, 1879-12-08
The Pension Office BlOckaded.

TNe condition of affairs in the Pen
sion Office is appalling.
The public is we'll aware that the
work of the Office upon original claims
was also many months behindhand
when the Pension Arrears act was
passed. The fact is somewhat start
ling that since that law went into oper-
alton last February almost nothing
bas been done with the vast number Of
new claims which have been presented.
The simple work of making an alpha
betical record of them had fallen be-
hindhand, while many of the old
records of the Office have become worn
out with the heavy use. The alpha
betical record is of the first impor-
tance, because the first thing an official
wants to know when claim is given to
him for adjustment is whether a pre-
vious claim from the same person has
ever been fled or acted upon. This
he learns by reference to the alpha
betical record, upon which claims are
entered when filed. The magnitude of
the simple work of making this record
may be judged by the fact that there
are more than ITO solid pages Of entries
under the name If Smith.
The following facts are gathered
from official figures Of the Pension
Office, and tell their own story: From
July 1, 1877, until October 81, 1879,
there were filed 25O,71 original claims
of all kinds, and during the same
period $50, ,S07 claims were adjusted,
showing that the office ran behind
nearly 900 claims, or more than
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 was running behindhand less than
1000 claims per month, taking an
average for more than a year and
half. Since the passage of the act the
monthly average accumulation of busi-
ness over that disposed of has been
about 5000 claims. The total number
of arrearage claims alone filed up to
the 3lst of last month was 70, ,507, and
the number adjusted was 81 ,291, leav-
ing less than 10000 arrearage claims
now on file to be settled.
Some curious facts are disclosed by
an examination of the figures accessi-
BILE in the Pension Office. The instru-
mentality of the pension claim agent
in the manufacture of pension claims
is disclosed by the marked falling off
in the number of claims fled after the
law reducing the agents fees went into
effect. The law took effect in June,
1878. For six months previous to that
event, the average number of claims
fled was 1857 per month, while for
the six months following they averaged
only ], ,0S6.
For the month of June, 1878, the
last month during which the Govern
ment held itself responsible for claim
agents fees, the number of claims filed
was 2,156, while for July they num-
bered only S55. The amount of fees
paid to claim agents for the year end
ing June 80, 1878, was about S245 900,
and for the fiscal year ending June 30,
1879, was about 1895, 900. The latter
sum was paid upon claims filed under
the law which made the Government
responsible for the fees, but which
were adjusted after that law had been
modified.
The appalling feature of the whole
business is that under the present law
the whole mass of claims. numbering
more than ITO, 900 and accruing at the
rate of 5000 month, must be ad-
justed without any opportunity being
offered for the Government, through
its agents, to come into personal con-
tact with the applicant and examine
into the justice and validity of his ap-
plication. Experience proves that
nearly one-half the claims presented
are either unmeritorious or actually
fraudulent; and it is readily seen that
single claim of this class requires
greater amount of work in its examlna-
ton than does meritorious claim.
Commissioner Bentley, who is justly
regarded as one of the most energetic
bureau officials in Washington, has
lost no opportunity to bring this mat
ter to the attention of Congress; and 1t
is expected that he will, in his forth.
coming annual report, and by personal
conference with members of Congress,
seek to bring about a reorganization OF
the pension system.-Washington Dis
patch.
CHARLES MATHEWS FIRST APPEAR
ANGEL was a great success hustled
about, chattered with everybody while