Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-05-20
The ffty-nine pension agents re.

ceive commissions paid by the Gov
crnment, $3.50 600, or an average
each OF $4.237. besides fees from
pensioners. which add about 5000.
600 more, or total average of
about 81 ,627 to each agent annually
| The cost Of examining and set
Ting vouchers in the Treasury De
partment is unnecessarily large, but
no more than the system of settle
ment now requires.
The bill H. R No. 537) of the
Pension Committee, as it is, now
proposed to be amended, will. if
passed, prohibit pension agents from
charging pensioners with fees, and
prohibits claim agents from recei-
wing pay for services in collecting
pensions. 1t will provide quarterly
instead of semi-annual pension pay
inents, as it is now proposed to be
amended. 1t will remedy to some
extent the first, second, and fifth obs
Ijections l have pointed out the pres
ent system but it leaves the others
all untouched.
1t furnishes no remedy for the
delay, Inconvenience, and trouble OF
correspondence, no security against
fraud, and it continue and expensive
system of pension agents. 1t re-
lleves the pensioners of the fees
now exacted ofthem by these agents,
but it continues the present annual
expenditure for commissions to
pension agents of S25O,0OO, and
adds 1921 600 to it TO be paid by
Government for fees of thirty cents
for preparing each quarterly vouch-
err; thus making total expenditure
for pension agents OF S54l 600 an
nually, or an average OF S9,l69 to
each. This is an enormous salary,
which no principle of Justice or of
duty can sanction. Let those who
vole for it take the responsibility. 1t
is vast increase of salary which
the people will and ought to con-
demn And the bill leaves the pen
sioners to pay quarter yearly an av-
erage of forty cents to local officers
for verifying EACH voucher, or an
annual aggregate of S3SS,oOO,
which, with postage and other ex
penses, will soon reach $500, 900 an
nually. For this there is no justifi-
cation or excuse. Let those who
vote for it take the responsibility.
All these evils can and ought to
be remediel. The bill which 1 had
the honor to introduce H. R. No.
I0J6) provides that pensioners shall
he paid quarterly. would have
preferred payments bimonthly. but
yielded nv own convictions to meet
what I supposed to be more in az
cordance with the views of tue
House 1t authorizes the Secretary
of the Interior to designate in every
one OF the seventeen hundred and
twentyeight counties where there
are pensioners any postmaster, as
SCISSOR, collector, or other officer or
national bank to perform the duties
of agent to pay pensioners in the
county of their residence. 1t pro-
yides that the Commissioners of Pen
sions shall certify to each officer
the names and post office address OF
the pensioners in his county, and
transmit to the proper officer checks
ON the nearest Assistant Treasurer,
payable to the order of each pen
sioner, for the amount of his pen
sion certificate, and proof of identity
when necessary. No public money
is to pass into the hands Of the Off
Ger, but his duty is to deliver checks,
the money on which can never be
drawn except on the Endorsement OF
the pensioner.
The officers are required to pre-
pare the vouchers, administer oaths,
deliver the check, all without any
expense to any pensioner. They
will be in a position to know and
detect frauds which they are required
TO report to the proper Department
The bill prohibits all charges by
claim agents Or others for prepa-
ring vouchers, or for services rem
dered in collecting pensions. In this
respect its prohibitions are more
extensive and its penalties greater
than in the bill Of the Pension Com
mittee In the form in which it is
now submitted the compensation oi
the pay officers is fixed at forty
cents for each pension check deliv
cred for s.ll services. being only the
amount which the bill of the Pension
Committee leaves the pensioner to
pay in addition to commissions and
fees paid pension agents by the
i Government.
The advantages of this measure
. over the existing law and over the
/ bill of the Pension Committee, are
1. 1t will save pensioners a vast
sum which they are required to "ay
notaries and local officers for verify
r ing pension vouchers, which or
: quarterly payments will amount te
| 1921 900 annually.
MR.. ALLISON. / do not quite
t understand how the bill of the com
, mit!ee takes this SUM out CT the
r pockets of the pensioners.
, Mr.. LAWRENCE. am very glai
: to have an opportunity to explain
that matter little more fully
r Under the bill Of the committes
each pensioner must verify his OF
her voucher before some local off
Ger at the place OF his or her resi-
/ dence, and then transmit it one hun
: dred and fifty to two hundred mile.
t to the pension agent. The pen
l sfoner will be obliged to pay a no
taiial fee of forty cents every thres
t months, or 81 80 esch year, amount