, 1876-03-04
POST-TRADERSHlPS.
YkT Jf3IH.

PosT-TRADERsHlPs.
PAT 1oB1
Special Dtspafth to 7he Chftooe TYft1ne.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 3.-The Committee
on Expenditures In the War Department has
never made report 10 the House before, and
Cabinet officer was never bcforo lmpehctcd.
Tbis Committee has only tust begun It's work. !
II Ia DOW tho purpose Of the Chairman to sum- |
mon ali poat-tradc1s and to investigate IN detail
tho circumstances Of tbsir appointment The |
bureau Offices OF the War Department ato
also 10 be examined. as It IL stated that some Of
them have pecuniary interests in these trader /
ships, Tho Committee already claim to have !
Information abous several OF these sppotut- |
ments It Ia stated TINT the trader at Camp
Supply ......... ........
PAID TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ANNUALLY
for his post. Tho tax It Fort bill amounted to
SO per selling day, which was nearly all paid by
oomuaud Tho incomo OF MArsh Was 44o, 600
annually, which Vas e1torted from tho soldiers
| and oficera at tho fort. Tho pr7cea chssged
were downright robbery. An o1-aEnY olnecr.
| who hns spont Erent many yoars On tho
frontier, and who has long been familiar With
| the profits arising from these tzhdershtpa, fur.
| u,.hcs the following statomeut As to tho num-
bor and
PHoFl1B or THESE PosTs.
tbs capital necessary for hadar to start
single post IL els, 900. A Ase-compauy post Of
iutautry or caratry Is called single post. The
annual profits to tho trader Of \ five. company
cayAtry post arc about $4,000. with ad-
d,tlotnl protta derived from contracts for
forago. The. profits It single post
from tho sale Of goods alone amount to s4o.ooo.
Ihcse posts, A. shey aEo managed by post ttnd-
ors yield from regular sales fully $l6 ooo. The
three best poats are Fort Laramie, With from
1x to ton companicH; Fort Sill. With tcu COM
l FH..Ez -.sti Ax&
companies. Thess yield from % % 100 per sent
profit. The othos poata ate Fort Russeili Foss
richardson, olsht coupaules; Fort bully, six
compap!ee; Fort Union. son oompanie',
| This BeAul1i In regard 10 tho ealo Of post
tsade1shipn III not entirely now ono It would
thas IT ossa9 Ta ths .aT r'6 64
. tho act reoryaniziug tho army, passed in 1866.
! Tho Office Of sutlor MAS aboltnhed the following
year Tho Commanding General mas authorized
10 permit . trading Embellishments g b ma1n-
military post on tic frontier not ip tue
vicinity Of any City or town, aud s.. al,n-
atsd .s any noiot bstTesn ,n .1 70 eosi ioo:h
:. boundary Of tho State Of California, ~hsn. in
bis Judgment such Nh estsbalshmnnt mas needed
for the protection Of emigrants traders, and
other citizens. ANY trader permitted TO rsmatu
the Commlasnry Department to any enlisted man
Ut this point. Those who a1o prepared, for per-
j. eonal and partisan purposes, to mako the moat
OF this great scandal tnaias that here the raseal.
u ity In thls busine]s began. This law left these
J. posts still under the control Of tho Command
= b. eo' lo:ated o. a. Flo Fs' dsuessl Of IL Amy
:. terms and Il WIS thought BY soma doeifabie 4
u mako tteBo traIe1saipa
= rcLl17cAL orr7cE
l. and to bring them within Tie Jurisdiction o.
l. political p1trousGo Accordingly. by An act pass
= ed July is. 1870 now SEQ. Ills OF the Aovisot
=. Statutes tho law regulating the appointment
- Of po.s-tradcrs WAS amended sa to give 70 u
in General Of the Army Tho authority to porntt GU,
n On more trading establishments to b
n nalutained at auy military post on the frontier
~ The pcssons To msintain sucn establishments
D. retarg Of War aud shall under protection ane
coatrot as camp followe1a. This clanso: on tho
Recommendation Of tho Secretary Of Nar. HAs
NJ, pus in tue army bill! The section VA prsas!oll
d tlo Secretary appoints but ono tsadet o. eacs
10 post and refuses 10 appoint moro, 30 that ahl'
~ single tyador, having monopoly Of tho buancaa
ta PLUMBERS THE OFFICERS And MEN
70 bY charging them outrageous prices. There 10 D.
ia escape from his rhpnolsy, because officers hAv
10 no control over Lin AZ they hsd over th
autlet. Tho traders occupy relations TO th
3, army similar to those tho suffers held Dunn
10 tho war, with tho exception that the auttoEi
o- Wero tudor control Of the Post Commanders, AL
:, tho soldiers were protectad against thrtt rapacs
u by the power Of council 81 othea5s 20 3, "
'ol taIin OF ptces ut Which gooda should DO SOLO
ID wheteas tho tradcra wcre appointed By thn set
ratarT OF War, aud. hayapg no competition an
bsing uudor no co4tro!
cHA1uE ART PRICE THEY r1EAsE-
The ettoct OF tuih law was soon noticeable a. III
frontier forts. Gen. n u. IIAzen, In the wlntt
d. Of 1B72-'73. wcl.known ottcor nsnsloned on tt
ill Upper Missouri River. came to Washington T.
y and tile War Department to Tho Imposition
r pracsiced upon soldiers At frontier military pos
Il By tho post-trnderB.' lie explained tle Charge
is tho lax regulating tho appointment OF .po
20 trsaers SLOWED how tho amendment took tfo
=. tho CommanddAnt Of tie post tho power
~ select or control 4 trader, and tho iutul
40 GUS otfoct which tho system bad upon u
10, obtaiued their positions through political int
In enco, and not ~ formerly by appointment fru
~ tho lantrai Of tbs army, Werc
Ao KNTEnELY lNDEpEEDEST or TIE MILITARY 4
OF TtONFIIEB,
~ aud refused to 10 governed by any foiea
IT. regulations that might bo laid down BY /
vi, r1as-Commandanta. Another evil Of the .,
H. charged by post-trado1s for all sor&s Of goo
which tley kept to sell, md that, IN defense
their exorbitant prices, thev said that shey We
ko Obliged to nay large ~ sn1ns III 81 none" money fot
IL. tha tinie that it was reported that these POI
it, trada1shs vera given 10 tue particular 1Fo'i
to OF HonAtozB. and even 10 those 10 whom u
Ino | officials In tho Administration wote tlemaels
Ut, uuder great obligations.
ia on THE GROUND. -
ors sr. LOUIS, No., March 3.--Ihe ~, Rtgn6a1 @ e
,b- learnB from gentleman Just from - l1f! ont w.
bo thv deyo!opueuss Of yeatordsy will create
%. s,rpriso out there because eyesJGoay ~ :
IN post haa been for long tiuao eognzant o.
~ ssnh haayy muutA1y contributions Ea4t. aud ~
xl @ wore nsgsd, ia oTdsr to snforee monthly COLI
Ia toas from their patrons, he nooesstty for n.u
lux those rsmittsncss e1plainmx tnAt Aey VT
reuuirod to par for tho privileges thoy enloYt
Int la l. leyaolds, posEithdass ~ Camp Supp