New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-02-22

annually $780, $50 10 about 23 600 persons who
distributed almost every state and Territory in the
Unlon and of this 81 OH u.s. than per cent,
is con umed in office expenses The number OF pension
agents in the country s So each Of whom is entitled to
salary of - 600 besides fees The annual cost OF
each agency is about S7,7OO, while several OF the
agents csburse less than the average salary. Mr..
jerks says that by having the pensions paid directly
from the bureau this whole branch OF service, involving
expense Of $59,5i1, could be dispensed with with
GU. detrment An exact duplicate Of the pension rolls
kent az all these agencies Is already kept in the Office OF
the Pension Bureau and in the Office Of the Third Auditor
of the Treasury. In the Pension Oace during the year
ending June 80 1866 with clerical force Of TO- about
$4,000 original adudlcated being an average
Of about 2S1 TO each empl0y6 During the year ending
June 80 1870 with clerical force of about 420 about
1880 original claims granted being average OF
about 81 TO each omploye, while $4,000 original and
about 1000 increased claims awaiting action At
this rate If each to he adudcatcd in the or
der of its fling it woud take more than - years TO
reach a case filed ut this time.
But even worse state of facts than this really exists.
Some made special, and taken up speedily
account Of the interference of some potent friend or
attorney while others allowed To uger until some
have lain more than 10 years awaiting action Such
delay should no' he tolerated Mr. jerks continues for
of the 10000 applicants standing before this tribunal
hundreds, and perhaps thousands, are now paupers
maintained at p ibic charge standing monument I
disgrace to country which permits the wheels of
justice TO more 80 slowly. This delay, he says
arises from the location of the Bureau and
the mode of its administration The Bureau located in
the Interior Del is unuaturay divorced from
the whence the greater part Of its evidence comes
During the year 1873, 81 126 acquisitions made
the AdjutantG General for evidence from the War
Department Office, and 1876 from the Surgeon-Gen-
erals office. Tne writing and transmission OF these
acquisitions would In itself occasion great waste of
labor and material but in addition TO This and to the aoor
necessary to make searches army rolls and hospital
records. answer much more yolumnous must he
written and transmitted and all is Is ch rseahle 10 the
time ana expense necessary consumed in the adiud
cation Of claims. All waiting which is complained of by
the Pension Bureau could De obyatcd IL the Bureau were
placed in charge Of the department whence the records
must come TINS separating Of case from the source
Of its evidence induces the necessity of duplicating over
entries Of the War AMI surgeon Generals Offices
annually by copies, may of which are quite long.
I'm the administration Of the Bureau Mr.. jerks says
that ineiaency anI, IN eases ~ lo ST. fraud, pre-
vail Til neilicirncy aris"s from want OF experience
IN the head and loyts Of the oiice ucnt upon
the Bureau bein. administered political one Each
new fedgcd politician OF the DON'T rant party must have
position made for his political uucts hence
at esch incoming Congress great number Of emrloFes
must he schargcd ana Others employed Since the ith
Of March. 1873, there have beel 1913 employees OF The
Office many of them among the most experienced, whose
political hackers have stepped dowL aad ont removed t.
The chiefs of Bureau selected on the same pIinci-
PIES and the late Commissioner Atkinson, in his tes'-
mOuy before the Committee, states at prior TO his APP
puntmcnt Lad experience whatever or knowledge
OF the drics OF the Office to which he WIS appointed;
and yet President informed Lin that lac had selected
him he thought there some one needed 10
straiglten the Bureau The Commissioner ia turn,
IN pursuance OF the precedent set In lis own instance OF
selecting man who anew nothing about pensions. a-
pointed exGov FuIniss OF Nebraska special detective
he having become and expressed dcslc TO travel;
and. lest the precedent should fall into Gesueuc from
time tmc during his incumhCncy, tue Commissioner
turned OF skilled, eXl cuenced bands appointed
Then, the sth Of February, $50, after lie
had fairly learned The names Of the divisions in the
Bureau with some knowledge Of the duties pertaining To
each. he resigned himself to make room for another.
A~niicr feature that the number Of employees au-
thoIized bo law for 1870 was $50. The number en-
ployed was IN OK of 400, aud iey not proper
tiomatey classified as provided by law
In the urcnt year, the number provided by law II
500, and 1893 employed $50 prororioned differently
than The requires there being excess OF the lower
ella ses end deic ncy OF The higher thereby securing
different character Of labor from that Fixed by law III
explanation Of this, the late Commissioner eald that he
tried To bring II down 10 regular classification, but
found 1t impossible with Tie pressure for Office
On proof tie assertion that actual fraud exists In the
Department, Mr.. Jcncks reports the following: : on
after the appointment Of L. late Commissioner. be Issued
Bureau drawing an auuua salary Of II 200 year from
the Government detailing him To act clerk from the
Republican Congressional Committee. In 'bedence to
this detail Mr.. stiles. from The 10TH Of May 1872 TO the
4h OF 9th Of November devoted his time 10 the regular
duties u Committee and with the exception Of from
80 10 80 days. during which hs worked part Of the time
at bis desk din 20 the Pension Office at all except
To draw his pay monthly, aud the 18th Of January
1876. promoted to the position Of Appointment
clerk in the Interior Dpa-tment at salary Of $1,000
year, which g nov holds
Another William Calrcy, during last Summer, was
enrolled the payroll OF tic Bureau, and drew AT
tie rate OF 500 per month, hut did duty in the Bu
rcau being employed by the Republican COMMITTEES. In
the language OF the late Commissioner he aud Stiles
were assigned that customary as understood
by all parties and hence it not considered i'm
proper These assignments made by verbal dlrcc-
ton Of Assistant Secretary OF the interior Cowcn The
duties per- ormed bv others uncertain and ILL
defined and they seemed 30 far a. human obsoVa-
ton could dets Ct be doing n0thing, they would be
found 10 have been detailed in tie secret service division
Of the Department The result Of this investigation has
led Mr. Jcncks the comcus on that the Pension lu
reau as now located, has become cumbersome; inel-
Gent unnecessarily expensive. IL Is therefore re-
commended that in order To duplication Of work the
Bureau be transferred TO the War Department, and pay
ments be made through the Paymastel-General's De-
partment Of the Army
THE LOUISIANA IMPEACHMENT SCHEME.
THE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS AT WAsIIINGToN OPPOSE
ANY EXTnEME MEASURES Ar PREsENT-THE
RIAL REASONS OF THE CONSERVATIVES FOR M
PEACHING GOV. KELLOGG AND OTHER OFFICIALS
THE y GROEs RIPE FOR REVOLT AGAINST
THE REPUBLICANS.
fFRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIE ThiBuSE'l
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21.-The present cOndi-