Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-07-24
THE PENSION OFFICE.
Interesting Facts i'm Regard to the
Bureau-Rema abIe Matthew atIcaI
Aecuracy-How::,,$I 90, 100000 Are
Annually Discussed.
Boston Herald.

The recent discoveries of pension
frauds and toe astounding revelations
concerning the manner of milking
claimants and beating the government
at the same time by a ring of claim
agents have called public attention TO
Commissioner Dudley's admlnistra-
ton of the pension Office, writes a
Washington correspondent TO the
Pittsburg Dispatch. A single bureau
of the government that disturbs over
800, OG0, 900 annually-more than all
the ether departments, outside of the
treasury, put togetheT-would seem
10 require no adventitious circum-
stances to render It's operations famil-
Jar. There is, however, so little known
of the practical working of the pen
sion system that even well-infOrmed
correspondents, whose business 1t is to
retail such information, are at loss
to comprehend it. One of them said
to me the other day that the special
examiner system was working great
hardship 10 pensioners; that every ex
amincr got his merit marks from the
number of pensioners he cut off and
tie amount Of money he saved the
government, and consequently stretch
ea every point to reduce rates and stop
allowances.
He Unfolded a very sensational
story, in short, and one that would
make an ex-soldier's hair curl. But
he faiIe: ANONYMOUSLY on crOss-ex-
animation, and convinced that neither
Of US knew much about it. Acting
Bn the impulse of the moment, [ took
a street car and was within the next
ten minutes IN the presence OF Com
missioner Dudley When [ told him
desired particularly to inquire into
he working of the special-examiner
SYSTEM, he replied by sending for Mr..
AcCalmont, late chief Of the division
Of special examination, and who
more recently resigned the Office of
supervising special examiner at Phil
adelphia, and directed him to show
me everything the books and bust
ness from beginning to end.
II am glad you have come to see, :"
said Colonel Dudley Nobody has
before thought it worth while, but
you will see this business has grown. "
We went up to the top floor in the
Shepherd building, and from the ele-
water caught a glimpse of
A THOUSAND CLERKS
bending over a thousand desks, and
heard the hum Of human beehive
Men and women were crowded to-
gether until they seemed to touch
elbows IN the foreground, and in the
distance were blended in a grand con-
fusion Of heads and papers. Messen-
gers ran hither and thither with light
and nOiseless footsteps, clerks talked
gossip or consulted over cases with
hushed voices. Discipline every
where
This is nothing" said my guide.
There are other buildings-One as
large and as crowded as this"
On thetop floor were about seventy
i've or 100 clerks, male and female,
mdustriOusly examining cases, an
swerlng correspondence, registering
She same, and engaged in clerical
labor incidental to the Division of
Special Examination. This force is
engaged IN reducing the work Of
special examiners, in the field to pro
per shape and to recording and direct
ing such WORK There are now about
200. examiners IN the field, a growth
from seventy employed at the begin
Rlng OF the last fiscal year. Where
Ghese are located is shown on a map
hanging In the room of the Chief of
Division, each mans name being
pasted on the map where he is en-
Moyed. There are names printed in
req ink, showing which are the super
ylsIng examiners, the latter beng in
charge Of subdivisions.
t.9G29 each one of these 200 examin-
ets the office gets daily reports. These
reports show what was done by the
examiner on that day, number of
deposihons taken, the case employed
GA, what travelling expenses incurred,
and how, where Geographic COM
munication and mail communication
can be had with him for the coming
week, etc. Thus the division has a
morning report, showing exactly
what every days work costs. This is
entered up in a register, and from
9his the amount of work done by
each man and the cost in expenses
and per diem to the Government in
each case is obtained. On this the
usefulness of the man in the field is
Sgured down to
MATHEMATICAL ACCURACY.
Due allowance is made for opera
lions IN sparsely settled districts in
ihe northwest. From this registry ]
learn that some cases cost the govern
ment $25 to 800. and some cost as low
as S. to so. Soma of the specials
make monthly average of cost (per
diem and expenses as low as $13 in
each case. Others run up to an aver
age of $40 case. Where there is
nothing in the topography of the
country or the number Of dispositions
IN the case to warrant this expense,
the examiner is recalled" or ''dis,
charged, F." and see those significant
words words written against a good
many, and those invariably where the
smallest amount Of work has cost the
most money. The amount of work
performed under such system of dis
elNline Is wOOdppfu1 Drri,1 n tho ,aa =