The National tribune., 1882-05-20
ONE HUNDRED MILLIONS.
THE AMOUNT TO BE APPROPRIATED
FOR PENSION PAYMENTS.
Report Of the House Committee on appropriations
An Additional Clerical Force Provided for the
Pension Bureau and Other Departments TO
Facilitate the Examination of Claims.


grated by Mr.. Cannon, differs from previous
legislative bills in making specific appropria-
tions for all employees in the Executive Depart
ments, instead of leaving them, as heretofore
to be paid out of gross appropriations. The
principal features of the bill are as follows: 1t
increases the clerical force engaged in the pre-
paration of pension cases to such an extent as
to enable the Commissioner to examine andad-
just all pending claims within three years, 1t
directs the Secretary of War to transfer all the
records in the Office of the Surgeon General OF
the Army, from which the evidence is furnish
ed for the settlement Of claims for invalid pen
sions and also the clerks employed upon such
records, to the Office of the Adiutant General Of
the Army, if in his judgment, the work of fur
nishing such evidence will be facilitated or the
number of clerks employed upon such work
can be materially reduced in number by such
transfer. 1t authorizes the Adiutant General to
use part Of the State Department building for
offices, and thus effects saving Of the $4,000
per annum now paid for the rental Of Offices in
other and less secure buildings. Finally, it
strictly prohibits the employment in the EI-
ecutive Departments of any other clerks than
those for which it specifically provides, and
thus renders impossible many Of the abuses and
irregularities which characterized the old sys-
TEN Of clerical appointment.
A comparison of the bill with the estimates
upon which it is based, and with the expenses
for the same Departments in the current year,
shows the following results Estimates for
1883, $21 IL, ,90365; amount appropriated by
the bill, S19,69l 047.90; decrease, 14S4 S55.75.
Amount appropriated for the curGentyear, ST.
o4O,679,49; amount appropriated by the present
BILL $19,691 ,047.90; increase, s., $50 36841. If
from this last-namcd amount, however, be de-
Quoted expenditures heretofore included in
and covered by the sundry civil and other ap-
preparation bills, the net increase made by the
present bill will be reduced to s., ,218S52 Il.
The principal items which go to make up the
increase on the amount appropriated by the
bill, as compared with the amount appropriated
forthe current year, are as follows: For 1,2l0
additional clerks and other employees to expe-
dite pension work in the Offices Of the Adjutant
General, Surgeon General, Second Comp
troller, Second Auditor, Third Auditor, and
in the Pension Office, $1,518, 80; for con-
tingent and other expenses incident to this
increase of force, $224,000; for the increase in
the membership of the House of Representa-
tives under the new apporti0nment, $53,3H;
for ffty-one additional clerks in the Sixth Au-
ditors Office, $4,000; for 45 additional clerks
in the General Land Office, 50, $50; for 81 ad-
ditional clerks in the Patent Office S67, $50: for
d additional clerks in the Post Office Depart
ment $39,070; for 10 additional clerks in the
Department Of Justice, S, 9,150; for salaries and
expenses of collectors and deputy collectors of
fciency appropriations the present cost Of the
service in the Land Office and Patent Office is
nearly the same as that contemplated bv this
bill. The nominal increase made by the bill
in the number OF employees in the Executive
Departments at Washington, and in the bu-
reaus and Offices subordinate thereto, is 2,297.
This number includes .2lj clerks for pension
work, and SO clerks already employed in the
Departments, utpaid ont Of miscellaneous ap-
propriations. The actual increase in the de
partmcnt clerical force, therefore, exclusive of
pension clerks, Is lJ1. 10 increase IS made by
the bin in salaries and 30 offices are created
above the grade of fourth class clcrlships.
Tie bin argropriatcs In round numbers one
hundred million dollars for the payment Of
pensions. The regular bin last wear appronri-
ated siEty millions Tor the same purpose, and
eighteen million for deficiencies.
GENERAL BEN LEFEVRE OIL TIE SOL
DER
a representative THE NATIONAL TnIBUNr
dropped in on Hon. Ben Ler.yre who, as all
men know, is the Wiae-awake Representative
of the Fourth Congressional District Of the
State Of Ohio in Congress.
not a small man IN any respect physically or
mentally but he has a VIDE reputation bv the
qualities cf his heart. lie is aal4altlv what
would be called a laree-Aear.cI man. and the
calls upon his time and patience are iaaumcr-
able Everybody who wants an Office. or o
pension, or has q claim OF any kind that no
one else viii attend to, finds ready sympathy
with General LcEcvre. The EemMfenn or
plans from Kentucky, who have no Gapresant-
ative IN Congress, or next TO none, find their
way invariably TO his quarters q. #ounlaE's.
The rooms into which the scribe was usher.d
was called the Office, and Lalr a dozen CLERKS
were busy at work. Some were sending OF
paLlic documents 10 the voters of the Fourth
district, others were attending to the CORE
Gpoudeuco relating to pensions. which alone re-
quires the attention o. several 1aen. " All
gratis" one Of tLe-n said. "Eo foes ever come
t. this Office. Lisa labor Of love on the part
Of the General
What do y9l think Of the prospects Ct the
soldiers coming in on par with the bond
holders after while: - said the T&IEu,sE1n&n
q think. said The General, t.at the time is
fast approaching w4.n ANY Congressman who
ignores the claim Of q wounded soldier or q de-
pendent relative for pension s9lcmnLvrrom-
i5ed by the Governments when ha ca.or.d
the army in ease Of death or disability ia the
service, viii De Ie-- os.a f4 Tie calG"
do EoutAin2.tle.a.l.a .aeyou express is com
mon among Cmgr 4als'
lido. Tic present C.u-ro.s is more iu-
clined than any tl.at BIAS preceded it 10 Iogtz-
late for the fair a6. s..a..t 9. ... ..rs claims
There is growing feeling tlat tic Govern
lucnt has treated its d.6ad.-s -la billy. and 7
have no dou,. au a.l.-o. .a.a..on viii Ga made
for the specific ga.no-e Of settling ali arrears
of PENSIONS and lor Increasing The force ia tic
Pension Office"
What amount Of money VIII bc required for
that purposc!'
About one hundred millions this year"
The scribe wrote down ,lo figures. uuapnlIad
by the magnitude Of the sum. ILo bad, on
several occasions, been present 81. Tire opening
Of The morning mail at TnE HAvIoEAL TaI-