The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-11-21
THE PENSION OFFICE BLOCKADED.
A New York Tribune Washington

dispatch gives the following account of
the pension office, on account of the re-
fusal of the rebel congress to grant the
necessary means to carry on the depart
ment:.
The condition of affairs in the pension
! office is appalling.
The public is well 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 that since
that law went into operation last Febru-
airy 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 be-
come worn out with the heavy use.
The alphabetical record IS of the first
importance, because the first thing an
official wants to know when a claim is
given To him for adjustment is whether
a previous claim from the same person
has ever been filed or acted upon. This
he learns by reference to the alphabet
cal record, upon which claims are enter
ed when filed. The magnitude of the
simple work of making this record may
be judged by the fact that there are more
than 40 solid pages of entries under the
name of Smith.
The following facts are gathered from
official figures of the pension office, and
tell their own story: From July l,
1876, until October 81, 1870, there were
filed 25O,715 original claims of all
kinds, and during the same period $780,
S07 claims were adjusted, showing that
the office ran behind nearly 10000
claims, or more than whole years
work with Its present force. To show
what part of this is due to the arrears
act il is found that previous to the pas
sage of that act the office was running be-
hindhand less than 1000 claims per
month, taking an average for more than
year and half Since the passage OF
the act the monthly average accumula-
ton of business over that disposed of has
been about $500 claims. The total num-
Der of arrearage claims alone filed up to
the 31st of last month was 20, 507, and
the number adjusted was OF ,291, leaving
less than 10000 arrearage claims now on
| file to be settled.
Some curious facts are disclosed by an
examination of the figures accessible in
the pension Office. The instrumentality
| of the pension claim agent in the manu-
| facture of pension claims is disclosed by
| the marked falling off in the number of
claims filed after the law reducing the
agents fees went into effect. The law
took effect in June, 1873. FOrsix months
| previous to that event, the average num-
Der of claims filed was 1 ,567 per month,
while for the six months following they
averaged only 1885.
For the month of June, 1878, the last
month during which government held it.
self responsible for claim agents fees, the
| number of claims filed was 2,156, while
| for July they numbered only $50. The
amount of fees paid to claim agents for
the year ending June 80, 1878, was about
| $245, 600, and for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1879, was about 1896 900. The
latter sum was paid upon claims filed
under the law which made the govern
ment 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 10000 and accruing at the
rate of 5000 a 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 application. Expert
ence proves that nearly one-half the
claims presented are either unmerltori-
Gus or actually fraudulent; and il is
readily seen that single clam Of this
class requires a greater amount of work
in its examination than does a merItori.
Gus claim.
Commissioner Bently, who is justly
regarded as one of the most energetic
bureau officials in Washington, has lost
no opportunity TO bring tins matter to
the attention of congress; and is is ex-
pected that he will in his forthcoming
annual report, and by personal confer.
enee with members of congress, seek TO
bring about reorganization Of the pen
sion system