The San Francisco call., 1896-08-14
SEEKING TRADE OF
INDIAN AGENCIES,
Competition of Portland
Merchants With Local
Firms.
A SCHEME SUSPECTED.
The Purchasing Depot Might Be
Moved Away From This
City.
BIG BUSINESS PROSPECTS.
Supplies for $4,000 Indians on Farms
and in the Schools of Five
States.
BIG BUSINESS PROSPECTS.

This year for the first time in the four
teen years that Government Indian sup
ply warehouse has been located In San
Francisco an effort has been made by an
other city to bid in competition with local
firms upon the various lines of merchan-
disc furnished to the Indian reservations
and schools in the different coast States.
Portland merchants have entered the field
and have obtained contracts for several
lines of goods, having underbid their
rivals here.
Their orders amount to but $500 out of
total of $75, 900 expended by the Govern
ment at this supply depot, but the move
is significant. Portland is nearer than
San Francisco to the great body OF In
dian agencies on this coast-the agencies
of Washington Idaho and Oregon. 1t
might only be necessary for her mer-
chants to persuade the authorities at
Washington of this fact. show their bids
and then ask that the depot of supplies be
moved, or a northern branch be created.
When it is borne in mind that the success
full bidders must at their own expense
send the goods to this warehouse for in
spection and then off again for distribu-
ton, and that the northern merchants
may even lose money Oh their present
venture, the supposition is strengthened
that they have plans for the future.
San Francisco has never got all the
Indian trade within her power. The In
dian appropriation bill amounts to about
1000, COO a year. OF that sum about
$5, 900, 600 is expended for supplies of all
kinds. The main Indian supply warehouse
is situated in New York City. A very
10 10 inf in Ghioonn
From these two goes the great volume of
goods for the Indians. AT Chicago this
year 480 firms bid on the supplies to be
furnished. Clothing, dry goods boots and
shoes, blankets, books and some other
things are supplied 70 the Pacific Coast
States by the Eastern bureaus. A great
deal of these goods for the coast States
by California merchants were an effort
made 10 convince the Commissioner of
Indian Affairs of The fact.
Colonel John Lane, chief of the local
temporary Indian supply warehouse, at
33 Washington street, thinks that ii CLOTH
ing, blankets, shoes and such supplies
were all awarded here, along with those
already on the list, there would be all the
way from $3.50 600 to as high as S500,00 or
more q year spent at this point by the
Government. California blankets are
known to be better and cheaper than East
ern blankets, and it is asserted that just
as good and as cheap farm wagons are
made in this State as are made in the
East. But some goods can be furnished
more cheaply by the East, notably medi-
cal supplies. Then again, the Govern
ment gives preference to shoes ahd har-
ness made at Indian training schools.
The records of this years bids show that
San Francisco merchants can beat the
Fasteners on groceries. The contract for
L - 49, g<nn Grrx. 1t
LA cents pound. Last year the lowest
bid for beans at Chicago was AZ cents
pound. On coffee, teas and beans San
Francisco merchants ought to be able,
Colonel Lane thinks, TO underbid the
Eastern merchants of both the New ork
and Chicago depots of supplies.
This year eighty-one San francisco
firms bid on supplies-nineteen more than
last year--and i've Portland firms entered
the competition. The Oregonians took
everything in the crockery line.
Four inspectors acted as judges of the
samples, all of which were only mum mbered
and were otherwise i'm possible of identih-
cation. Carroll 6. Cam bron was Inspector
of groceries, Arthur McLea of leather and
harness, Charles p. Osgood of hardware
and miscellaneous goods end G. +. Boyd
of paints and oils.
The grocery supplies are coming into
the warehouse, and as soon as they
shall have been compared with the
samples they will be shipped to the sew
eral reservations and other supplies will
come in. 1t will take until October to
receive and ship away the different lines
of goods, which will amount 10 over 500
tons of stuff.
There are three big Indian agencies in
California-the Mission of San Bernardino
County, with about 1000 Indians, and the
Hoopa Valley and Round Valley agencies
of Northern Califarnia, each with about
800 or 400 Indians. Oregon has probably
5000 Indians, and Washington perhaps
4O00 The Nez Perces in Idaho may num-
Der 100. In addition to all these San
Francisco is the main source of supplies
for the Yuma Indians of Arizona.
Cninnel Inhn Lane who has been in