The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-12-08

of claims settled. There are now peuu-
ing for settlement 265,570 original pen
sion claims, 237, ,040 of which were filed
prior to July 1st, 1880. These, when al
lowed, will involve the payment OF ar
rears from the date of discharge in the
case of an invalid, and from the date of
death or termination of prior right III
all other cases. From all the data OBJ
tainable it is estimated that 10 per cent
of the number of claims now pending
will be rejected or abandoned. This
would show the probable rejection of
34,040 cases, and the probable admission
of about 49, 600 claims, all o. v men In
wolves the payment of arrears of PEN
sion. With the present force employed,
the number of adjudicatiOns remaining
the same, and no more new business IN
teTVening, this number of claims Q93-
0O0 could be acted upon in a period OF
six years, and asking Jan. 1884, as near
period from which to estimate in each
case an average amount of arrears, 1t Is
found that every case allowed would re-
quire for the first payment upon 1t the
sum of 81 $50. Multiplying this by the
whole number of probable admissions,
gives $25O,0OO0O0 as the sum required
for the first payment. This represents
the sum which must be paid upon the
claims which were filed before July |,
1880, and are now pending and entitled
to the benefits of the arrears act. From
this amount (S250,OOO,OOO may be de-
Quoted from ten to fifteen millions for
cases where, the claimants dying, there
is no person, who, under the law, would
be entitled to succeed to the pension,
leaving $235OOOOOO as the probable
amount to be paid. In these estimates
no account has been taken of the $500
cases fled since June 30, 1880, and now
I ;..l,, a
as current business, but which do not
involve the payment of amy arrears be-
yOnd the date OF filing the claim. OF
this number it is estimated that 80 per
cent will be allowed.
As has been stated with the present
force of the Pension Bureau, 610 clerks,
it is estimated it will take six years to
dispose of the claims now pending. 1t
is stated by the Commissioner OF Pen
siOns that by an addition of 20O clerks
Increasing the adjudicating force rather
than the mechanicaD double the amount
of work could be accomplished, so that
these cases could be acted upon within
three years. Aside from the cOnsidera-
tiOns of justice, which may be urged for
a speedy settlement of the claims now
on the files of the Pension Office, it is no
less important on the score of economy,
inasmuch as fully One-thiTd OF the cler-
ical force of the office is now wholly Oc-
CAPPED in giving attention to cOrrespOn-
dence with the thousands of claimants
whose cases have been on the files for
the past eighteen years.
The fact that sum so enormous may
be expended by the Government to meet
demands for arrears of pension IS an ad-
mOnitiOn to Congress and the Executive
to give cautious consideration to any
TIr,Ns IL aaf in ba fUl
temptation to the presentation of hctl-
tiOus claims afforded by the fact that
the average sum obtained upon each ap-
plicatiOn Is $1,000, leads me to suggest
the pTOpriety of making some special
provision for the prevention of fraud.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
advise appropriations for such inter
nal improvements as the wisdom of Con-
gress may deem to be of public import
ance. The necessity of improving the
navigation of the Mississippi river JUS
titles a special allusiOn to that subject.
| suggest the adoption of some measure
for the removal of the great channel of
commerce.
THE CIVIL SERVICE QUESTION.
In my letter accepting the nomina-
tiOn for the Vice Presidency, l said that
in my judgment mo man should be the
incumbent of an office, the duties of
which he is for any cause unfit TO per-
form, who is lacking i'll the ability, ill
tegrity and fidelity which proper ad-
ministTatiOn of such office demands"
This sentiment would doubtless meet
with general acquiescence. But Opin-
ion has been widely divided upon the
wisdom and practicability of the various
TeformatOry schemes which have been
suggested, and of certain proposed reg
ulatlOnS governing appointments TO
public Office. The efficiency of such reg
ulatiOns has been distrusted, mainly be-
cause they have seemed to eXalt mere
educational and abstract tests above
general business capacity, and even
special fitness for the particular work in
hand. 1t seems to me the result that
should be applied to the management of
the public service may properly conform
in the main to such as regulate the con-
ditiOn of successful private business.
Original appointments should be based
upon ascertained fitness. The tenure of
office should be stable. Positions of re-
spOnsibility should so far as practicable
be filled by the promotion of worthy and
efficient officers. The investigation of
all complaints, and the punishment of
all official misconduct should be prompt
and thorough. .. .U
The views expressed in the foregoing
letter are those which will govern my
administration of the Executive office
They are doubtless shared by all intelli-
gent and patriotic citizens, however di-
YeTgent in their opinions as to the best
method of putting them into practical
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 eff
fectually ascertained, is one which has
for years excited interest and discussion
The measure which, with slight varia-
tions In It's details, has lately been ufe-
ed upon the attention of Congress and
the Executive, has as It's principal fea-
ture the scheme of competitive examin-
alton. Save for certain exceptions that
need not here be specified, this plan
would secure admission to the service
only in ttS lower grade, and would ac-
cOrdtngly demand that all vacancies in
higher positions should be filled by pro-
motion alone. In these particulars it is
in conformity with the existing civil
service system of Great Britain, and, in
deed, the success which has attended
that system in the country of its birth
is the strongest argument which has
been urged for its adoption here.
FEATURES OF THE BRITISH SYSTEM.
mn