OCR Text |
Show WAR GRAFTING. The fine art of grafting is being exemplified in all its wonderful variety va-riety as a result of the purchases being made in this country by the belligerent powers. It is said that the national capital is overrun with emissaries emis-saries of companies having war supplies sup-plies to sell. This applies not only to munitions, such bk guns, explosives, bayonets and other weapons of war, but to food, clothing and horses. An official hic,rh in the service of the ' A m eric an government v; a s o ft' r-red $100,000 if he would persuade th-i cm-ba?.'idor cm-ba?.'idor of a belligerent power to direct di-rect tbat a bi ordr for cuppliep be given to a certain company, is'ot, only appointive officials, but member of congress, have been approached to ice their influen-'t: with embassadors and oilier envoys. These agents of American Ameri-can intere;t"3 rvbb;n tly aro not o ware that the diplomats really have little to do with the pure ha of war supplies needed by their governments, ruully their sole relation to lh; pnrrhot'fjH. consists in e:-.tab!i:-hine 1 1vi integrity of the concerns from vhh'h it k pro-por-e'l to mnV.fi the. purchases. It has ben estimated that Ihere are no W.'i than 000 purchasing agents of Great Britain, France, dcrman, Austria Aus-tria and Rur;bia transacting burners in the American mark(,trj today. F,ah man is a tpf'ia! i'"t in on; artirh; or product. Although Jm- irj fully informed in-formed as to quality, price and railway rail-way and freht tariffs he in rorne-tinit-'S compelled to pay an ex revive, price for goods as a renilt of the -, ramble for com mi? si on?. One of the liurnpean nation", was in t h" A !ii,,ri ran hi a rkd for cvrvi-e ,h'nv. r i. rt-'j ut',1 t ion c;i llol for 1 OOu paii of eaJf chuf:.i and 5000 puio of felt shoes. For these our own gov- ' -eminent pays $'2.97 and $2.11, respectively. respec-tively. The price demanded of the European agent was So cents more than the price exacted from our war . department. The excess was to take care of commissions for services in connection with the deal. The prices were rejected, and the manufacturers ;at length closed with the purchasing agent at an increase of 16 cents over the domestic price. An American speculator who had purchased 15,000 rifles of a standard type tried to get $5 more per rifle than the domestic price, but met with failure. In spite of the fact that only experts ex-perts are sent to this country to make war purchases, the belligerent powers are usually compelled to pay more than the normal prices. This is due to the increased demand, as well as to the trafficking for commissions. commis-sions. The agents of the opposed powers pow-ers are necessarily compelled to do some bidding against each other, and this tenda naturally to increase prices. Nevertheless, tho busy middleman is reaping a harvest-. |