Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-07-06
WASHINGTON LETTER.
tFrom Our Regular Correspondent.

WASHINGTON, July 2, 1888.
About the busiest appearing Government
Office in Washington now is the Pension
Bureau. The buildings IN which its six
teen hundred clerks are quartered, as thick
as three III bed, appear like bce-hivcs
aud to see these clerks standing around on
The outside at lunch time reminds one Of an
old.fsshioned town.meeting. But as a
m utter Of fact this office does not perform
as much work in proportion TO the number
Of its employees as most any Of the other
departments. 1t is pretty well understood
now that The seven or eight hundred addi-
tionnl clerks voted 10 this bureau year
ago were not needed, and have never been
used to any advantage, A history OF the
Pesion Office, ils workings, and the peci-
liar cases that have come before II would
he quite an interesting chapter. II is es-
timated that considerably over half the
pensions granted now are for chronic diar-
rhoea aud diseases arising therelrom.
Gases belonging to this class are among the
worst the Pension Bureau has to handle,
and they have been allowed TO accumulate
| for long time, until they constitute a
majority OF the applications yet undispos-
ed Of. In speaking OF this phase of the
work an old examiner, now in other busi-
ness, said 81 have every reason TO believe
that there is one agency, ut least, and
perhaps others in the city, where dishonest
| applicants who have doubtful claims
against the Government IN this class are
put throngha regular course oil training
| and reduced To any stage oil emacialion
that may be deemed essential to success
10 such perfection has The business been
studied, that an applicant who has been IN
training several weeks can deceive the
| shrewdest examiners, strong, healthy men
being quickly reduced IN weight amazing
~, and gwen The appearance oi hopeless
invaiiis of years staining. 10 be sure The
Training Is liable 10 be followed by serious
sickness aud even permanent disability,
nut men are found who VIII lake The RISK
oil that Tor the $1,000 or 5000 snd the
monthly s,ipen,ls that are at stake. 1t is
practically impossible Tor the bureau peo'
pie To guard against deception of this sort
unless they ahonld come into possession oi
Information bearing on u particular case
by accident, anu interested parties are very
careful to cover their tracks skilliu''y. vi
nll the ways OF making money This Is the
most peculiar ever heard of, AMI thus lar
one oi tue moS' S"ccessiui in SINAI, WY
The new Commissioner OF Internal Rev
enue is in hot water, but his friends say he
does not mind lhat-that he is used TO It
Whether Mr.. Evans Is satisfied with hIs
own work or not, it is pretty certain that
President Arthur and the Administration
people generally do not ieel very vel
pleased, though there VIII be no interier-
ence at present. MIR. Evans succeeded te
thoroughly well organized and efhclen
branch OF the public service, and all u,
had To do was to nee that the machinery ol
the bureau was kept III perfect running
order. But IT seems that that simple per
iormance oi duty did not at all SUIT HI
views. II was not with any such Old lash
ioned idea that lie took the office. Wha
he wanted was, not to have the revenu's
the Government collected with 'hegreates
honesty and efficiency, hut to have IN
pleasure oil d,sirlbnt,ng patronage. III
seems to have followed IN the very ioots,ep
: OF The late Speaker k'eier, ana ms mrs
i movement was tie removal of four OF tn
most skilled special agents oi internal rev
1 en,e and the appointment III Their place
: OF four men from his own State of ker
/ lucky, two OF whom had been previousl,
! dismissed Tor cause" from Ike position
!, the other two being untriei, inexperienced
Ill