Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-07-17

ii'''' "a AN"AAg 1NNAf otdtS III
the Union.
The most Of them were in Pennsvl-
vania S04l. Ohio furnished 75l. New
York $50, Illinois 644 Indiana 497,
Michigan 300, Kentucky 267, Massa-
chuSetts 264, and so ON down to / In
Arizona and New Mexico respectively
The cost of the building has been
greatly reduced siECe the establish
mCnt of schools here when men are
drilled at night in the requirements
.of a special examiner before they are
allowed to 90 into The field. The
night school is outside of the Office.
and is conducted by members of the
division without expense to the
government. During the last fiscal
year the whole amount per diem was
1928, S12 %, and the whole expense
account was SOS, SAG 40, The total
cost was, therefore, SlS1.AIS "a. an
average per ease of S29. 10 and a frac
ton Compared with what is accomp-
plished, tins seems but a triAe The
gross saving to the government for
the year was from
Amount due and unpaid 5s pension
ers dropped .......s.. ...... ......S 100 90
Accrued pension iC,5 rejected
Money legally drawn aud refunded i9 Is, b
Not saving lover expenses Si.gsl.Gsts3
Future annual saving in these coses.s lIa 3ig %
A million and quarter saved is a
million and a quarter earned. The
reader who gets used TO the million
figures in readingof national finances
must kindly bear in mind that this is
done by the operations of a single di
vision of the pension bureau, and
one that was an experiment two
years ago, about the trial OF which
there were grave doubts in both the
legislative and executive mind.
a PERFECT SYSTEM.
This system of field work is as near
perfect as anything Of that nature
can be. There is nothing under
handed or secret about it, Anybody
who is deserving of attention can eX-
anime every part Of It, and the small
est minute of Office work beside. The
examination of the pensioner orclalm-
ant is not, as was formerly the case,
OK parte. lie merely makes deposi
ton and gives references to those who
know him or knew him before he en-
listed as a soldier The government
agents get their testimony at govern
ment expense, SO there is no hardship
TO worthy people Sometimes a man
who enlisted In Massachusetts, is ex-
amined in Missouri or some other
state.
In such cases the western examiner
collects his end of the case, which is
then transferred to the examiner in
the east, in whose district the other
witnesses perhaps officers and com
rades) reside, and their testimony is
obtained so there is no injustice
caused by distance of witnesses. The
examiner, contrary to the general
idea, ! think, has nothing to do with
passing upon the case. He merely
collects all the testimony and for
wards it to the pension Office. 1t goes
to the division that directs him, and
there it is examined, briefed and pass
ed to the board Of review, with the
recommendation for rate or rejection.
The board OF review, composed Of le
gal gentlemen, re examines il, and
sustains or overturns the action of the
special division, and finally passes
upon the case 70 prevent any sort
of collision, the field examiner is as
signed to any other state than where
the recommendation for his appoint
ment comes his work passes through
| three sets Of hands, and an appeal lies
from the board of review to the com
missioner The record in each case is
on the hooks and i'm the files in such
a way that, should the case itself, with
all the evidence, be stolen from the
files, or be lost in the mails, the Office
knows all about it.
For instance when even an
anonymous letter is received IA
which perhaps, the writer informs
the Office that John Smith, who is
getting "a pension for gunshot wouad,
received said wound in "A street quarrel
since the war, is received il is record
ed alphabetically and his statement
set down. For while the Office can
not place reliance upon anonymous
letters, these very frequently refer TO
men as likely to know ali about it,
and thus alfored clew for the detec
ton and punishment Of fraud
Over 250 cases last year we're turned
over to District Attorneys for prose
cution, some OF which began in the
anonymous letter. This record Of
letters and correspondence is to per.
feet that the disposition Of q case and
the entire history can be ascertained
in a few minutes. / am indebted to
81 f.I OF
Welly, Chief of the Examination
Division, and other clerks for these
interesting facts.
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