The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-04-04
THE PRESS.
TUESDAY MORNING, APRIL 4.
Some Facts About State Pension


The pension business is under the direc-
ton of the Governor and Council. The
method of adjudication of claims is entirely
with them. Since the first enactments pro-
yiding for State pensions, the committee of
the Council on estate Benefciaries and Pen
sions' has had charge of the business. Hon.
Everett W. Stetson in 1866, as member of
the Executive Council and Chairman of that
Committee, with Col. q. A. Smith as clerk,
inaugurated the system under tho Act,
which with some minor notifications, has
been in practice ever since. After time
the Council made an arr angement whereby
the business was transacted by the Adju-
tant General, but it was always under the
control of the Council, and under the imme-
diate direction of the committee on estate
Benefciaries and Pensions" While in the
Adiutant Generals office the clerical work
was performed successfully by George n.
Page, Esq.,, now cashier of the First Nation
al Bank of Skowhegan, and Maj. S. J. Gal
lagher, both men of superior capacity as
clerks. In 1879 it was taken out of the Ad-
jutant Generals Office and placed in charge
of BENZ, Bunker, Esq In 1880 Maj. Gal
lagher succeeded Mr.. Bunker under the di-
rection of Gov. Davis and his Council. This
arrangement continued through 1881 and
until the present time.
Councillors Campbell, Robie and Wilson
compose the committee on "Beneficiaries
and Pensions for 1881 and 1882, and the
chairman, Mr.. Campbell, has given much
time to the matter, in some cases visiting
towns for the purpose of ascertaining facts
nat otherwise obtainable. The same gentle
men served as this committee in 1880. 1t
has been the custom for the clerk or agent,
who is simply an employe of the Governor
and Council, to issue certificates on cases
that were properly made up and fully sub
stantiated, where no doubt could be enter
tanned. These certificates were issued "By
order of the Governor and Council All
cases upon which there are any doubts, or
where the proof is insufficient, are submit
ted to the Governor and Council through
the chairman OF the Council Committee.
Governor Plaisted having agreed to this
method for one year and three months sud
denly finds that he has had no voice or part
in the matter, purposes to have change,
and proposes that each and every case shall
be passed upon by the Governor and Coun-
Gil, and furthermore declares that he will
not have Maj. Gallagher do any part Of the
business under any consideration.
1t will be remembered that the clerk or
agent is not an employe of the Governor or
of the Council, but of the Governor and
Council. It needs the concurrence of both
the Governor and the Council to employ and
pay the clerk or agent, and his work must
have the approval or sanction of both in or
der TO be legal. Had the Council met the
Governor in the same spirit manifested by
him, the result would have been a suspen-
sion of payment of pensions for the rest of
the year, but they, being reasonable men,
and looking at the interest of all concerned,
consented to an arrangement whereby the
pensioners without great delay will get the
money appropriated for them by the Legis-
lature, although faithful and capable clerk
is unjustly dealt with, and others put to in
convenience by the work passing into mex
perienced hands.
The Argus attempts to bring to life an ex-
ploded falsehood in regard to an affidavit OF
Mr.. Foss to the effect that Maj. Gallagher
in 1873 told him he would give him pen
sion if he would vote the Republican ticket
Mr.. Foss is poor broken down man and
was induced to sign the paper by payment
of sum of money and deception. He has
subsequently, said to several persons thai
this was the case and he has since volunta-
rily placed in Maj. Gallaghers hands a
statement in his own handwriting as to the
falsity of the statement procured by Pills
bury & Co. in 1879. 1t is a significant fact
that the date of the affidavit of Mr.. Foss
against Maj Gallagher in 1879 is identical
with the date of certificate to the Treasurer
of State whereby he is notified that the
pension of Mr.. Foss is increased to the
amount of $24.00.
Those who are personally acquainted with
Mr. Gallagher know him to be honest to q
cent, methodical and accurate to line ;
and, even were he defective in these quail
ties, he is man of too great discretion to
make such a silly proposition to man like
Mr.. Foss.
The other leading idea of the Argus cor
respondent, viz: that the pay OF Mr.. Gala
CHER will be increased by his taking the
desk of Mr.. Whitten, and at the same time
Mr.. Whitten's pay will be increased by at
tending to the pension business, seems to
be paraioxical to ordinary mortals. Legis-
lative appropriations are too stubborn and
matter of fact to be affected by changes of
this kind.
Finally: the Argus treats the Council in
most unfair and disingenuous fashion. The
action of the Council in transferring the
routine pension business to the Secretary OF
State had to receive the sanction of the Gov
ernor in order to have the force of law.
The arrangement about clerks was also
brought about by the joint action Of the
Governor and Council. The one is as re-