The National tribune., 1882-06-17
REMARKS OF REPRESENTATIVE CANNON.

/
| tion and Investigation. On the lSt OF April,
| 1852 there were pending undetermined 26S, ,55i
| claims for pensions, and as near as can he de-
termined it would take eight years to dispose
| of the same with the present clerical force III
the Pension Office, including current work
| The act granting arrears of pensions has Deen
| in operation since January -, 1879, and am
| satisfied cannot and should not be repealed.
| A part of those entitled to relief under It's pro-
visions have already received it; and all others
! coming within its scope or within the general
pension laws should receive the benefit OF their
provisions rs soon as it Is possible to adJudlcate
| their claims
These laws provide for a debt due to them
! from the United States for which, prompted by
patriotism, they rendered far more than an
! equivalent in the preservation of the Republic.
| We have recommended the largest increase OF
! force 10 adiudiCate these claims that can be
! worked. 1t is true force might be put upon
| the examination of claims in the Pension Once
! that would complete the same perhaps i'll year,
were it not that the medical history OF the
| claimants in hospital and otherwise must be also
| examined before the claim can be adludlcated,
/ and there is only one copy of such records
| numbering $4,000 and only d certain number
! of persons can examine them ut the same time
! The greatest force that can handle the records
! by constant work cannot do it in less than
/ three years 1t occurred to your committee
! that these records could be photo-lithographed
and thereby several copies obtained which
would facilitate the work, but on examination
| by an expert il was found that their condition
was such that this could not be done
! The present force in the Pension Office is I4&
employees, at an annual cost of SS6S530. The
| committee recommend an additional force OF
/ Sl7 employees, at an annual cost of 81 $l,0l3I0O
/ The present force in the SurgCOn-GeneTals 5
| Once is 207 employees, at al annual cost OF
/ $307, 1876. Your committee recommend an
additional force Of 166 employees, at an annual
cost of 1924 300. The present force in the
Adjutant-General's Office is 423 employees, at
! an annual cost Of S49S ,0Il24. Your committee
recomment an additional force Of 1G7 en-
! ployces, at an annual cost of $2O0660. There
| IS also proper increase for the same purpose
! recommended i'll the Second Auditors, Third
! Auditors, Second Comptroler's Office, and the
! office of the Secretary of War, rendered ntces
| sary TO do this work in their respective offices
| on account of the increase in the Pension Oihce.
At the end of those years when those claims
are adjudiCated this increased force IN ali
| these offices, as well as a part of the present
! force, can and should be dispensed with; for
| much smaller clerical force will be able to do
| the current work when we have once cleared
the docket. Care should be taken TO see that
! fraudulent claims are not allowed and at the
same time every facility should be afforded to
the worthy disabled claimant entitled TO the
benefit of the law to establish his claim. Having
this double object III view, your committee rec
| Ommend an appropriation of 100000 to pay
the travelling expenses and subsistence OF two
| hundred and fifty clerks TO be detailed as
special examiners whose duty it will be to 20
| to the hcmes Of the claimants and, upon full
notice, to examine witnesses, with the right to
! all parties to examine and cross examine, and
report the evidence to the Commissioner OF
Pensions, thereby exposing the fraudulent and
assisting the honest claimants.
| The Commissioner estimates that each OF
! these agents can thus examine two hundred
| and fifty claims a year making in the aggregate
! $1,000 claims per annum to be examined by
these special commissioners. The letter of the
! Commissioner of Pensions covering these
points / send to the Clerks desk to be read.
| The Clerk read as follows:
DEPT OF THE INTERIOR, PENSION OFFICE,
Washington ID. e., April % 1852.
DEAR SIR: By way of completion OF the informa-
ton you asked for III private conversation some
| time ago, relative to the amount of work which in
my opinion could be accomplished by aforce OF two
hundred and hhy special examiners in q year, with
| the actual and necessary travelling expenses and
subsistence. at per diem ofSS, have the honor 10
state that the average cost per annum rs the force
Is distributed, requiring extensive travel from
point to point and after estimating for the reduction
! of expense caused by contracting the amount of
! territory to be traversed by each man, will not
vary far from 81 200. Under the enclosed rule No.
76, shall he able las soon as the old snags are
worked off and the re-eIamination had of cases
once handled under the pdrtC system) with Il
force of two hundred and fifty men. to make the
necessary examinations in 630O0 cases per annum,
or an average of two hundred and fifty-two per
annum per man Very respectfully,
w. w. DUDLEY, Commissioner.
Hon. J. G. CANNON
House of Representatives.
Mr. CANNON If this increase of force is ap-
propriated for it is estimated by the Commits
sioner of Pens sns that the following sums will
be required for the payment of pensioners for
! { In
Year ending June 30 1888 SlO0 900 600
Year ending June 80 $50 600 GO0
Year ending June 80 lss5............. lOOO 600 600
Year ending June 80 l856................ 100000
Total for four years,............... Si25 go
OF which sum say 1905 100000 would be in
! part for arrears of pensions, and in part for
! 235 900 new pensioners. and after that the pen
sion-roll bearing say 100000 names would call
for in round numbers S50000,000 per annum.
| send to the Clerks desk TO be read the letter
| Of the Commissioner covering these points.
The Clerk read as follows:
SIR: In accordance with yoar request, have the
honor 10 submit herewith the following informa-
ton:
| Number of pensioners on the roll June
30, 2SS $50
Estimated number Of pensioners on the
roll January /, ,lsS2....................... 27700o
The annual value of the roll January |,
1850, would be S29, $50 900
On the basis of the increased clerical force Of this
office, now under the consideration of Congress,
the following sum, il is believed would be required
to meet the payment Of pensions for the next four
fiscal years, ending as follows:
June 30 1883 SlC0 600 900
/ June ~ If7l IJV,bDiFD
June 90 1888 100 90 o o
June 30 l576 1000 90
! while the yearly expenditure may vary some
! from the figures given. the aggregate for any Of
/ the two years combined will most probably be
found correct as il i. now possible 30 state.
/ The expenditure Of four hundred and twenty-five
millions in the four years mentioned would involve
the payment OF three hundred and five millions for
( arrears of pensions addition 20 the roll of
| about two hundred and thirty-ive thousand new
/ pensioners.
| Allowing for losses to the roll there would he at
the close Of the year 1856 about four hundred and
sixty thousand pensioners on the roll with an an
uual value of between fifty and Gfy-one millions
! OF dollars.
! Herewith il - table showing results similar to
that published in the President ; Message. but ex-
tended to april J, 1852.
Statement stotctng the condition orc original inUa-
lid uido,0 and ds, Cpde1f c'a3Fs fIcd from l.O 10
april ] ls-2 orc'UdiHg bouni,,-ldnd cipi1ns Il 2i3
psading 92g31 rcicc',d, Gcj and increase claims
! tIg 5g5 pending and nbpidOHe6)
! Number of claims died TO April l.
e. ....,......,..... so3562
| NurnDcT of claims admitted TO April
l. lhs, 1GO,S2
! Number of claims pending to April
/ ..................... 8,55I
! Number Of claims rejected and aban-
Coued to April /, lssl.................. 7iISl
| Number Of pending claims icntitied
To benefits of arrears act late war
regular army and navy ...., ..... -. 2I7l62
/ Number Of above classes not cH'I tiled ji,3J2
Z ~ al. .r4r gt. psff