The Portland daily press., 1883-10-20
More ON the Same Sub ect.

Washington dispatch to the Boston Advertiser
Commissioner Dudley has received CORES
pondence to-day which shows the use pension
claim agents in this city are making of the
lately published pension rolls to lay the 4 un-
dation for bleeding the government and pen
sioners The following letters from the office
of the city marshal of Aurora, ILL., are good
specimens:
AURORA, ILL.,, Oct. 15, 1888
To the Hon. W. ". Dudley:
Dear Sir,-our neighDorhood is literally flooded
with circulars, of which the herewt IT, inclosed is a
fair sample 1t will cost the government hundred
of thousands of dollars to examine claimants not en-
titled to increase who will apply tor more pension
on account of receiving these circulars. The game
will be to get the next Congress to pass law de-
due ing $40 for each case allowed before your ofc
has time to adjudcate them, which wou d be- as
you must know, exorbitant and oppressive to claim
ants, AMI ought not 10 be tolerated, Claimants can
get competent persons in the cou try to prosecute
their claims for $3.50, which would be about 81
minute for all necessary services rendered in each
case.
Respectfully, JAMES d. Fox.
AURORA, ILL.,, oct. To- 1888.
Enclosed herewith is another batch all received
by one man in Que day, and the merciful God only
knows how many more are to follow. / am q claim
agent here, and tons Of these circulars are being
ment entitled to the fractional part of cent more
than they are now receiving.
Respectfully,
JAMES D. Fox.
These letters enclose ten different circulars,
sent from agents in this city, setting FORTH
with great display OF type aud flags, what is
well calculated to cause those readers, widows
and orphans who are not acquainted with PEN
sion laws to believe that they are entitled to
an increase OF pension and to. additional
bounty. Blank forms of application are at
tached, and every inducement offered to have
them filed and returned to the agent The
rest of the transaction consists of writing for q
part of tho fee for postage stamps then for
more of the fee, and, in short continued
dunning, until the agent has squeezed out all
that the claimants will bear. This process is
one known among this class OF agents as "milk-
ing the list" The list is "milked' by sending
cunning letters, and where few thousands
are induced, to reply to the milking" re-
quests or fifty cents in postage stamps for one
dollar or TWO dollars on the fee ITO meet ex-
penses" and for the balance OF the fee, often,
as is easily soen, brings in a large sum, even
to firms which do moderate business The
pension office has ascertained that the agents
in this city are preparing for a raid on Congress
for new legislation, by mailing the following
circular and petitions to all parts of the coun-
try:
a SOLDIERS, ATTENTION!
Congress has had before it for several years two
measus es of great Importance to officers and men,
namely, the bill to pay officers from date OF con
mission and the equalization bounty bill. Both
these measures Just and honest, and can be got
ten through by the earnest and united efforts OF the
soldiers. We have prepared a printed petition TO
Congress which wish every officer and soldier to
sign.
The above paper is being sent to the names
on the lately published lists.