRR. May II, 1879.
rt tion teiin i comeed to protest against award Of
the contract supply plug tobacco 10 thc lhhhh ~
partlncnt for the year SO upon the uGsmsAt o Ie III
specor employed by your Department for the reason t
we believe him wholly incompetent to pass upon tne
relative merits values O pug Tobacco IucieorV'
Earnestly reOucst the appointment OF competent ana
disinteresed dealer manufacturer 10 award me con
tract upon actual merits OF the samples H
regards price and quality. We trust You VIII con'-d'i
this protest. o., -, 49, ,,,.
Mr. Carroll OF Doan Carroll Co., said that no ques
ton as 10 the honesty uprghtness Of the inspector n
been raised; the fault his incompetency 10
indee Of the quality and value OF the various
grades No one but a dealer in manufactured
tobacco-an expert-coud Judge correctly OF the grades
and value of manufactured tobacco tHc exact
condition which tobacco should be IN 10 s'tlhu one
trlp a sea voyage removal TO anOl lEeT dI espteIds
a warmer climate. This view was also held ny d mum
Der OF merchants dealing in leaf tobacco al oI
whom said tnat they did not consider thelDseiNes
expert Judges of the article after u was manu-
featured. The successful bidders, Z. H. heiy a %.
of st. Paul Minn said to have procured me Samples
upon which tie award made iI,nh Harris bceoe az
Co. manufacturers at Quincy, III: IAe nrIn OF A L.
Reynolds. St Louis, Mo-, are sad 70 De .nu!iny W. W.
dian Commission told the reporter IN cOnnec-
ton with tins subject that much tIcuDle was
xperienced by Commission in endeavoring TO AVOID
n number Of well-knOwn Indian contractors Frequently,
NJ aW nd, and almost nNafldDIN lHe oUJec-
tOnable contractor is discovered behind TINS hrin
HOOdlCsS, inspector VINO ~ ODGtcleu 10 as III
competent was formerly "a city welgh-master, put en-
~ n the seed leaf inspection of tobacco SIX or elsht
wears ago In ~73 he also began the Inspection vi ied
iohaec0 in hogsheads. He showed the accepted
sample yesterday. and said that upon gong
West to attend 10 the delivery OF the
is strictly enforced. The amount OF the contrac'
was for between 10000 and 10000 pounds
the Commission reservng the right . nsn
ally 10 increase or diminish ne anonnt
the sample furnished could be easily obtained In the
New York market at from ~ to 10 cents