Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-12-09

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cent. Of the whole number of claims
settled. There are now pending for
settlement 26j.575 original pension
claims, 227 ,040 of which were filed prior
to July |, 1880. These, when allowed.
will involve the payment of arrears from
! the date of discharge in case Of an i'm.
valid, and from date of death or ter.
mination of n prior right in all other
cases. From all the data obtainable il
| Is estimated that fifteen per cent. of the
number of claims now pending will be
| rejected or abandoned This would
show the probable rejection of "a 600
cases and the probable admission of
about 1913 900 claims, all of which in
volvc the payment of arrears of pension.
with the present force employed.
the number of Authorizations remain
ing the same and no new business
intervening, this number of claims
(l93,oUOl could be acted upon in n
period Of six years, and taking January
l, 1881, rs mean period from which
to estimate in each case an average
amount of arrears, it is found that every
case allowed would require, for the first
payment upon 1t, the sum Of $50 dol.
lars. Multiplying this amount by the
whole number Of probable admissions
gives $3.50 100000 rs the sum required
Tor first payments. This represents the
sum which must be paid upon claims
which were filed before July
!, 1850, and are now pending
and entitled to the benefits of the
arrears act, From this amount
$3.50 ,O00,O00) may be deducted from
ten to fifteen millions for cases where.
the claimant dying, there is no person
who under the law would be entitled to
the pension, leaving sos ,0OO, 900 as the
probable amount to be paid. In these
estimates no account has been taken OF
the $500 cases filed since June 30,
1850, and now pending, which must re-
cclve attention aS current business, but
which do not involve payment of any
arrears beyond the date of filing the
claim of this number. 1t is estimated
that cighty->iN per cent will be allowed
as has been stated. With the pres.
ent force Of the pension bureau
- GIj clerks - it is estimated
that it will take six years to dis
pose of the claims now pending. 1t is
stated by the commissioner of pension.
that by an addition of $50 clerks lin.
crcasing the adiudicatory force rather
than the mechanical) double the amount
Of work could be accomplished, so that
these cases could be acted upon within
three years. Aside from the consider
ations of justice which may be urged
for speedy settlement of the claims
now on the files of the pension Office
it is no less on the score Of economy
inasmuch rs fully one-third of the
clerical force of the office is now wholly
occupied in giving attention to cor
respondence with the thousands of
claimants whose cases have been on
file for the past eighteen years, The
TACT that a sum so enormous may be
expended by the government to meet
demands for arrears of pensions is an
admonitiOn to Congress and the EXecu.
tive to give cautious consideration 10
any similar project in the future. The
great temptation to the presentation of
fictitious claims, afforded by the fact
that the average sum obtained upon
each application is II 300, leads me t.
suggest the propriety of making some
special appropriation for the prevention
of fraud.
RECOMMENDING APPROPRIATIONS FOR
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
l advise appropriations for such in.
ternal Improvements rs the wisdom of
Congress may deem to be of public i'm
portance. The necessity Of Improving
the navigation of the Mississippi river
iustilies special allusion to some meas
urc, for the removal Of distractions
which now impede the navigation Of
that great channel of commerce.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
In my letter Of acceptance Of the
nomination for NicC-Prcsidcnt | stated
that, in my Judgment, no man should
be an incumbent of an Office the duties
Of which he Is, for any cause, unfit To
perform; who is lacking in the ability.
fidelity or integrity which a proper adj
ministration of such office demands"
This sentiment would doubtless meet
with general acceptance, but opinion
has been widely dividedupon the wisdom
and practicability of the various re-
formatory schemes which have been suc-
gested, and Of certain proposed rcgula-
TONS governing appointments to public
office. The efficiency of such regulations
have been distrusted mainly because
they have seemed to cXalt mere cduca-
tlonal and abstract tests above general
business capacity, and even special fit
ness for the particular work in hand. II
seems to me that the rules which should
be applied to the management of the
public service may properly conform in
the main to such rs regulate the con-
duct of successful private business.
Original appointments should be based
upon ascertained fitness.
The tenure of Office should be stable.
Positions Of responsibility should, so far
as practicable, be filledby the promotion
of worthy and efficient officers. The
investigation of all complaints, and the
punishment of all official misconduct,
should be prompt and thorough.
The views expressed in the foregoing
letter are those which will govern my
administration of the Executive office.
They are doubtless shared by all mtclli-
gent and patriotic citizens, however
divergent in their opinions as to the
best methods of putting them into prac-
teal operation.
For example, the assertion that
original appointments should be based
upon ascertained fitness" is not open
to dispute. But the question how, in
practice, such fitness can be most effect |
ually ascertained, is one which has for
years excited interest and discussion.
The measure, which slight variations in |
its details, has lately been urged upon