Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-23
The Pension Agencies.

The proposition to abolish the pension
| agencies and pay pensioners direct from
| the Treasury, in the same way that bond
! holders are paid their interest, appears to
be regarded with favor. No very strong
! reason can be advanced for the existence
| Of pension agencies in different parts OF
the country. Only those pensioners who
| live in the immediate vicinity of the agen-
! cles are paid in cash. Those who live
at distance, and they are the great ma
| ioritv, are paid by checks. What advan-
tage is there in sending checks from the
| agencies instead of the Treasury? Agents
are as liable to be imposed upon as the
Treasury would be. They have no
means of knowing when pensioner,
who Is paid by check, dies which
the Treasury would not have.
1t is as easy, therefore, to commit frauds
on agents as it would be on the Treasury.
| The cost Of the agencies is about $35O,OOO
a year. 1t is estimated that it would cost
to distribute the pensions from the Treas
ury direct about $4,000. Here is
chance for an immense annual saving.
The sum Of S275, 900 does not appear large
IN comparison with the millions that are
annually appropriated to meet the wants
| of the government, but it is plenty large
enough to command the attention OF the
Appropriations Committee. If Mr.. Ran
dali looks after sums like this he will be
able TO make very considerable reductions
in the appropriations. This is understood
to be a reform Congress, and Mr.. Randall
Z OH nF
more attention from the country than any
other member. Nothing is so satisfactory
to the public as a reduction in the ex-
penses of the government.
An English giant calling himself Sir
Alexander Cooper is on exhibition in
Chicago. 1t is sail that he is matri-
monially inclined. and not having time or
| opportunity to 20 counting in the ortho-
dox fashion, adopted the business-like
Chicago custom and advertised for wife.
Advertising pays in Chicago, and as an
evidence of the fact Sir Alexander re-
ceived over 900 applications for the vacant
position in his heart, from young ladies,
widows and old maids. He is now worse
puzzled than ever what to do. 1t is quite
an extensive undertaking, even for a gil
ant. to review an army of 900 women, each
bent on captivating him; but he has the
consolation that if he makes a mistake he
won't have far to go to get divorce.
The convict systems of the different
States is receiving a good deal Of atten-
ton lust now. The general objection to
all systems is that they are not reforma-
tory. The world contains few Optimists
who seem to think it very easy matter
to reform the class of persons who usual
" fill the prisons. No greater mistake
can be made. With probably nine-tenths
of the conyicts efforts at reclamation are
time and labor thrown away. Peniten-
tiaries are for the punishment Of crimi-
nails, and while they ought to be treated
with humanity, any undue mercy shown
them is to that extent a nulllfcation Of
the sentence imposed Oh them by the
courts.
A statement has been going the rounds
placing Col. o. P. Fitzsimons, of Augusta,
ex-TInited States Marshal of Georgia, in
the list of defaulting officials of the United
States. Col. Fitzsimons gives an emphatic
denial to the charge, and says that instead
of being indebted to the government the
government really owes him, and he is
actively engaged in trying to get settle
meut in the matter. Col. f. is the only
Democrat who has held the Georgia Mar
shalship since the war, and bears the
reputation of being a most upright and
honorable gentlemen.
The Gar and Czarina of Russia have
again bestowed their blessings on the
waters of the river Neya, but they won't