New-York tribune., 1879-11-10


panies Is to be carried into the Supreme
Court of the United States. If the Postmaster
General is upheld. he will go on and adopt
more stringent measures.
THE PENSION OFFICE BLOCKADED.
An APPALLING ACCUMULATION OF BUSINESS WHICH
CoNuREss REFUSES 10 GRANT THE MEANS FOR
DIsPosING OF.
TELEGRAPH To THE rRBuSE
WASHINGTON. Nov. 9.-The condition Of affairs in
the Pension Office appalling.
The pubic Is we'll aware that the work Of the
Office upon original claims was already many
months behindhand when the Pension Arrears act
was passed. The fact is somewhat startling hat
since that law went INTO operation last February
almost nothing has been done with the vast number
of new claims which have been presented. The
simple work of making an alphabetical record of
them has fallen behindhand, while many of the
old records of the Office have become worn out with
the heavy use. The alphabetical record is OF the
first Importance. because the first thing off ia
wants TO know when claim is given to him for ad-
justment is whether a previous claim from the
same person has ever been filed or acted upon This
be learns by reference TO the alphabetical record
upon which claims are entered when filed. The
magnitude of the simple work of making this record
nav be judged by the fact that there are more
Smith.
The following facts gathered from official fig
ures Of the Pension Office and tell their own story
From July l. 1877, until October 81. 1879, there
were filed $50 715 original claims of all kinds, and
during the same period $50, ,SO7 claims were ad-
justed. showing that the Office ran behind nearly
10000 claims. or more than a whole years work
with its present force To show what part of this is
due to the Arrears act it is found that previous to
the passage Of that act the office running be-
hindhand less than 900 claims per month. taking
an average for more than year and half Since
the passage of the act the monthly average accumu
lation of business over that disposed OF has been
about $500 claims The total number of arrearage
claims alone filed up TO the 31st of last month was
7O,5O7 and the number adjusted was 81, ,29l. leav-
ing less than 10 OOO arrcarage claims file to
be settled.
Some curious facts are disclosed by an examina-
tion of the figures accessible in the Pension Office
The instrumcutality of the pension claim agent in
the manufacture Of pension claims is disclosed by
the marked falling of IN the number of claims
filed after the law reducing tie agents (, es
went into effect. The law took effect In june 1873.
For six months previous 10 that event. the average
number Of claims filed was 1867 per month.
while for the six months following they averaged
only 1,OsG.
For the month Of Juno 1873, the last month dur
ing which tie Government held itself responsible
for clam agents fees, the number of claims filed
was 2,15G. while for July they numbered only 500.
The amount of fees paid to claim agents for the year
ending June 30. 1873 was about S245,OO0. and Tor
the fiscal year ending June 80 1879. was about
$4,000. The latter sum was paid upon claims
FLED under the law which made the Government re-
sponsbe for the fees, but which were adjusted ai-
ter that law had been modified.
The appalling feature of the whole business is
that unGer the present law the whole ma,s of claims
numbering more than 10000 and accruing at the
rate of 5000 month. must be adjusted
without any opportunity being offered for
the Government, through its agents. to come
into personal contact with the applicant
and examine into the justice and validity OF his ap-
p,ication. Experience proves that nearly one-half
the claims presented are either unmeritorious or
actually fraudulent and it is readily seen that a
single claim of this class requires greater amount
Of work in its examination than does meIitOTOus
claim.
Commissioner Bentley, who is justly regarded as
one of the most energetic bureau officials In Wash
ingtOn, has lost opportunity 70 bring this matter
10 the attention OF Congress and II II expected
that he WILL IN his forthcoming annual report and by
personal conference with members ot Congress- seek
10 bring about reorganization OF the pension sys-