New-York tribune., 1884-01-26
THE PENSION SYSTEM.
A PROPOSITION TO ABOLISH AGENCIES.
yHYGE NERAL DUDLEY OPPosEsANf CHANuh-liih
PROPOSED PLAN NOT ECONOMICAL
rBY TELESRAPH THE TRI6uSE]


rBY TELrSRAPH To THE TRIbuSE.l
w,suI\Croy. Jan, 25.-The House Committee
an Annropriations has under consideration propo-
.tion 10 abolish the pension agencies Throughout
,be countrv and have the pensioners paid hereafter
by checks issued from Washington by the Treasurer
Of the United States For the information OF the
con nittee the Commissioner of Pensions mas
nreparcd a statement. in which he argues that
Mother the interests of the Government nor the
convenience aud welfare of the $4,000 pensioners
will best he subserved by the adoption of the pro-
posed plan.
There are eighteen pension agencies. aud 1t cost
last year S2S2 57S to MAINTAIN them. The pension
.rs are paid quarterly OH vouchers sent TO them in
advance of the date of payment. but which, under
the law. cannot be executed before that date.
The system has reached such a state of pcrfec-
tion that eighty per cent of the pensioners receive
their nav within five days of the time set foT pay
ment For example, the agent who pays the PEN
sioners in the State of Ohio paid 2l,3iO OF them
between September and September last year
Commissioner Dudley says the most important polht
in the consideration of the proposition is the con-
yeuience and well being of the pensioners-whetner
they shall receive their pensions expedluousiy ana
uromptly OF be subjected TO delay OF one 10 iour
weeks Thousands of the pensioners belong 10 INC
INDECENT class. and to them the delay of even
suffering In the large cities where there are agen-
oies and where pensioners apply in person. they
ca,bar long before daylight by hundreds the crowd
increasing as the day advances This plainly shows
the necessity to them of prompt payments Nearly
fifty thousand pensioners are thus paid In person at
tbe different agencies These payments are by
checks "to bearer" so that the pensioners expert
ence no difficulty in getting their money promptly
II is not nfreQuently the case when pensioners IT.
ceive checks payable to order" tDat they
6nd themselves obliged 10 suffer q discount
OF nav a fee to some person TO identity them on INC
morning of the day when the payments begin
MANY of the agents begin at daylight and keep at
work until IL or ~ o'clock at night The average
DAVIS work of the clerks IN pension agency OK
ceeds ten hours throughout the year.
THE PROPOSED PLAN NOT AN ECONOMICAL ONE
On the question of economy as compared with the
nroposed method Commissioner Dudley says that
fn his Judgment the pensions cannot by such change
be paid as cheapy under the present system.
The pension agents employ, in ALL about 10 clerks
permanently who are selected, as they naturally
would be- on account of their special qualifications
for the kind of work required of them. General
Dudley continues "WOuld the Government be
able TO secure the services OF $50 clerks working
seven bOnrs a dqy who could do more than l2O
clerks now employed ten hours dayf IL not, then
the Government must begin with an annual pay
roll of $4,000 for clerical service. AS an
equivalent for the temporary clerical force
now required by pension agents during the
time of payments, tho Government will
be required to employ at least forty more clerks
which will cost $4,000 year more"
There is no building now owned or leased by the
government which could accommodate such force
of clerks If suitable quarters could be found tle
rent would not be less than $4,000 a year. Fuel,
light stationery and other contingencies OF
such q Government office would ~ cost at
"f nosta1e would be raised to the
pension appropriation, but lost to the postal ser
vice As il rs question OF comparative cost
General Dudley thinks the item Of postage, $4,000
year, should also be lncluded
QUESTIONS OF DELAY.
The Treasurer OF the United States expresses the
opinion at issue the chec ks TO pensioners alone
would cost $4,000 year. General Dudley con-
tinues: "li the pensions should be paid from the
Treasury quarterly by force organized
for that IrIposc. the average period which
n pcnsIonor would bo obliged to wait
before receiving his quarterly pension would be
about torty-liye days. If the dates OF payments
were changed so that One-lhlrd OF the payments
nov, made IN "A quarter should be made each month";
te average period of delay TO each penSlpner would
lac nffeeu doys from the day his voucher was re-
ceIved to the dav il mailed, not counting the
time consumed in its Transmission, Onc-ldu the
pensioners would therefore be compelled to wait
remedy would be to provide a sufficient
force of temporary CLERKS each month.
The quarterly interest che IS issued by the Treas
rrcr an, mailed promptly b.t these checks are PIE
pared aud signed before lie day ON which they are
mailed. I'm paving pensions Mt course could not
well bee followed, liT the check cannot he made
until after the voucher has been received from In"
brn>iorcr If tl.r plan suggested Of paying one
mind of the pensions each month should be
adopted il .Onid make necessary an entire
auce IN te records of the Third
Auditor ohce and the work Of that office would be
thrown II least q year in areas. During last year
tle COS of dlshuTshg pensions was ~ IG per$ ,OoO
shc clst OF disbursements to tht Army b. ne PAY,
master, in the same year from go TO $50 per 81 900