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Good potable water and wholesome food have been amply provided, and the clothing of the boys carefully looked after. Very respectfully,

(Signed,)

HENRY P. HARVEY,

P. A. Surgeon, U. S. N.

To Commander E. M. SHEPARD, U. S. N.,

Commanding N. Y. N.

S. S. St. Mary's.

On motion of Mr. HIRAM K. MILLER, the report was unanimously adopted, and a copy ordered to be sent to the Hon. A. S. DRAper, State Superintendent of Public Instruction at Albany.

REPORTS OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES.

Mr. WILLIAM H. LYON, Chairman of the Special Committee appointed on the 7th October to consider the proposed removal of the Indian Warehouse from New York to a western city, submitted the following report on the subject :

To the Chamber of Commerce:

The Special Committee appointed to consider the proposed removal of the Indian Warehouse from New-York to some Western City, as suggested in a communication to the Chamber from the Department of the Interior, dated September 22d, 1886, by the Hon. J. C. D. ATKINS, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, respectfully

report:

That they find the annual appropriation by Congress for fulfilling treaty stipulations and contingent expenses of the Indian Department amounts to about six million dollars, and that nearly three millions of this amount is required to pay for annuity goods, subsistence, agricultural and miscellaneous supplies.

In making these purchases, the law requires that at least three weeks public notice by advertisement shall be given for all purchases made exceeding in the aggregate five hundred dollars in value at one time, except in case of exigency.

For many years past the Commissioner of Indian Affairs has advertised for sealed proposals to be opened at the Indian Warehouse in New-York, where samples of goods and supplies required were to be sent.

Bidders have been invited to state the prices for such goods as they proposed to furnish, to be delivered either in New-York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Omaha, Sioux City or St. Paul, and a very large majority of bidders have stated prices for goods to be delivered in New-York, in preference to any of the above named places.

This method of opening bids in New-York, where the large

dealers and the agencies of the large manufactories throughout the country are located, and where a great variety of samples of dry goods, clothing and miscellaneous articles can be furnished at very small expense, has caused great competition among bidders, and the result has been that the Government purchases for the Indian Department have been made at lower prices than any wholesale dealer in the United States could obtain.

Articles offered by Western bidders which can be more advantageously furnished from that section, such as wagons, agricultural implements, machinery, &c., do not require samples, as the awards are usually made from cuts and descriptions, and one small sample, in many kinds of hardware, will serve for all different sizes. Of subsistence supplies, flour is the principal one of which samples are required, and they are sent in small bags of twenty-five pounds each. The other articles furnished by Western bidders being awarded on specification. If the practice is continued of advertising for delivery in the different cities, a large majority of the lowest bids will, without doubt, be for delivery in New-York, as heretofore, and a Warehouse suitable for the reception of large quantities of samples and the careful inspection of goods when delivered will be required there the same as now.

It has been supposed by some parties that there would be a large saving in transportation if deliveries were made in some Western City, but this is a mistake, as the competition among bidders on transportation from New-York is very great. The bids last spring to several points were the same from New-York as from St. Louis, and to some points less, as the following will show :

From New-York.

$4.48

7.68

5.99

1.70

1.40

1.18

1.57

1.34

5.93

1.45

From St. Louis.

$4.48 to Casa Grande, Arizona.

7.68

"Colorado River, Arizona.

5.99 Spokane Falls, Washington Territory.
1.70 Rushford, (Pine Ridge,) Nebraska.
1.30 "Valentine, (Rose Bud,) Nebraska.
"Crow Creek, Dakota.
1.29 "Standing Rock, Dakota.
1.19 "Bismarck, Dakota.

1.19

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Your Committee has consulted with the leading and reliable bidders, who have been awarded large contracts for several years past, and made their deliveries to the entire satisfaction of the Indian Department, who say, without a single exception, that if the Indian Warehouse should be removed from New-York, samples required to be sent, bids opened and goods delivered in some Western City, the additional expense would be more than their present profits, as no merchant can get transportation at the Government rates, and that bidders would be obliged to advance their prices or refrain from bidding.

Your Committee has been informed that bids were opened in St.

Louis in 1876, but lack of competition resulted in such high prices as to necessitate the rejection of many bids and re-advertising in New-York.

Hon. GEORGE H. STUART, of Philadelphia, formerly a member of the Board of Indian Commissioners, and for several years Chairman of its Purchasing Committee, says: "Having been in business myself for over forty years, I have no hesitation in saying that I consider New-York as the place, under all the circumstances, for receiving proposals for the great variety of goods annually required by the Indian Department."

Hon. E. M. KINGSLEY, of New-York, who was for several years a member of the Board of Indian Commissioners, and Chairman of its Purchasing Committee, said, in his report, "that the judgment of the Commissioners, in view of the St. Louis experiment in 1876, was, that receiving proposals at a distant city had brought no advantages, but had been attended with some positive disadvantages.'

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It may not be improper to state that the Chairman of the Committee making this report was for nearly ten years a member of the Board of Indian Commissioners, was Chairman of its Purchasing Committee the most of this time, and devoted from one to two months in each of those years to its duties. He has been for more than forty years in active mercantile pursuits in New-York, and has had large experience as a buyer and shipper of merchandise to all parts of the United States. After his experience in Indian affairs, particularly in connection with the receiving of bids, awarding contracts, and the inspection of goods when received, he is very positive in his opinion that a large majority of the goods and miscellaneous supplies required for the Indian service will be furnished at lower prices in New-York than at any other point in the country, provided the wise methods adopted by the Board of Indian Commissioners and heartily concurred in by the Indian Bureau, are continued, the business so conducted as to encourage competition and command the confidence of our most honorable dealers, and that merchants of well known ability and unflinching integrity, not themselves bidders, be selected to assist in making the awards, and the inspection of goods and supplies when delivered and shipped.

Your Committee has endeavored to obtain information on this subject from the most reliable sources, and their conclusions are, that the interests of the Government and the Indians will be best served by retaining the Warehouse in New-York, and that a great mistake would be made if it should be removed. Respectfully submitted.

(Signed,)

WM. H. LYON,
AMBROSE SNOW,
HIRAM K. MILLER,

Special Committee.

NEW-YORK, December 1, 1886.

Remarks were made by Messrs. FREDERICK A. CONKLING, ELLIOTT

F. SHEPARD and CLINTON B. FISK, who regarded the change proposed as prejudicial to the interests of the Government.

The report was, on motion of Mr. JOHN E. SEARLES, Jr., unanimously adopted.

Mr. SEARLES thereupon offered the following resolution :

Resolved, That this Chamber deplores the proposed removal of the Indian Warehouse from the City of New-York, as being inimical alike to the interests of the United States and of the Indians; and we respectfully call the attention of the President, the Interior Department and the proper Committees of Congress to the accompanying report, and urge the continuance in this City of the Indian Warehouse, and the award of supplies from this point.

This resolution was seconded by Mr. SHEPARD, and unanimously adopted.

RESOLUTIONS.

Mr. AMBROSE SNOW called the attention of the Chamber to the importance of further urging upon Congress the great need of protection to the harbors of the country, and the securing of such ordnance that would be equal to any emergency that may arise.

Mr. Snow offered the following resolutions, and moved their adoption:

Resolved, That it is earnestly desired by this Chamber that Congress, without delay, take up the subject of ordnance investigation, as, while the question of suitable ordnance remains unsettled, all progress is delayed.

Resolved, That the President of this Chamber appoint a Committee of three, whose duty it shall be to invite the attendance of experts in ordnance, hear them, and prepare a memorial urging Congress to no longer delay active measures for the protection of our harbors.

Mr. A. FOSTER HIGGINS opposed the adoption of the resolutions. He argued that it was not in the sphere of the Chamber to consider and decide upon questions purely of a scientific character.

Mr. CORNELIUS N. BLISS took the same view of the subject, and moved the reference of the resolutions to the Committee on the

Harbor and Shipping, to consider and report upon at the next regular meeting of the Chamber.

Messrs. FRANCIS B. THURBER, AMBROSE SNOW, G. WALDO SMITH and JOSIAH O. WARD advocated their adoption.

On motion of Mr. THURBER, the following resolution was adopted as a substitute :

Resolved, That the President of this Chamber appoint a Committee of three to develop all possible information upon the efficiency of ordnance upon which we must rely for the defence of our country's interests; said Committee to report to this Chamber at a future meeting.

The President appointed as the Special Committee Messrs.

AMBROSE SNow,

EDWARD L. MOLINEUX,

NORMAN S. BENTLEY.

The Chamber then adjourned.

Monthly Meeting, Thursday, January 6, 1887.

A regular monthly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was held this day, at one o'clock, P. M., at the Rooms of the Chamber, on Nassau-street, between Cedar and Liberty streets.

PRESENT.

JAMES M. BROWN, President.

CHARLES S. SMITH, First Vice-President.
GEORGE WILSON, Secretary.

And a quorum of members.

Mr. FREDERICK A. CONKLING announced the presence of Mr. ELISHA SMITH, President of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce. Mr. SMITH was thereupon invited to a seat on the platform on the right of the presiding officer.

The minutes of the last regular meeting, held December 2, 1883, were read and approved.

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