The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-15
REFRESHING INFORMATION
WHAT WORK rs DOVE ny THE PEN
SION BUREAU CLERhS.
The Widows and Orphans Of Soldiers sys-
tematicnllv Robbed-Uucr Leoseucrs, Cor
ruption, nd Absence of Accountability.

| lions OF uOlllfS II Ifduuulently pdlu OUT every
year on account Of pensions. His estimate is
below the reality. This service discussed last
year t9o.2Is,0cO. or this enormous sum t2e2s9,5l9
| was paid at the annual rate TO pensioners, aud
| t2,se5,ls9 was claimed to be paid for arrears on
| pensions, Of which no separate account Ia kept.
| The ONCE expenses and disbursina agencies con
sumed Si,O7l,71s
| 1t thus appears that four per cent. on the total
amount paid to annual pensioners Ia appropriate
ed for the official machinery to get the money
into their hands. The pension Office, like all
other branches OF the public service, is corrupt,
Inefficient, and directed by favoritism. The Just
claims Of thousands OF poor soldiers, their Wild
ows, and their children, are postponed pigeon
holed and constantly rejected In order that
Ring claims may be preferred, considered, and
allowed.
A partial investigation OF the management Of
this bureau by the Committee on Invalid PEN
sions discloses some curious facts, as will be
found in the following extracts from the testi
mony:
n NJ. Atkinson. late Commissioner OF Pensions
q Prior TO YOUR appointment had you any ornortu-
Ity TO acquire snoSedge OF the man cement or n
Had you any knoweige - the pension laws. or o.
The regulations pertaining to the granting OF pensonsP
Alter you we're spp2in,ea sis 700 psy any com.
missioner of Pensions lpaid 1t voluntarily as an ndl'
o-low soon after the appointment A.-Perhsps
o.SAt the time you paid $40 vas there general
scsslnent on AZ toe cmployee. OF me Slnce A. 80
solicited 10 subserDc
o.-Do you KNOW Gen. sues9 Ayes.
Q.Was he employed IN the Pension Bureau last sum
-was ne not cicrx Of the Congressional committee
last summer Ale was employed By that committee.
o-bid he not spend The greater Part q the summer
aenanp 70 &c dues Of the CLERK 81 me congressional
Vas not IN the onice tie entre time
Odd he not draw pay regularly from the Pension
Oihcc2 Al suppose he did.
O DO you know Two clerks named Darling ana
o.wers they no! engaged IN editing departmental
o.iias that Journal any connection with the Pension
o-Did these men no. draw their pay during the time
they were editing this journsly A-Ies but they were
wsT, u IT. smnl9yed during 9dcs si hoprs IN
o-po Won know Within canreyp A,-Ycs.
at That timep Ayes,
Q-what work dii he do? Ale employed by
and a. se e so snd as hat u eustom
and hence was not considered lmproper =,
Q-For What length Of time7 Al think from June
q How much ala he draw during that tImep A.
o-Did you appoint detective from Nebraska who
no OSSp SnS was S 6a%e . AE raa
3.Did he not solicit you to appoint him IN order
that he might have an Opportunity 10 uaycip A.-No.
CIR. Gov furni h been In good circumstances. but
What pay dia he get per month"; Ale drew at
| the rate OF 81 600
Q.-lravcihns "a penses In addltionp Ayes.
olsR e ~ 10 me emp!o' men, OF the Pension Blu
. nia he state 70 YOU that hc would IKE to have an
not recoect perhaps he may have expect he did.
hsve douOt that did aud he has hada very good
90 you SHOW any Democrats in the Pension Blu.
s se4 n0"F Afe' appointed one since have 'eeA
OIL would like to his name. A. They are not
have you DISCHARGED iso elerSs since the .ih Of
March astY Al do not remember the number Of DIS
charges:
ALI is possible. but not new appointments
S@Was not nc lsrsSst nIm6sf Of 70 appoIntmen i
NOT been 70 me once SeforsY &Tnsre was quite
inSror made tho spponS%sSss iA' Vi '"'
y How many csrSs are there In the Pension Bu-
incition aloN ed BY law. There 3o5 but there
S,Ss nov TS S, g clerks 9sre wne the
Q.-Wny DID YOU not comply with the law? what
W he difcutyP A.-I1s only dDseaiig ~as me Drss.
sure 0r QDice.
These are only samples OF confessions extort-
ed from this e1-Commissioner Of Pensions. VINO,
ike his predecessor that went out under cloud
Of suspicion, has beon promoted to be a Sur
veyor-General. with large opportunities for plum
derlng. The next witness was John Stiles, one
OF his noble band Of idle aud venal clerks, re-
ferred to by Atkinson:
.Q.-siate whether you were in the employment of
o.-Fre@ what date to l what date : X."from tho
nrst Of January, 1878, right through the year.
| Q.-Durng tac summer what you duing2 A.
During portion the l detained on
o.,,wers yoq not clerk Of the Republean Congress.
sional Commiitee5 Al was writing for the com
Iiow much Of your time did you consume in writ;
Al tninS from The 18Th of May TO the 4th or 9Th "
9 During all that time gu were working for the
''S4u"IHoSs" maea salary a,d YOU draw Al drew nv
usual salary, $500 wear,
mSred from toe Pedsion bureau 10 cIcrsnp q
higher Craze In the Interior Department? Ayes,
9.-And you are holding that now' Ayes. SIR.
nc T:eSSGe'n coSsrcsioadi ron@.iseS xrss
o Whsfs were y9a when you yseeyed the telegram
he GsS;..s sfs John
E i'm ksgo 81 Hs e Of
mittee -.. - - ,.,
s. 'G the Is ssSu sFt'AD
tS% mass d % Teseys f,G% me @
ZION 70 ny ress iNn salary 20, nova ,,
the rate OF 1000 year
First, Stiles was ordered to report TO the POST
master OF Washington for political duty, drew
his paw regularly from the Pension onice, and
received $50 a month in addition from tho Re-
publican Committee, and, after election, was
promoted for these services to a place OF a., 600
a year.
o. p. J. Clark, chief clerk OF the Pension Bu-
reau, furnished some refreshing lnIOfuhtiOn
when driven into a corner:
GLOW many desks are there In that dylsion2 A
There are foryeght persons employed In that dlus'
| 100.
most or altogether uselessP A II should think not.
| Q-GiVe Us your best judgment Ought that division
moi TO be Topped oH2 All the work IN the Auditors
Olce TO dale, the WORK OF that division would
. ! be useless. zone Is a duplicate OF the OtherJ
Qls not the work OF the Auditors onice up to date
| A.-No SIR
Q-WhY not? Alt never has heea up to date. l
do know why. | understand they nearly one
behind with tnelr accDunts.
| Q-DO you know \. V. Ricnlrds2 Ayes.
| O-Mhat does he DO AIR Richards has
been sort Of general utility man.
| Q.-DOes he do ANY actual work Al would not
say whether he good worker not, for rea-
, / son that am unable 10 state.
Q-Docs he not spcnd GOOD share OF hts time
the Capitol and amusing himself generally A / eau
| Q-Ho has NO specific duties assigned 70 HIM A
No. do not TANK that can say he Is an Examiner
; | anything else.
. The testimony throughout is OF this character,
showing lOoseness, corruption, and the absence
: : | OF any accountability. Frauds on the pension
fund. collision with outside rascNls, delay and
: injustice toward honest claimants, aud demon
alizAtion are the natural outgrowth of rotten