Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-06-30
CAMERON GETS A
FAIR CHANCE FOR
HAY OF ARIZONA

/ WASHINGTON, June 29.-After fur
ther conferences with the quartermas-
4 ter general concerning the recent call
for border army post hay supplies, the
/ specifications controlling which bids
! were charged to discriminate against
Arizona grown hay, Senator Ralph Fl.
! Cameron reports that the following
| telegram has been dispatched by the
war department to the contracting Of
! ficer at Fort Sam Houston:
| "Supplementing the May 26 telegram
of this office, your particular attention
| is again directed to paragraph, three
! in the May 10 letter of this office,
which directs you in all bids to call
for number two Johnson hay, number
two Johnson alfalfa mixed, number two
lalfa1fa, and number two alfalfa light
! Johnson mixed"
"This paragraph was framed after
careful study by this offices veterin-
airy corps and the department of agri-
culture, and had the personal approval
of the quartermaster general and was
SO worded as to make it obligatory of
the part of the purchasing quarter
masters to ask for all bids on all class
of hay of equal feeding value and ma
also intended by this paragraph to
widen the scope of all bids offered to
bring more competition into army for
age supply and to break up the prac-
tice existing at purchasing points Of
advertising for certain classes of for
age that could only be furnished by
certain classes of combinations of
dealers, and also to stop the practice
of calling for bids only on classes of
forage specified in acquisitions when
other classes of forage of equal feed
ing value might be obtained cheaper
"On examining in this office the pro-
tests of the hay dealers in Texas and
Arizona, it seems that the objections to
your proposals arouse because you dis
regarded instructions in paragraph
three in the letter of May 10. For in
stance, your proposals for bids which
were opened on June IA, were so word
ed as to permit bids on inferior grades
of hay, particularly south Texas
prairie instead of number two upland
prairie, and this naturally brought
protests from Arizona dealers who were
bidding on better grades of hay, sec
ondly your proposals to be opened
July / are now so worded as to convey
the impression that you will not accept
bids on number two upland prairie at
certain stations in your corps area,
even though it can be furnished cheap
er than similar classes of hay of the
same feeding value. This wording
properly bring protests from number
two upland prairie hay bidders.
"This office has not heard your side
of the case, and therefore reserves final
judgment until you report, but as your
awards for hay were to be made on
bids to be opened July L. this wire Is
sent you so that instructions for the
purchase of hay from this will be un-
derstood and complied with in making
awards.
"All contractors and their represen-
tatives in Washington have been shown
paragraph three, which is claimed to be
fair to all bidders and without excep-
ton they admit it's fairness and state
that had you worded your proposals so
as to carry out this paragraph, there
would have been no grounds for pro-
test, with the exception of alfalfa,
which is of greater feeding value than
other hays, and which cannot be fed
alone to animals. You are again di-
to be opened July /, your depot to low
est bidder on any class of the follow
ing says at leach and every station to
which forage is to be furnished:
Number two upland prairie, number
two Johnson hay. number two Johnson
alfalfa mixed, numbed two alfalfa and
number two alfalfa light Johnson mix
ed"
"This can be done under the clause
in all proposals which state, if alter
nate bids are submitted in accordance
with specifications, they may be ac-
cepted or rejected at the discretion of
the purchasing officer, provided the
quality does not fall below the re-
duirements of the specifications"
The sending of the telegram to Fort
Sam Houston is generally regarded rs
a great victory for Arizona hay grow
ers in removing cheap south Texas hay
from competition.
HUNDRED DEAD IN QUAKE