The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-09

How the soldiers and the Treasury arc
Robbed Under Grant md RelkmMp.


An old Brooklyn army officer, who
has had six years experience on the
frontier, said to an Argus reporter yes
terday that the statements already
printed with respect to post traders do
not begin to fifty represent the actual
frauds perpetrated. Up to 1871 the
post traders were appointed by the com
handing officer, on the recommends
tions Of the Post Council OF Administra-
ton. which consisted Of the three Off
GERS next in rank to the commander.
One Of the duties of the Council was to
fix the prices which the trader should
charge for his merchandise. He was
generally allowed from twenty-five to
fifty per cent profit. Now, however,
the traders are responsible to the Secre-
tary of War alone, and II they have in
nuence with, the Secretary the officers
are powerless. He recalled one in
stance where the commanding officer OF
military post in Arizona demonstrated
with the trader for his exorbitant prices
for cleaning materials, white gloves and
smoking tobacco. He was charging 81
pair for a common white glove worth
dollar a dozen. His tariff on smoking
tobacco was 80 a pound for the poorest
kind. The commander represented the
Injustice of the charges, and gave the
trader a schedule Of prices at which he
ordered him to sell. The trader refused
and his store was closed. He appealed
to Washington, and in two months
time the commander was removed to an
other post and the trader was selling at
the same old exorbitant, figures. But
there are other and more serious conse-
quences growing out OF the present post
trading system. The traders sell liquor
to the enlisted men, despite the orders
Of the officers. This interferes with
proper discipline. a1HlEt ma
The officer was asked how, even al-
lowing for the enormous profits on
their goods, the post traders could Of
ford to pay such large subsidies. IL.
That's easily explained" he replied.
"The sale Of goods at the store is only Il
small part Of the business. The real
profits come in on the contracts which
he is enabled to secure. At every
military post the Quartermaster and
Commissary have to make numerous
siOns they have to purchase supplies In
open market. The trader is there on
the ground; he knows what will be
wanted long before the officer adver
tises, and he gets the contract by hook
or by crook. II the officer is unfaithful,
the trader is posted as to the lowest
bid made, and bids a little lower. Ii the
contract is at too small a price to make
q large profit the contract Is unfulfilled,
and the supplies are purchased in open
market. Then in comes the contractor,
under another name, and sells at a much
advanced price tho goods he has con-
tracted to deliver. II any other com
petitors appear they are either bought
off by the trader or the officer rejects
their bids ON account of informality. If
the officer is faithful to his trust, and
will not enter into the traders nefarious
schemes, he is sent off to some other
post and more plant individual sub
stituted. Officers know that these men
have influence enough at Washington
to make things warm for them, and they
are very naturally chary Of doing any
thing that the trader objects to. ''GEft
what do you think of the proposed
Investigation Of 1the Quartermaster' 5
Department? ?" was asked. p on4
Il think it will develop q rich placer
Of fraud, he replied. "The Quarter
masters Department Is rotten from top
to bottom. From the lowest A. A. q. M.
to the moguls at Washington, every one
is 'on the make It Is q saying in the
army that il you want the Government
to look on you as thief, get A. @. M.
put after your name. / know men who
have been and are living at the rate Of
Slv,VUU u year Oil SdldTlcS OIL &loUU.
Every Quartermaster or Commissary
expects every contractor to come down.
Ii the records Of the Quartermaster'
Department are thoroughly searched,
it will be found that Government prop
erty and supplies have been squandered
most recklessly. remember case
where some scOws loaded with supple les
were sunk in the Columbia river, and /
don't believe there was Quartermaster
on the Pacific coast that didn't file aft
davits that a lot of the property for
which he was responsible was lost on
those scows. There was as much prop,
erty sworn to as would load 500 scows.
of the same size. ] know an officer who
got $50 tons of hay off his papers by get
ting his corral master to ride to wind
ward of five-ton stack with a cigar in
his mouth. Quite accidentally a spark
from the cigar blew into the hay, the
stack burned up, and the officer filed
affidavits that all his $50 were burned
up and destroyed through no fault of
his. II they get to work in the right
way they'll find that @. M. ID. good
place to turn up rascals." .i. -
Mrs. BeIknaps Appeal for Her Husband.
Washington March q Dispatch to Chicago