The age-herald., 1899-01-10
MADE MILLIONIOUT
 OF ARMY BEEF

1eiiSSfOhueice or the New I Ofk JOurnal.
 Washington.-rhe scandals in the war de- partment growing out of the timed roast beef and refrigerated beef contracts are getting to be more malodorous and enorm- ous as the investigation proceeds
 The Journals exclusive stories have aroused congress. Representative J. Hami.- ton Lewis today introduced a resolution calling for an investigation by a congress ional committee. It was referred to the committee on rules, controlled absolutely by Speaker Reed. Representative Sulzer's res- olution, having broader scope, is also be- fore this committee.
 It is evident that the opportunities for jobbery and favoritism are limited only by the extent of the financial operations in the two items of refrigerated and corner beef, which are said on the highest authority, to have reached only $2,o0O,000.
 It is estimated that while the gross sales to the government aggregated nearly two million dollars, the margin of the profit was a the least figure 100000
 Neither refrigerated beef nor timed roast beef are allowed by congress for the sol der ration. Yet nearly two million dollars were expended in the purchase of these ar ticles from monopolies which had on hand a congestion of this stuff since the time of the Klondike craze and the China-Japan- csc war.
 The political pull which got the mon- opoiists' products loaded on the army ration will eventually come out in the investiga- ton being conducted by Inspector-General Breckinrdge
 How great fraud was perpetrated on the .lo by very high military officer He exhibited a Chicago paper If the 4th .nst. in which the quotation is given of common to best can ming cows at $210 to S2.S5 per hundred pounds"
 This is the quality of beef out of which the canned beef furnished the army Is made It is stated on equally good author ity that while the stock from which the re- frigerated beef is a little higher, yet the price asked for it of the government is about on a par with that of canned beef. The prices of these articles are not fur hished in the official reports It is known. however, by the official admission that the 290 900 pounds of refrigerated beef removed from Manitoba was valued at $27,OO0, or more than nine cents pound The timed roast beef is reported on good authority as having been sold at the same figure. The packing houses, therefore, bought beef at from 2.1O cents to 2.S5 cents per pound and. sold it by wholesale at about four times its cost. Allowing cents for first cost and packing, the firms and whoever was in the deal have cleared 100 per cent. on the deal. There was probably $l,030000 in profits for all concerned. Init is the estimate of high official.
 General Miles has asked the secretary of agriculture for the steps he took to see that beef furnished the army was properly inspected and labeled. That information did not arrive at army headquarters to- day.
 Army headquarters is informed that an- other wholesale destruction of refrigerated beef took place in Santiago harbor. It has not yet been accounted for This destruc- tion became necessary because the beef was sent to a place where there was not ice enough to preserve 1000 pounds of it, and the war department knew that fact when 1t ordered the stuff to Santiago
 Major Daly is expected to testify before the war Investigating committe as to the character of the medicated beef he saw on board the Comal at Tampa He will show whether it was or was not government beef. There is testimony to show that he spoke of beef furnished, or attempted to be furnished, by Commissary Eagan to the troops at Santiago.
 General Miles has the report of Captain Aspinwall, of the Manitoba This report has already been given substantially in the Journal.
 Two startling statements in it are that Manitoba beef had to be buried within few hours after it went ashore in Porto Rico, and that the cargo in New York was condemned by board appointed by Gen. eral Eagan himself. The condemnation took place with the knowledge of the com pany furnishing it. It was learned today that some of the condemned beef was sold. No account has yet been made public of this disposition of a part of the cargo, or whether the proceeds of the sale have been deducted from the S2I QUO, the alleged value of the cargo.
 The restiyeness of congress was illus trated today when Representative James Hamlron Lewis introduced his joint resolu- tion.
 Speaker Reeds action in referring to the committee on rules is taken to mean that he mas decided to allow nothing to pc done in this direction during the short session.
 This attitude of the speaker is believed to be the outcome of sharp bargaining with the administration.
 Speaker Reed is to acquiesce in the ad- ministration programme for expansion, the payment of the war indemnity to Spain, the increase of the regular army, and is to prevent any embarrassing inquiries by this congress into the conduct of the war.
 Any failure on his part to carry out the agreement will be met by combined ad- ministration opposition to his reelection to the speakership.
 THE WHEELER-GoULD INCIDENT