New-York tribune., 1894-04-06
JUGGLING WITH PRICES.
QUEER WORK on GOVERNMENT CON
TRACTS FOR UNIFORMS.
t.r.rt,, GATHERS TO PAY MORE THAN TIE
USUAL PRICE rOE THEIR SUITS "E"
YORK AND BOSTON FIRMS LOSE

I Il
rsr>r. PRICE ron THEIR SUITS NEW
YORK AND BOSTON FIRMS LOSE
4 LOT or WORK
Tho ,e,,ar-cerr,ere in the NewYork Posoffce
are generally held in kindly esteem by the people
Everybody knows they work hard ana earn every
penny Of the pay they receive lhey are DC
class faithful public servants
The lctter-carrers have just now gro"'u '''
.,,.,r,. against the powers at Washington. upon
/ whose orders and exactions they are dependent
The letter-carricrs are obliged - wear uhloihS'
rhey pay for these out OF their own incomes i"oS
are required to supply themselves WIN S"i""''.
/ and winter garments The fostolHce bep"' '''."'
at WASHINGTON annually makes contracts with
clothing manufacturers for the production or these
( uniforms Proposals are advertised for ana com
petItors appear with their bids II mas peeh tne
practice for years for bidders to offer specimen
| uniform and this has come to be regarued aS
standard for the service. government cio'h' II
is STYLED aud the outfit is given the designation Vi
/ "Goyernment standard" in all respects.
For several years the postmasters OF the leading
cities have been requested by the department 10
furnish names Of bidders for contracts IN 'her
own communities that the expenditures ior IaDor
in manufacturing uniforms might he made among
! the working people OF those localities. But TWO
| r,or,hs aro ,ronosals were invited by advertise
rnent Here they were given out for Sunday IN
Boston on Monday. while In Chicago the ADVERTISE
ment It is said. dd not appear until the following
Saturday while parties were expected to appear III
Washington the, next Monday with samples OF their
goods The proposition OF the department was 10
award 10 the successful bidder the contract Tor
manufacturing the uniforms FOR all the letter
| carriers In the United States.
HIGH BIDS ACCEPTED
In response to the invitation for proposals. Boston
and New York firms. who for many years have sup
piled their uniforms. appeared. through theH repr'
sontatives. with bids and samples Their price TOT
! summer uniforms so 20. Government stahdar"
nnd for winter goods 81 20. The awards, however
were made TO Oehn & Co. Of Baltimore ana 10
Fechtheirner q Brother Of Cincinnati al III 10 ior
summer and $li - for winter suits
These are recognized as exceedingly hard times
and the letter-carriers cannot understand why 'h'S
should be required pay 81 - more now than they
have ro,d heretofore for summer uniforms.
The awards on the basis OF the last call for pro
posa!s involve an expenditure on the part OF the
/ Government OF '-.tWetn $i-ioVp ana $~"V" ror
over fifteen years there has come To Boston anu
New-York this annual contract. and operatives nave
regularly looked forward e. II as source OF EN-
ployrn,nt al this season. II the disbursement
/ OF about $4,000 for labor among tOilers IN thlS
crowded centre. and an approximate sum IN i Bos
ton. But the main question is asked why aHoulp
/ Boston aud New York. who have been 50 long sup
i plNinE Il Government standard OF cloth anu UNI
4 form at minimum price, lose TINS wCrk uy IL
| tranef,r,nce to Baltimore ana cincinnati. ana the
lettcr-carriefs be required 10 pay IN these uiseSs
7
more prosperous times has been demanded oil theih
THE CARRIERS MUST ALL BY SUITS.
| Another feature f. presented in this connection
which bears on the subject OF indvidua! economy
\ letier-carrier IS always expected TO look neat III
/ his dress. Some give more Observance to th's re-
| quiremeat than others While one man may O
slipshoi and careless. and Indifferent - ms prtS1
there may b. ten otiets Who always strive 10 ',N
a. well as tAey can. This latter citss shNe .%n'.r %
/ uniforms mucn a. possible. on RAINY y'yS .'3
! wIll wear an od coat that IN the sunslnr 'ney
may present better appearance by wetit5,s 'nr &
T newer garments. lH summer, dl~' UrN oll,i y"
without u..4tcoa;s for the s1k- ~ comfort u hhS
,,a. Of .cw uniforms by preserving their OLD one~
If by proper cirr She uniform Of last summer '"ui
would be saved IL is alleged however, that the
ltcr-ay contractors exact the supply oi coilpr's
one man rcfisrs to Doe measured f'r coat. vAlsi-
coat and trousers no order VIII BE- "c'rp'II. lI',
any other carriers attached 20 Inst "'lg' us -
coercion against individual economr ana @ @lhrn', ~ J.,
h. only appli@s for crh' & ,yla1r- Wis., w,ihoat he
waistr,at. he W.. get nothing %. iiy e't"''' 'S"
I lation u a." contractors Is construed
rooR GRADE or CLOTH
The statement is made ,ha, when the bids were
! opened In Washington. the two sucecssini hT"7 o
! fer, no samples whatever. The singular part Oh
the thing too is y All av,rmcnts are correct mat
! Oehm q 60. OF Baltimore. offered a scaling bn'
the loves. figure being 3 -. the nghesi 81 '' ~ng ~
a, g .b III hight I'D ana 81 u above that
q BE old-ume bidders IRON nosgm r,r.t ,t ralm~l
hat the 10th submitted by these hrms was not
1ss mad Iy the sawyer Woollen Manufacturing
Company. Of Massachusetts,. ana mat the pficse
paid for il by tne contractors was 81 i.'e a yard'
il is alleged that after the successful bidders Sc
cured the contract they went from manuiacturer -
manufacturer. saying they wanted ci"tn l" NJ, ~
| certain contract requirement as 10 pro" ~, ,
manufacturrd into garments ana ihht th"y ''taiy Hn
succeeded I'm procuring an u!"iki a 'o,'. ,. J." ,
| these same mills al 81 10 yard. II this statement
! matter for CONSIDERATION II sawyer Woollen Mills
cloth FOR which Boston and Ncw-l ork slo,nms
| crnmont in suits $40 ~ each was not acceptable.
how could cloth Manufactured 10y the samr con
| ccn for sale at 81 !, ara turhrl III ~ ''o'Whs
manufacturers at 81 - be acceptable.
\ remarkable plea in justification of ihS action
alleged thnt this method is pursued H. 0rurr TO- TO-
siAI'Ig ,S ni,rj safcs rhe s'and is taken nat the
uniforms being manufactured IN Eastern cities thg
tn uaV th. cost Of transportation and consequently
| ibeir uniforms cost Them more than did those sup
tDas rnfairness i'm this 10 the lettcrcarrer In the
| far West Just how this argument Is going 10 pass
| not apparent There IS excess in cost OF sum,
iner uniforms Of 81 4' elch the cloth manufacture
| for two firms ~ 81 l" yarl cannot DE- as
good as that an1 % so'I afeo,nhg 70
how the letter-carIrr on the other SIdc Oh the con
/ tnent - TO be- benefited - a theory lacking some
east OF Cincinnati and Chicago certainly outnumber
10y large p"rccntabe me same 4lass oI pnDlc ser
much heavier and. asid" from his consideration
they ought not 10 bc expected to contribute IN TINS
!
,bre. thousand miles away on small matter
as the cost o. Governn MT uniforms ior iet'ef-c"r
! ri"rs.
JOHN q. WOOLEY TO EECTTRE ON TEuPFPtNCE
John q Woolcy. Of the National Christian En-
deavor Society Chicago. is In this city and Will ad
dress several meetings. lie has been invited here
by a number Of wealthy people who have arranged
for numerous meetings at which he Will speak. The
FIRST Will be I'm a hOus@ I'm Flfth-ave. and admission
yin he by invitation only. The others. open To IN,
public are "a follows Masonic Temple April al
Of Shrfe Maril,