Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-03-30
DEEP CREEK, NJ. Z. Mar. 20, 1876.
EDITOR HUsBANDMAN:

DEEP GREEK, NJ. i. Mar. ~, 1870.
EDITOR HUsBANDMAN:
While the Government and the public are
having their attention directed to the late
exposures of corruption, and ~delinquencies
among Government officials, it is perhaps,
a good time for us to look about us and see if
we find reasons for thinking that any of the
Government officers with whom we, have
dealings are remiss in their duties. 1t has
been suggested in some of the Territorial
papers that influences similar to those that
managed traderships and contracts at Fort
Sill and other posts might be operating in
Montana. BE this as it may, the farmers
who through the grange organization, had
contracts to fill at the various military posts
throughout this Territory, knowthat there
were causes, other than the elements and
g~rasshoppers, operatingsto prevent the fill
ing of their contractsby them the past season.
Freight-teams that are usually on hand for
such jobs. and are glad to get loading to TT.
Shaw, or even to Benton, fifty milesssfurther,
at fifty or seventy-tive cents per hundred
could not be obtained at a dollar, and in
many instances the farmers offered freight
ers the grain to haul-the freighter to have
all it brought delivered at the post. Teams
that made one trip for the farmer, were sure
to receive from some source, Inducements
to prevent their returnto Gallaitn for a sec
ond load. The farmers succeeded in deliv-
ering all the flour at Fort,Shaw, also a large
portion of the oats at the contract price, one
dollar and seventy-fiye cents per hundred
pounds, and the Government records proba-
bly, show that the balance was bought in
open market, (of the Diamond RCo.,) at
six dollars per hundred, which would'ofit-
self indicate that the farmers were filling the
contract at an immense loss to themselves.
Now if the Government found it necessary
to pay such a large advance on theeaentract
price for one or two hundred thousand
pounds, why were not the farmers who
were doing their best to deliver oats at one
dollar and s%eventy-five cents per hundred,
given an opportunity. to hurry things up a
little by the aid Of a few dollars more per
hundred, enough to makatl1e price a rea-
sonable compensation after the grassl1opper
had devastated their.fields ?. The company
that filled the deficiency in the oats contract,
loaded their trains in this valley, paying the
farmer 1926 for the grain, not.one Of those
farmers knowing until such purchase, that
the Government desired to buy, and there
are plenty of farmers here who would have
been glad to have delivered the grain for at
least one dollar per hundred less, being a
saving to the Government Of, some S $4,000.
The grain contract at Camp Baker, heldby
some ten Or fifteen farmers on this valley,
has been filled by them. at, a loss Of about
eighty cents per hundreds. (providing the
United States even pays for the grain,) each
one putting in about 10000 pounds They
had to borrow monev at 2 per, cent. per
to pay their taxes that fell due De
cember,lst, and save, and except, one small
payment to those who had deli grain
prior to last November, they have not got
a dollar yet. Tqle.Quarter master at camp
Baker has promptly issued all "vouchers :"
due, Whichshave-as promptly been sent to
the proper officer for payment, but is not
something wrong in the paw, department?
Government does not.intend to
GUY grain or six months or a year'sstima at
ess than cash prices. In order to fill this
as calls were made, some, of the
contractors We're. obliged to haul off their
asst bushel, reserving none for feed or seed.
is now notwithstanding time,Ma.they have no
iced and no money to buys and creditors are
pressing them for payment. These are stub
BORN facts. ~Thequestion is, why don't the
money come ?-Echo answers why?