The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1867-01-11

time receive more full information, and
moro complete reports as to Their relative
efficiency compared with those Of other
States aud with each other. The Standing
Committees oi your body can only afford
time for a eursory visitation, and the ad.
vantages resulting from this provo that
more thorough inspection and more elabor.
ate investigation Of oil the principles con-
nected with the management aud improve
merit of such Institutions would he of real
service TO tho State. Massachusetts land
perhaps tome othCa States has established
by law, q" Board of State Charities" formed
like the Boards of Trust OF several
asylums, of citizens of high character and
hencvolencc, who servo without compensa
ton for their time aud labor The law au-
thoriziug the appointment Of the Board de.
clares that "they shall investigate and
supervise tho whole system of the Public
Charitable and Correctional Institutions Of
the Commonwealth and shall recommend
such changes and additional provisions as
they may deem necessary tor their econom-
cal and efficient administration" Such a
board would, of course, have no power over
the administration of the separate lnstitu
tione, but would be the Intelligent advisers of
the Legislature in all the ninutie of system
oHN VI HlNOtlSui NCldlls uuN Wv CuilSNNNlS VI
all the information and experience which
would bear upon the larger interests aud
general welfare and Improvement of the
public charities and prisons. Believing
that such board would prove of real ser.
vice to your body by its Investigations and
reports, | recommend the adoption Of the
plan in relation thereto, which exists in our
sister State. .sUr aHat
The nsnal report of pardons granted and
refused, reprioves, and communications of
sentences of cOnvicts, is transmitted here
with.
MILITARY DEPARTMENTS
BY the provision of the statutes passed
last winter, the care of the arsenal and
State arms was transferred from the Quar-
termaster General to the Adiutant General
The latter officers report shows that due
diligence las been used in the collection
and caro- Of those arms which had boon
iSsued to the National Guard aud in the
sale OF such as were ordered TO he disposed
Of. 3D. -
Tho distribution Of the medals of l.onor
to the veteran volunteers has been more
laborious task than was anticipated, but
for somo mouths past about one hundred
per day have been mailed to the claimants,
tho United States Government having re-
mjtted tho postage upon them, and the Ad-
jutant General hopes short time will
finish all that can he done in this manner.
The remainder 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 theproprioty of
following the example of nearly oil the
other States, in publishing and making
available 10 the world the only complete
and authentic evidence of the patriotic ef-
forts of the State in the great national strug-
gle.
BUREAU OF SOLDIERS CLAIMS, AND WASHING.
TON AGENCY.
The Commissioner of Soldiers Claims in
Ohio (Mr. hylorl reports 2,9SS claims pass
ing through his hands during the year past,
which, together with unsettled claims trans.
ferred from other Offices, makes total Of
3,ll7. lie has collected $539 92S 81 of
which $50 ,202 96 was ON hand at date of re-
port, ready for delivery,
The Washington agency (Mr, Wetmore)
reports the SO tlemert of 1924 claims, and
a total number passing through Ills hands
of 5078, upon which the sum of S4T0,S73
10 has been collected and relnittcd to sol
diers and their families in Ohio. -
In spite of b raj 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 charge, it is found that this
fact is very imperleetly known, and that
the Sta.es is probably doing by far the
smaller portion Of this work of collection,
private attorneys and claim agents being
employed to greater extcut than the pub
lie commissioners q This state of iactsrais.
es the inquiry how far il is best to continue
the competition with private parties, as q
matter Of public policy.
! Somewhat different opinions are enter
tanned by the two officers who have been
in charge of this business, aud their reports
contain the facts and arguments likely to
assist you in determining the question.
Should it be deemed wise to continue
the agencies, | woEld recommend that
one of the county officers in each county,
be required to keep on hand the necces-
sary blanks and instructions for making ap-
plications for pensions, back pay, &C., and
be authorized to charge q small fee, fixed
by law, for flling up such applications and
administering the necessary oaths lntelli-
gent assistance would thus be given the
apI licant at home in preparing his papersi
and much larger number would doubt.
less pass into the hands of the State officers.
MILITARY CLAIMS OF THE STATE AGAINST THE
GENERAL GovERNMENT.
The military claims of tho State against
the General Government are Of several
classes, and including the amounts collected
during the year. may be stated as follows /:
Claims for clothing equipping and -s
feeding troops as tiey were raised
from time to time ,'Hnd which.have .ff.l
properly pertainedtO the Quarter t
masters department of the State s552 ,s35 Os
Claims for militia service during the ll, ir ..4
Morgan raid ....s,. ,............., 273,7sl So
Claims for service Of National Guard 2ISSS 90
Claims rorexpense Of enrolling mtia1 1920 55
Claims in various Glasses allowed by 4Ha
State Board of Military Claims ~. 1859 "a
lht Nf r ---------------
Total,,,. ...l.." ,......,.,..!Sl ,O53 $3.50 40
Add Morgan raid claims colected,44 81, 1858 AZ
Sl,l11,OO8 20
Besides these existing claims, the sum Of
Sl,90l ,965 Il bad been presented agd paid
during the war, making a total of $3,Ol2,,
873 81 of claims presented and prepared
for presentation to the United States Treas
nry Department mp to this time. Other
claims are from time to time admitted by
the Slate Board, and the above amount will
be besomewhat Increased ~ an
1t will, of course, be understood that this
statement only includes claims for money
expended by the State Government, the
reimbursement of which 10 asked under the
provisions Of existing laws of The United
States. ~ - tn sh7
q This amount is o mere triAe compared
with the total expenditures Of the State
during the war, for local bounties, etc., Of