Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-01-03

Nh .Nf NIENW d ,tIHNLutg-y ipuOt
efficiency compared with those of othei
| States aud with each other, The standing
committees of your body can only afford
time for cursory visitation, and the adj
vantages resulting from this prove tbetJ 9
more thorough inspection and more elab-
orate Investigation of all the principle
connected with tho management ard 10.
proYenient of such institutions wouldobeoi
real service to the State, Massachusetts,
| (and perhaps some other, States,) has estab;
| lished, by law. "Board' OF State Chart
| ties" formed, like the Boards of Trust oi
the several asylums, of citizens of high
| character aud beneyolencew who serve with
| out compensation for their time and labor
The, law authorizing the appointment OIL
| the Board declares that "they shall invesi
| tigate and supervise the whole system Of
| the Public Charitable and Correctional In
7 bstituttons of the Commonwealth, and shall
recommend such changes and additional
| provisions as they may deem necessary fol
their economical and efficient administers
tion." Such board would of course have
no power over the administration Of the
separate institutions, but would be the In
| telligent advisers of the Legislature in all
the miDuti9 ofsystem and of practical de-
tail, and the collectors ofall the information
larger interests and general welfare and i'm
provement of the public charities aud
prisons. Believing that such a board
would prove of real service to your body
by its investigations and reports, recon-
mend the adoption offthe plan in relation
thereto, which exists in our sister State.
-u 'l1t' PARDoNs, ETC. -at
Theusual report of pardons granted and
,,,,F,, ,nI ttnft pf
sentences of convicts, is transmitted here
with. ' '-.- 'i'.t an -' 'hI
"' MILITARY DEPARTMENTS. " .1
By the provisions of the statute passed
last winter, the care of the arsenal and
State arms was transferred from the Quar-
termaster General to the Adjutant General.
The latter officers report shows that due
diligence has been used in the collection
and care of those arms which had been
issued to the National Guard, and in the
sale Of such rs were ordered to be disposed
of.
The distribution of the medals of honor
to the veteran volunteers has been more
laboriOus task than was anticipated, but for
some months past about one hundred per
day have been mailed to the claimants, the
United States Government having remitted
the postage upon them, and the Adlutant
General hopes a short time will finish all
that can be done in this manner. The re-
mainder OF the medals will have to be kept
awaiting the individual claims which may
be made. ...-....
The record of Ohio soldiers enlisted dur
ing the war has been completed, and your
attention is again called.to the propriety OF
following the example Of nearly all the
other States, in publishing and making
available to the world the only complete
and authentic evidence of hepatriotic eff
forts of the State in the great national
struggle. tr. rra -ns
BUREAU OF SOLDIERS CLAIMS, AND WASH
INGToN, AGENCY. ... .......a..
The Commissioner of Soldiers Claims in
Ohio (Mr. Taylor) reports ,SSS claims pass
Ing through his hands during the year
past, viii ch, together with unsettled claims
transferred from other offices, make a total
of BIZ. He has collected $53S, ,S2S 81, of
which $29,202 SO was on hand at date of re-
port, ready for delivery.
The Washington agency (Mr. Wetmorel
reports the settlemento of 1924 claims, and
a total number passing through his hands
of 5,07S, upon which tue sum of $470.S73l0
has been collected and remilted to soldiers
aud their families in Ohio. oa- d.
In spite of liberal advertising and other
efforts to make the public understand that
these agents of the State are collecting the
claims of discharged soldiers and of their
families, free of all charge, it is found that
this fact is very imperfectly known, and
that the State is probably doing by far the
smaller portion of this work OF collection,
private attorneys and claim agents being
employed to greater extent than the pub
ctata nf
raises the inquiry how far it is best to con-
tinue the competition with private parties,
as matter of public policy. Af'
Somewhat different opinions are enter
tanned by the two officers who have been in
charge of this business, and their reports
contain the facts and arguments likely to
assist you in determining the question.
Should it be deemed wise TO continue the
agencies, would recommend that one of
the county officers in each county be re-
uuired to keep on hand the necessary
blanks, and instructions for making appli-'
cations for pension, back pay, &C.. and be
authorized TO charge small fee, fixed by
law. for filling up such applications and
administering the necessary oaths. Intel
ligent assistance would thus be given the
applicant at home in preparing his papers,
and a much larger number would doubt
'e'' p''7' 'i''0 ''' ''''l'' . f 4 ' SGi,H 4'5i
MILITARY CLAIMS OF THE STATE AGAINST THE
r. GENERAL GovERNMENT. ~.
The military claims of the State against
the General Goyernment are of several
classes and Including the amounts collected
dining the wear. NAV be stated as follows,
C,.;ms Cor olotbino eou;nn;no and feed.
inc troops aS, s' as they were raised from S'"'
. time to time, and which have properly p lo. sf1a
pertaines tS the 9Gastermastefs De- sszo o,s. no
CLAIMS fr militia ~ t service during Nor 70