Year: 1875

NOT SUSTAIN IL. 1ney came 10 luc sam
conclusion with reference to the contraC
Of the present year, and moreover the
are convinced that during the years i
question all the cattle were received an
receipted for at their actual weights an
number.


THE TRUE INTEREST OF TIE CONTRACTOR


As an efiectual answer to the CON
plants concerning small and lean cattle
II is proper to state that it Is for the in
terest OF the contractor to buy cattl
which are as large and in as good condi
tion as possible, He purchases them b.
the head and sells them by weight. q
the issue Of May 4, 1875, while 1t appear
that the cattle were not equal to tn
average, there Is no evidence TO show tha
any fraud was praCticed upon the Indi
ans or the government,


Prof. Marshs charges Of fraud grOwinl
out Of system Of stampeding, imposing
great losses on the Indians aud the gov
ernment, are found to DO based also upOI
information only, and not on persona
knowledge, which information Is founr
to be incorrect. The statement in Hen
shaw's certificate that the cattle whiGl
had been stampeded and returned to th,
contractors herd were delivered to thI
agency and receiptCd for second time
has


NOT A SHADOW OF FOUNDATION


except in the fact already stated tha
seVenty.fve were returned and were mol
receipted for second time. In conclud
ing this branch Of the subject the Com
mission say that Notwithstanding theil
cautious aud exhaustive examination
they found no reliable evidence TO justify
the conclusion that fraud had been com
mitted by the agent or contractor. The
Commission recommend as an additional
check that the delivery Of beef be super
intended by an officer detailed for the
purpose, under the direction OF the Com
missary General Of The army.


fragrant fraud was found in the mat
ter OF pork contracts. J. W, l.. SlavenS
pork contractor, was found guilty oI
fraud in furnishing six hundred barrels
Of pork Of a vastly inferior quality tC
what he contracted to deliver. The
Commission recommend the removal Of
Inspector L. H. Threlkeld, who passed
the pork, and the exclusion OF Slaven
from all future contracts In any depart
ment Of the Government, and they


CANNOT ACQuIT COMMISSIONER SMITH
from neglect Of responsibility in allow,
ing clerical error in the Contract to
pass the Indian office, which rendered
the fraud possible. The matter was
compromised by the delivery Of bacon
TO make up the difference In the value Oi
the pork received and that contracted for
with little loss to the Government. The
original contract called for mess pork,
but by u clerical error the word "mess
was omitted and the contractor took ad.
vantage OF this fact to furnish the low
est grade Of pork, which the Inspector
passed.


INFERIOR FLOUR.


The Commission also find that -four ol
an inferior quality, which Major Long
was directed to inspect, slipped through
without inspection, and got to the agency
In a manner which has not yet been ex.
planned, but they conclude that the de-
partment erred in awarding the contract
for flour to j. II. Martin, who was mere
speculative bidder without business re.
sponsibility. An attempt at fraud was
also discovered on the part Of D. j. Nc.
Cam, by putting only eighty.eight pounds
Of flour In each sack which was required
to contain one hundred pounds. The su.
gar, coffee and tobacco furnished to the
Indians by the Government were Of q
low grade, but designedly so, and no
abuse was discovered In the matter
of their supply. Red Cloud evidently
adulterated the flour and picked out the
bad grains Of coffee in making
up the supplies hegaye to Prof.
Marsh. The Commission recommend
that hereafter instead OF letting
contracts for AOurin the city OF
New York they be let at some suitable
point in the west, where in the valley OF
the Mississippi, among the extensive
Touring mills, II is believed an active
competition may be created and flour be
obtained of better quality and at cheap
er rates than Is now furnished by the
middlemen or specializing contractors.


WHATEVER SUFFERING


there may have been among the Indians
was traceable to their own improyidence
and the severity OF the winter, instead OF
any delinquency on the part OF the gov.
ernment. Their suffering was believed
TO not have been extreme, except in the
case OF some remote bands who resorted
TO the killing Of their ponies for Subsis'
tence.


ON TRANSPORTATION FRAUDS.


Extensive frauds were discovered which
had grown out Of transportation. u. j.
Mccain, n heavy freight contractor, had
over estimated the distance from Chey.
enne and Red Cloud, As we'll "a miSstated
the number OF teams and days employed
by him in removing the property Of Red
Cloud Agency from the old to the new 10.
cation. They recommend that


LEGAL PROCEEDINGS ne INSTITUTED
against him for the restoration to the
government OF the money thusfraudulent.
" obtained. The Commissioner Of In.
dian Affairs misapprehendetl the legal
force Of the arrangement by which he al.
lowed the settlement with McCann
while questions Of the distance were
pending. The commissioners called atten.
tion to the impolicy Of The government
In allowing the Red Cloud and Spotted
Tail Agencies to remain 30 far away from
every point Of railroad and river trans.
portalion. The single item Of tranSpor.
lion To these agencies amount TO nearly
$4,000, a sum about equal TO the entire
cost in the Western market Of The provi.
sion transported. They suggest that the
time Ia past when the government should
purchase peace from the Indians.


Prof Marsh's charges against The
SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR AND COM.


MISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS,


the Commission say, Il proven, ought 10
subject both officers 10 Impeachment.
They found, however, that the Secretary
Of the Interior personally has but little
connection with any Of the contracts made
for the Indian service or with the adjust.
ment and payment Of accounts returna.
bic to that Office. The Commission we're
unable 10 learn that the late Secretary
was consulted or had any direct official
connection with any OF the contracts re-.
lating to the Red Cloud agency, or that
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