The morning call., 1893-07-17
Tailors Competing for a
Big Contract.
FEAR EASTERN COMPETITION
The Specter Raised by Drummer.
Action of the National Guard
Uniform Board.


They see visions OF sack containing
S43 600 in United States gold coin.
This is the sum appropriated py tne
Legislature for new uniforms Tor the Gal
Ifornia National Guard.
The contract is to be awarded at II
o'clock noon, Pacific standard time. Tues
day, August 1, 1898, at the Office OF the
uniform board. room 3S, 216 Bush street.
There is to be quite sharp competition
among the military tail0rs to secure the
big contract. Their dreams OF capturing
the prize are, however, disturbed at times
by the specter of Eastern competition. A
drummer from New York military cloth
ing manufacturing firm has been knocking
about town lately Dragging before his
friends ana acquaintances about his abil-
ity to capture the whole works. he would
always meet any cynical glance by WHIP
ping out little ivory tablet. which ne
with an air of man with cinch.
The local military tailors feel aggrieved
because the uniform board-which consists
of Brigadier-General c. G. Allen. quarter
mastergeneral; Brigadier-General John
II. Dickinson. commanding Second Brig
ade. and Colonel E. J. de Pue. division
auartermaster-have issued circular to
all the captains stating that from the best
information they have the blouses Will
cost, approximately. 81 so; trousers, So 45;
hats. 81 30, and leggings, 90 cents.
These figures have c0njured up the
| specer OF Eastern and possibly Chinese
cheap labor ompetition, for the local mill
!ary tailorS are loud in their protests that
it is absolutely impossible at the prices
paid to San Francisco operators to supply
uniforms at $40 each m ade with the grade
and quality of cloth selected by the uni-
| form board.
I'VE have no show" said the represen-
tative of one San Francisco firm, ''if we
are compelled to bid for the work in compe-
titi0n with Eastern firms, which have
! work done for starvation wages. The basis
of prices adopted by the uniform board
has made it impossible for the only woolen-
mill in California to secure the order for
the cloth-this, too, despite the fact that
| the WoOlen-mill in this city enjoys the repu-
tation of having produced for the War
Department the best cloth ever worn by
| United States soldiers.
''If any San Francisco bidder should Sc
cure the contract for the uniforms on the
basis established by the board he will be
! obliged to buy the material in the East
SO you see the San Francisco manufacture
er stands better show to do business with
the officers of the regular army than be
| does with the officers of the National
Guard of his own State Times arr hard
enough in San Francisco in all branches of
industry without making them harder by
| sending out o. the State over forty thousand
dollars of public money. wrung from our
taxpayers, to pay for work done in East
ern cities"
Other local merchant tailors spoke In the
| same strain. There are about half dozen
makers Of military goods in San Francisco
who have applied for specifications and
samples of cloth with a view Of submit
| lin, q la ho O
Dumber of representatives of Eastern
man nfacturers have also applied for sam
| pies and documents with the same object
in view. Three or four bidders from Los
Angeles and Portland, Oregon, are also in
the field.
1t was at first the intention of the uni
form board to simply negotiate for the
purchase the cloth of only. and then TO let
out contracts for the manufacture of the
clothing. 1t discovered, however. that
it was impossible to separate the purchase
of cloth from the making of the same for
blouses and trousers, as to do so would
| greatly increase the cost in both cases.
| Commanding officers were accordingly in
vited to waive any right they might have
| to draw the money for the making or fur
| nishing OF any portion OF the uniforms,
the board guaranteeing that the members
| of the respective com Danies should be sep
ar tely measured and the uniforms made
| tO LII tuclI W luc cdtISldCtiUu Va CUlpC-
tent inspector.
| General Dickinson was interviewed yes
terday regarding the reported dissatisfac-
tion of the local tailors over the prospect
of having to contend against Eastern CON-
petition. He said: Il can see no reason
why the National Guard should not do
| the best 1t can with the money appro-
priated for uniforms. We cannot very
we'll exclude any American manufacturer
| from the right to bid for work or material
where ompetitive bids are invited. 1t is
true great many people in San Francisco
are out of employment. Here is one
chance for them to get work. The local
Eastern manufacturers. Let them Sc
cure some of the unemployed operators.
1t is a point in their favor il the labor
market here is 0verstocked.
"We do not intend to have any combina
tion put up here to make US paw more
| than the goods are worth. If Eastern
manufacturers were shut out the few firms
left would very quickly enter into com
| bination to fix prices on US. All this out
| cry has been raised because the uniform
board proposes to defeatany such scheme.
$50 far as Chinese competition is con-
cerned, that is impossible. A State law
prohibits the employment of Chinese in
any work dore for the State and the
National Guard in State institution.
You will also see by referring to the
specifications that preference is to be
given to articles of American production
and 10 articles manufactured on the Pacific
Coast. Surely this ought to be considered
sufficient protection to our own manu-
| facturers."
The National Guard is not likely to be
supplied with new uniforms before next
| New-Year's day. The contract will stipu-
late that deliveries of bouses and trousers
shall begin within ninety days after the
signing Of the contract and be completed
within sixty days thereafter. All other
items are to be delivered within ninety
days after the signing IF the contract
The whole or any portion of the supplies
may be bid for. but proposals are desired
only from persons actually manufacturing
or dealing in the articles specified in the
| Dr0nOsalc