Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1868-01-03
Payment of Bounlies.

about fifteen thousand claims per month.
As forty. nine clerks have lately been dis:
charged from his Office, this rate can hardly
be maintained in future. Considerably over
one half Of all claims fled remain un-
settled. The document will prove of in.
ierest to large number of soldiers. ltwas
drawn up aud presented by the Chairman,
Colonel H.. ~, Wasbburnc, Of Indiana.
and is as follows:
The committee appointed to investigate
the delay in the payment Of bounties un-
der the act Of July 18th, 1866, beg leave
to reports 70
That after tie passage Of said act, the
fifieenthseciion oil which is as follows,
| TO wit: at
"That in the payment Of the add
tonal bounty herein provided, that II
shall be the duty Of the paymas,er General,
under such rules and regulations as may be
prescribed by tho Secretary Of War, to
cause TO DO examined the accounts OF
each soldier who makes application
therefor, aud If found entitled thereto,
shall pay ssid bouDtics."
Some months elapsed before the proper
forms and rules we're promulgated ln the
meantime claim agents, In their anxiety TO
securo as large number Of claims NJ
possible, adopted forms Of their own,
These were rejected by tho Postmaster
General, and their claims returned 10 the
proper agents. On account OF these dc.
lays no payments were made until January
LIST, 1867
Al the time OF the passage Of tho act
the muster-out rolls, containing the evi.
denee Of the payment Of the one hundred
dollars original bounty, upon which de-
pended the additional bounty, were about
oue-half In tho Paymastcr Generals and
the other half In the Second Auditors
Offices. The Paymaster General, under
the statutes then In force, aud In the
course Of business, passed tho rolls Ia his
oihcs 10 that Of the Second Auditor, no
provision having been made for their re-
tsniIou by tho Paymsster, In the law
making him the proper person TO settle
aud pay such bounties Had tho proper
provision been made, and had the demand
Tor them elsewhere allowed their return
aud retention In the Paymaster Generals
Office. your committee believe tho payment
would have been soon completed.
A now provided, the claim IL received
at the proper Office, registered aud brIefed.
and sent TO the Assistant Paymasiers,
having In charge the claims OF particular
States.
Records Of these claims are kept by the
Paymasier In a separate book for each ree
ment. These Paymsrters call by letter
upon the Second Auditor OF the Treasury
Department for Information regarding the
standing Of tho claimant upon the rolls
or, as Il Is termed, HIS military history
Tho Division Of the Second Auditors
Office having this work Ia charge, con.
sirts of forty.two clerks, who 90 20 the
rolls fled In the accounts Of the paymaster
who paid the troops, aud " they find tho
same correct, mark the additional bounty,
m paid, and return tho information TO tho
Paymaster, who then returns the soldiers
discharge and check upon the proper
officer In New York for the bounty.
Tue total number Of claims filed up 10
December |, 1857, was il2,D30; the total
number paid 100 $780, disalowed ll,750;
leaving the pumber yet TO DO settled 973,
40.
On tho 1rst day Of October there we're
awaiting information from the Second
Auditor GI373 cases. On that day
there were forwarded from Paymasters
l62,lii moro cases, aud October 10,
5000, comprising all the cases then 10
tho Paymaslerp office.
The Auditor, owing 10 lack OF room,
could not work any larger force 10 adyan.
tagc. The Auditors clerks have answered
TO the middle Of March, 1867, aud some Of
later date. Your Committee IL satisfied
that everything has been done that could
have been expected, crowded as that oilicc
has been by tho many thousand cases
there previous 10 the passage Of this bill.
Your Committee visited Windcrs building
now partially occupied by that Office, aud
are compelled TO Say ihpt The crowded
state Of the rooms, In which the clerks are
obliged TO labor, Ia a disgrace to our mn.
ton, aud that steps should be immcdi
ately tskon 10 secure moro room. Tho
committee called upon the Secretary of
War, and have his promise TO transfer TO
tho use Of the Second Auditor four addtio
al rooms, Ia which twenty-five additional
olcrksloan be employed, and this Increase
will MT add tothe expense Of the Gov.
efumeut IN tho aggregate, as IL will be
seen by reference 10 tho testimony Of
Colonel Gibson that hfy clerks aud ton
paymasters are now paying about fifteen
thousand claims per month, when, IL the
proper Information could DO had, they
could pay thirty thousand. On the teore
of economy alone, this number of add.
tional clerks Is needed, With this mum
Der your committee believe all the boun.
ties can be paid within year.
Another cause Of tho delay arises from
tho loss Of checks, In transmission by
mail. The Assistant Treasurer ut New
York refuses 10 pay duplicate checks even
when notified that the originals have boon
lost, Some legislation to avoid such de-
lays il needed,
Your Committee, In view of the fore.
going facts, would recommend the pas
sage Of q bill providing for an increase Of
clerks in, the Division OF the Second
Auditors Office. employed on boun,ies;
and. also, providing for tho payment OF
duplicate checks.
-
Two Pauers Merued Into Ono.