Evening star., 1899-04-06
Refrigerasef Beef Regularly spoils
BAfara, They Get 1t.
OUTSIDE ::RIsa [|1 A TOTAL Loss
: I E u =
Mems Ranouis Cut Down to This
IN
% Extent
CONTRACTORS SHOULD. LOSE

l. HAVANA, April g, II % a.m.-Capt Neil
Gaines, in charge, of the relief of the des-
titute of Havana, and provost of this city,
has declined to- give a. receipt and thus
make himself accountable for $1,000 cans of
beef, 100000. cans of tomatoes and quanti-
ties of dried apples and other stores, know
ing that part of these provisions are
spoiled. The supplies are in warehouse No.
.. at Regla. Acting Chief Conmissary Bart
lett, in the absence of Chief Commissary A,
L. Smith,, wrote to Captain Gaines five days
ago, directing him, by order of the division
commander, to receipt, from MAJOR j. Z.
Mull1ken of the subsistence department,
these stores. Captain Gaines, however, saw
a lot of spoiled meat and asked General
Ludlow to cause an inspection to be mace.
Major Muiliken was unwilling to wait for
the inspection, as he was being mustered
out and the department inspector, by Gem
eral Ludlow's order, investigated the mat
ter on Sunday land found enough rotten
meat to warrant asking for the appoint
ment of a board of survey.
Friction Among Ofiicials.
In this connection it is asserted that Maj.
Mullfkens clerk, Benson, told Capt. Gaines
that half the contents Of the warehouse
had been assorted before Gen. Ludlow had
time to order a survey board, and 1t Is
added that Gen.. Ludlow received a COM
nunlcdtlOH from FOlNlSlOll Hcid4ueAt eSi ~
asking to know by what right the depart
nent inspector had been examining divis-
ion supplies. Gen. Ludlow replied yesfer-
day, quoting Bartlett'S letter to Gaines, ard
gcing further into the subject.
Chief Commissary Smith is raported to
have received a asletter from the acting COM
missary general at Washington, directing
him to destroy spoiled meat without acton
on the part of the board of survey, though
such action is the usual procedure, accord
ing to the reguia tons. Following Smiths
ins tructions, Benson says, four thousand
cans of spoiled meat have been thrown into
the bay.
Smith, 1t further appears instructed
Gaines about February 20 that there was
no need to ask for the appointment OF
boards of survey in the case of tainted
meat, but to destroy it, goods so dis
posed of would be replaced, whereupon
Gaines destroyed 400 cans. The packers
are said to be glad to replace damaged
meat with good meat.
had Meat Supplied.
Smith has retlfnsd from Washington and
has gone to 7AatanFas:- 1t. is claimed that
the refrigerated meat supplied by contract
with Chicago firm to the United States
troops at Masianaar and Havana is in part
unfit for food. For instance, it is pointed
out at s o'clock this morning quantity
of meat was brought from the refrigerated
meat warehouse Fear Maranao to the
Concha railroad station.
Inere ABOUT -sf3o pounds OF the meat was
served to the commissarieS of the Sd Bat
| TALON of the 2apEngfheers. covered with can
Vas and was taken lin less than thirty min
utes, to La Rftnta to be distributed But,
| it is asserted, from 10 to 20 per cent of the
meat was Spoiled ahd had to be trimmed
| off. The .remaintfeH was issued to the 26s
men In the battalion. ~Ehe same thing it is
! added, oecursss,evesy morning at ali the
camps supplied with this meat.
Outside Always. Spoiled. ... g..
The contention ofsthe inspectors is that the
| outside meat Is spoiled obefore it leaves
| the refrigerator meat warehouse, and that
| it is not spoiled in transit. The inside meat
| is good, but after the bad meat is trimmed
| off there is not enough left for the regu-
| lation ration of twenty onces to each
man. The standpoint of the men is that
| they are entitled to twenty ounces of good
| meat, and that as the outside meat is al
ways bad enough should be supplied by
| the contractors to allow of trimming, as
the soldiers are now the only losers