The herald., 1894-03-24
THE WAR ON SHODDY UNIFORMS.
The Purchasing Board Now
Want to Probe.
They Say They May Have Been I'm
posed On.
a Claim That the Cloth IL Better Than
Is Furnished the United states
Army-A Caustic Letter to
General Dickinson.

tract tailoring concern in San Francisco
is growing decidedly interesting.
The following circular was received at
brigade headquarters yesterday:
OFFICE OF THE UNIFORM BOARD,
SAN FRANCISCO. March 10, 1894
To the Brigade Commander, Regimental Com
manders and the Company Commanders of
the First Brigade. N. G. O.:
GENTLEMEN From information re-
ceived through publications the board
learns that the quality OF the material
used and furnished your commands in
blouses and trousers is not good, but ia
shoddy and not up to the standards; /;
also, that many of the garments do not
fit.
The board desires to call your atten'
tion to circular No. 8, issued by General
Dickinson, the recorder of the board,
under date OF March 10th, which has
been sent to each OF you, and you are
requested to pay particular attention
thereto, as the board has a contract sut-
ficient to enable them to do so, and de-
sires to furnish the garments as pro-
vided for, and which you have right
to expect.
You will please remember that at the
last session OF the legislature ''service
uniform" was provided for, and that no
other should be furnished by the state,
and this came service uniform was the
same as the former fatigue uniform OF
the National guard of California, or as
the fatigue uniform of the United States
army has been and now is.
The quality of the flannel used in the
blouses and the kersey in the trousers
lie superior to that used by the United
States army, and il you have any tlan-
mel or kersey in your possession fur
nished by this board that is not 30 su-
perior then we have been imposed upon,
and we request that you shall aesst us
in every way that you can to remedy the
difficulty, and we have the power and
ability to do it.
Before the amount of the appropria-
tion asked for for uniforms was deter
mined at the last session OF the legiela-
ture the cost of service uniform was ar
rived at, so that we are not required and
did not attempt to get poorer or in
ierior quality OF material by reason of
the amount of money at our disposal,
for we had four separate bids from
responsible parties to furnish the uni
forms that are now being furnished Tor
lobb tuhu tO lOI tH0 UlOud0o huQ bEOuooIos
There may have been a few blouses
sent to the new companies of your brig
.ade not stamped, as they were hurried
off to accommodate them, but we think
not. The first stamp that WAS uHed was
one containing merely 2 date, which
was stamped in red ink within the arm
hole Of the blouses, and on hip pocket
of the trousers. This was used tempo
all ha ako hn am
upon it was procured, which has been
used ever since, and all garments should
be stamped with one or the other of
these stamps. ANY garment in your
possession received from the board, and
not stamped, you will please return at
once to the Pasquale Manufacturing
company, and notify the recorder OF the
board at the time that you do 80, and
of the number so returned.
All garments, ss they have been
stamped, have been under ths supervi-
sion of the inspector, been packed in
box and the box closed and sealed by
him, and shipped to you 30 sealed. II
you have received any boxes that wers
not sealed, please advise the recorder OF
the board at once.
You were all notified to have your
men at appointed times and places
present to be- measured by the contract
or. Many of the men were not present
to be measured and therefore govern
ment sizss were made for them. OF
those measured, where the garments do
not tit please advise the recorder az
once, giving the name of the man
measured, etate generally the difficulty
with his blouse or his trousers, and If
you have caused any alterations to be
made please give full details thereof
and any costa TO which you have been
put, and If you have had alterations
made and have had any cost you will
please advise the recorder why you did
not report to the board that the gar
ments did not fit.
II you have received any garments
from this uniform board, which, for any
reason, you believe are not up to the
etsndard in color or quality, or what
they ought to be, please forward sam
Piles of the same at once to the con-
tractor, the Pasquale Manufacturing
company OF this city, and notify the
recorder OF the board OF the number
sent.
The standard weight OF the United
States army hannels to the linen yard,
of which blouses are made, 10 IL ounces.
The weight OF our standard ID Az to
Is ounces, and is superior to the United
States army standard in strength, in the
number of threads used, and the dye is
good and lie equal to United States fan
nei.
Your immediate attention is called to
the details Of this circular, and you are
requested to comply with the same at
once, and, with regard to anything in
the future, please observe that We have
asked of you in the past, and now ask OF
you, that trouble may be avoided in
eyerv respect and satisfaction secured.
@. O. ALLEN,
Quartermaster General California.
JOHN II. DICKINSON,
Brigadier General Second Brigade
N. Il. @.
E. H. DE PUE,
Lieutenant Colonel and Division Quar-
termaster Uniform Board.
The recent published interview OF
General Dickinson has drawn fire in
another direction, as indicated by the
aubjoined caustic letter from Major
Owens:
Los ANGELES, March %, 1894.
Brig. Gsn. john II. Dickinson, Recorder Uni
form Board, San Francisco;
SIR In an interview published in
the Chronicle OF the 22th inst, you are
quoted as using the following language !:
II am informed that the chief kick