The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-06-27
Arrest in Washington of
Two Meat Dealers and
Mess Sergeants
BIG CONSPIRACY
HAD BEEN PLANNED
When an oficer VINO Was Investigating
Went to- Pay Large Bill He Was Of
/ fered commissioning Money
Used by officers.


Used by Officers.
WASHINGTON. D. c., June 27.-The
arrest of two Washington meat dealers
in this city and of a number of mess SER
geants, charged with an attempt to de-
fraud the government by system of over
charges and rebates on food supplies, is
believed to be aimed at checking what is
thought to be widespread profiteer-
ing conspiracy. In following up clues the
investigators came upon a score of club
houses where, over their eating and
drinking, local tradesmen and mess ser
geants laid their plans for cheating the
| government
| The mess sergeant of each company
has charge of a certain ration allow
anee and trades with the firms that he
chooses, accounting to his superior Off
Ger for his expenditures A dishonest
| sergeant trading only with men willing
to enter into a conspiracy with him
against. the government can make quite a
good thing out OF IT, Officers at the
| Washington barracks took. cognizance OF
irregularities in certain amounts and
suspectings that they might be far reach
ing. rigid investigation was begun I'M
| der the direction of the officers of the
iifty-sixth engineers.
While the investigation was under way
suspicious circumstances cropped up IL
other camps An officer of the fourtl
training regiment stationed at CAM
Humphreys overheard officers complain
ing of shortage IN supplies, and obtaine,
permission To make an investigation
stopping meat tricks on, their way t
the camp he found that several item
which had been charged for were miss
ling and others were short in weight
When he went to pay the bill, whic
amounted to more than SIS 900. the deale
was said to have offered to give him
commission; and his experience wit
lanother dealer was similar The secre
service men who used marked money j
t tracing the mess sergeants to their clu
5 found that liquor was being sold to Sc
geants who, in turn, sold what they di
not drink to men in the camps.
vi There has been considerable critcisi
n Of the system under which purchases Al
made for the army and attention has bee
called to the fact that the navy used [
: have trouble until it discarded sin
liar system about nine years ago and il
stituted methods which have been su
cessful in getting excellent food witho,
graft. The navy deals directly with mani
ltaeturers and dealers, requiring me
who have anything to sell to go direct
to the bureau of supplies There is 1
Whispering no fixing ii mp with any on
Rear Admiral Samuel MCGOWAN, pa
mastergeneral and chief of the burea
LOT supplies and accounts, says that Il
Iefforts OF the Navy Department to elr
mate the middlemen have been SO su
cesful that the number of those who ha,
transacted business directly, without al
intermediary, have about trebled in ii
last Is months. In this way, agent
Ibrokers and middemen have been large
Terminated. The 4,000 names ION the hi
lders' list represent the manufacture
land dealers of every section of Il
Ieountry About 80 applications are I
jeoted every month because they cam
show that they are manufacturers
dealers that carry goods in stock
Last September a circular was sent
lall on bidding list warning them again
Epersons representing themselves TO |
Iagents or brokers in a position to obta
contracts and to have goods of partic
lar manufacturers accepted for COVER
lmged to bid directly The repo
lprinted in certain newspapers Il
ldays ago that since the volume of co
tracts had grown so tremendously it h
been more difficult for naval intel
gence officers to investigate persons see
ing to negotiate war orders was brand
erroneous by Rear Admiral McGowa
who says the safeguards against pro
teering have been strengthened and tn
the purchasing methods make this pa
sible