Arizona republican., 1901-10-10
THE INDIAN SCANDAL
The Pull of the Bay State
 Clothing Company
A Member of the Firm Explains the Charges Against It by Talking About Another Matter Quite Foreign.

New York. Oct 9.-The scandal grow ing out of the acceptance of inferior goods by the representatives of the in- terior department purchasing Indian supplies at New York, which was made public in the Commercial exclusively yesterday does not grow less after ex- plantations are made.
 The business rivals of the Bay State Clothing company claim that the latter company has pull by means of which it has been able to pass inferior goods It is claimed that Superintendent l.. l.. Robbins, in chargs of the local Indian warehouse. was discharged because o. the condemnation of some of the cloth ing supplied by this favored company. It is charged that while the inspector, who is now alleged to have been the tool used by the company. has been discharged. the influence of the com pany at Washington has been so strong that the goods have been aces pted just the same. It has been charged that a relative of Senator Simon of Oregon s a member of the Bay State Clothing company. There are other charges flying around. all of which show tha1 there is evidently a more searching in vestigation of the whole matter necea- sary. and some further action by the department is confidently expected.
 Today Mir. Oppenheimer Of the Bay State Clothing company. when seen at the factory of the company In Long Island City. attempted an explanation of the deal. ITO begin with" said he. Superintendent Robbins. who Is now suspended-which means fired-never was a friend of this firm. He was al- ways against us. Two years ago we had a lot Of kerseys left over and we heard the Indian stores could use them. We called him up and hs told us that he did net want them We afterwa-ii learned that he had bought the same kind of goods at a higher price than r:e would have sold them. Special Agent C. F. Neslsr who now has charge cS the warehouse. came here at that time 10 investigate the matter. He came to see us. but we gave him no informa- ton ana let the matter drop.
 AS to the charge that we used any political influence to get our present cCntracts-ths. is not so. Senator Si- mon has ro-cuITrlea tiUn with tlds iis'i'i- The members of the firm know Sen ator Simon. that Is all. Ee Is not inter- sted in our business. After ~e had been awarded the contracts-the total of our contracts amounts to something over s140.OOO-we found out that we could not furnish the kind Of Things We had contracted for on cer- tain lines of Oxfords. We could not get the goods in the market. so we ser5 samples os other goods. and the in spector told us we could use them
 Mir Oppenheimer exhibited letters signed Dewitt C. Whiteman. who wa7 formerly the government inspector. but was deposed on account Of his connec- ton with these contracts. which tol the contractors they might use the lin- inss they offered.
 Continuing, Mir. Oppenheimer said: ':Afterward there were objections raised. but want to say that the goods we furnished were better than those we had furnished for two previous years on exactly the same specific1 tions. There was n per cent reduc- tion made on one lot, and as we had the goods made up we had to accept 1t, but do not think that it was just. This 10 per cent reduction does not cover all the goods w. have contracts for. Some of the goods were reduced only 1 per cent. and some may not be reduced at all
 When asked if 1t would have been possible to re-advcrtise and get the goods after his firm had notified the department that it could not fulhll It's contract. MT. Oppenheimer frankly said that he thought his firm could have de- livered goods on time under a new letting.
 Special Agent Nesler. who Is now n charge of the government warehouse here. in an interview yest5 rday. made it appear that the Bay State Clothing company would have to take 20 per | Foods-t0 per cent undervaluation and an added penalty of 10 per cent. The department at Washington alone has power to add the penalty and MT. Op- penh elmer said today that he was con fdent that no penalty would be charged against his firm. If no pen alty is charged. and the 10 per cent cut i is made on only one lot. the company will get very nearly its full contract price for goods which no one claims are up to the specifications.
 "We don't expect any very serious trouble over the matter" said Mir. OD-' penheimer. we have done and gre doing great deal of government work. and never have any trouble with the departments. We not only make clothing for the interior department but we also make khaki uniforms for the war department and all the mall sacks for the posto5hcc department" A prominent Broadway clothing manufacturer said today: Everything about the Indian warehouse here has been rotten for long time. There has been no use of any man making a bid on anything unless he had a pull. great effort has been made and strong Washington influence used to protecc those mixed up in this Bay State con- tract. and now the statement Is made that if New York merchants and man ufacturers say anything the deparS- ment will not buy any more goods here. 1 rI l,atf rnot tl hIl.r