Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-03-14
4 NEW ION NIDDOND, OHdITIHdH'
SAM. BRADFORD, Secretary.
Collection OF Soldiers, Claims. uI


In the House OF Representatives, Wash
ibgton City, March 8, 1865, Mr.. Cobb, OF
Wisconsin, said: .fse,vty-ssTg
have some acquaintance with this busi-
ness of claim agency, and / wish to state
what think is known to most members OF
this House, or ought to be. 1t is not in
Washington city where claim agents SER
r! vices are valuable to the soldier or where
, they are required at all. 1t is at home, at
the points accessible to the soldiers where
the eevidence of the claims Is to be collected
and the proof obtained and prepared to be
sent here. And when 1t isprepared by the
local agent then the intervention OF any
agent here or of the service OF any member
OF Congress is the most useless thing that
can possibly be imagined. %
The experience of every member here
certainly will bear me out In this, that we
at our rooms oron this floor are scarcely
nearer to the Department here practically
than at our residences at home. We are
scarcely nearer than are the offices of these
local claim agents in the e-several States.
And If the soldiers would only procure the
services of competent, faithful claim agents
at home, whose services, such as are abso-
lutely necessary in preparing the papers
and proof, should be paid for, and would
ly and properly to the Department at WASH
ington; if they would eschew and ignore
these Washington claim agents and not pay
too much attention to members of Congress,
then their claims would be properly pre-
sebted, and would be in great majority Of
cases acted upon and in due time properly
and fairly paid.
All OF these local claim agencies at Wash
ingtOn, whether those established by in-
% diYidual enterprise or sent here by the
States, are in my opinion-and ! claim to
have had some experience at both ends of
, the line-entirely useless and Unnecessary,
and tend to impede the prosecution of the
payment of claims rather than to facilitate
them. And If l should say any ything to my
old companions in arms or to my cOnstltu-
ents at home who have these claims against
the Government II. would be that they look
to 1t well that they employ honest and ca
pable claim agents at home who will pro-
= cnre the proof upon which the claim rests
and send it directly to the Department aud
wait reasonable time, and then, If neces-
ary, make further communications through
their agents at home, and If in extraordin-
ary cases tits necessary, apply to mem
: Der of Congress. But by all means let
them avoid the claim agents that hover
around the Capital and the Departments of
the Government here, Let them employ
the local claim agents or agents establish
ed by the State Governments. ,...ti.
Soldiers and citizens in Ohio should send
their claims to 7. w. Tallmadge, who is an
authorized agent for collecting Soldiers,
Claims, at Columbus, Ohio. Hehas the ex-
perience of years in the business, besides
having served in the field as Quarternas-
ter and Commissary. He employs constants
ly a large corps of competent assistants
one who resides in Washington City, who
makes personal application for him at the
Departments when necessary. He is rec
ommended by every officer on duty for the
State and the United Stases in the city Of
Columbus, and members OF the Legislature
daily entrustt the business of their constit-
uentsin his hands. mar14-d&w1t