The morning call., 1893-05-08
PRICE FIVE CENTS.

TO me and asked for two barrels OF sugar I
should have given. it to them without
taking receipt" was Pugh's answer. He
continued his explanation. saying that
there was not only a chance for the men
VINO supplied goods to be dishonest il they
wanted to, but that the cooks or any one
10 command about the home could take
what they pleased when they pleased, and
there was no way Of finding out VINO got it
OF when 1t was taken, let alone what was
uohe with 1t. In other words, if the COM
mandant made reQuisition for ten barrels
OF hour upon the supply committee and
'he supply committee ordered five barrels
anu charged the house with ten barrels,
Tue committeeman putting The price of five
oarfels OF Hour in their pOckel. there was
no way to detect il; or il the firm having
the contract for furnishing flour sent only
nve barrels and charged the home for ten
barrels, dividing the stealing, there was
no way to find it ont.
Ihe COMMITTEES was astounded at the in
teliIgence. and the farther the examiua-
tlon progressed the worse it got. Since
Fugh became commissary lie said he had
discovered that the home has been paying
within the last year 2l% cents more per
pound Tor sugar, Sc cents more per case
Tor canned goods, II cents more per gallon
for syrup. 10 cents und more for to-
Daceo. 81 case more for cove oysters and
about Sc barrel more for mess pork than
tse same goods could be purchased for in
open market in San Francisco, and what
was worse. most uf the goods have been
snort IN weight and of inferior quality.
From August % to November the butter
furnished fell 153 pounds short of the
weight charged ior, while the bacon aud
mans furnished were always short in
weight. Although paying above market
price for the goods the home never re-
ce!ved any rebate. Pugh testified that he
had notified Director Hobart, chairman
OF the committee on supplies, frequently
oy letter OF the shortages aud nvercharges
oy the commssary, but got no replies nor
rebates Root d Sande1sOn and Brigham,
Hoppe " Co. Of San Francisco and Thomp-
son & Beard of Napa have been furnishing
the goods. The commssary called atten-
tlon to the fact that since books had been
kept in the commissary department the
shortages in weight and the overcharges in
prices had almost ceased. He gave one
instance, that Of sugar. Before the books
were opened the home paid 715 cents per
pound for Grarulated sugar, now the price
Is 81 cents for the same sugar
During the first month | was in office"
said Pugh, there were $50 pounds of bak-
ing powder used. where now, with twenty
additional men in the home, sixty pounds
of baking-powder are enough"
did you notify the commandant that
the home was paying for goods they never
received? For instance. that they had
paid for 153 pounds Of butter that was
never sent?" inquired General Barnes.
"Yes, sir; and wrote to the chairman OF
the supplies committee, but it did no good"
was the answer.
Pugh was on the stand over two hours,
and Showed that he not only knew his
business as commissarat, but that he
knew the home was being cheated, but
could not help himself He made no re-
ports to the secretary. didn't know
whether the goods were furnished by con-
trae: or bought in open market, but pre-
sumed they were furnished by contract as
the same firms furnished the same goods
all the time, viz: Root & SandersOn, grC-
ceries; Brigham, Hoppe & Co.. bacon,
some canned goods, butter. mess-pork.
hams, cheese, lard. etc, and Thompson s.
Beard of Napa, beans. syrup, smoking to-
hacco, while Miller & Lux furnished the
fresh meat. The latter was of fair quality
and always overweight.
How could You tell whether the goods
were Of the quality and at the price called
for in the contract if you had no copy of
the contracs?" was asked.
Il couldn't tell; that's just it. They
could send anything at any price and [
In iOf,t
wrong. During the past two weeks l have
been returning goods that l knew were
unfit for use, by order of the new COM
mandant, bet uever did so before''
"Well, this is rotten, worse than rot
ten," said Barnes in disgust, and then
Pugh was temporarily excused.
Adiutant Graham was next put on the
stand and was asked whether at any time
there had been any duplicates OF con-
tracts for supplies filed in the Office of the
commaDdant.
Never" was the answer; we know as
little about the way in which the supplies
+ are bought as you do"
He was then asked about the discipline
of the home and the Observance of certain
rules and regulations, and admitted it was
bad. The supplies fer the canteen were
bought in the same way that other sup
plies were purchased. He knew the can
teen was a benefit to the home and to the
men. There was less drunkenness than
before its establishment Only beer and
bitters-no whisky straight-were sold,
but a lunch was provided. The bitters
turned out to be vile decoctions, princi-
pally made up Of alcohol and mysterious
compounds worse in every way than The
poorest whisky.
Ii was the unanimous sentiment of the
board that if the eanteen was continued
whisky pure and good would take the
place of the bitters.
The check system was gone into. and
then General Barnes, all unintentionally.
exploded another bombsAell in the camp
of the already harassed directors. He
asked the adjutant how many men in the
home were drawing pensions.
About 30O sir"
80 many as that? How much is the
aggregate of the pensions. and how much
of it does the home get?" was the next
question.
.'The pensions 10 toto amount to about
soS0O year The home doesn't get cent
of 1t of course"
"WhalW said Barnes. THE home
doesn't get cent Of the pensions? How
is that, | would like TO know? Dlesn't
every man who enters this home sign
contract to pay his pension into the home
when he enters it in payment for his board,
lodging, medical care, clothes, etc ?"
"Yes, sir" replied the adjutant, "he
signs such contract, but the board Of
directors passed resolution SONS years
ago that they wouldn't take the pension
money from the men and the contracts
have never been enforced"
II would like some director to tell me-"
said General Barnes. hotly, 'how board
of directors can by a resolution set aside
an act of Congress and state law. They
had better be looking up their authority
for doing so, for 1 am certain that if the
General Government or the State should
demand the pension money that should
have been collected from the pensioners
who are inmates of this home, the various
boards OF directors will have to pay it.
Let's see," lie continued, "S2S00 for nine
wears would amount to ever S25.000. Why,