The National tribune., 1884-11-13

on the roll who would receive between
s5o,OOO,0o0 and $4,000, 900 annually
What Dudley promised was the thing
above all others that Congress desired to see
accomplished. The speech of Dir. Cannon,
who had charge of the appropriation in the
House, reflected tie temper in both bodies,
which was shown by the strong majority
vote in favor of the bill. Mf C1nnon-than
whom the soldiers had no stancher advocate
and friend-said, among other things:
The bill provides sufficient clerical and
other force in the Pension and sindred Offices
to dispose of claims for pensions. including the
current work, with in three years from the LIST
day of July next. This provision has been
recommended after careful consideration and
investigation. On the 1st of April, 1852, there
were pending undetermined 26S. 554 claims for
pensions, and as near as can be determined it
would take eight years to dispose of the same
with the present clerical force in the Pension
Office, including current work.
These laws provide for debt due them lthe
sodiers) from the United States, for which,
prompted by patriotism, they rendered far
more than an equivalent in the preservation of
the Republic. We have recommended the
largest force to adjudicate these claims that
can be worked. 1t is true that force might
be put upon the examination of the claims in
the Pension Office that would complete the
same perhaps in year. were it not that the
medical history of the claimants in hospital
and otherwise must also be examined before
the claim can be adjudicated, and there is only
one copy of snch records, numbering $4,000,
and only certain number of persons can ex-
anime them at the same time.
believe it is good policy to pay these pension
claims in the shortest possible time for another
reason. The time to pay the debts Of an indi-
yidual or Nation is when he or it has the
money to pay with. Under existing revenue
laws. after the payment of all expenses Of the
Government. including interest upon the pub
lie debt, our surplus revenues for 1881 amount
to 500 O69 4O49S = = If this money
is not now used for these payments, and the
time of payment is unduly delayed, not only
will an injustice be done the pensioners by the
delay, but the time may come when, from
business universities of the people, the revenues
may fall off and these debts still remain unpaid,
and the alternative will be presented of either
borrowing or increasing taxation to realize
money to meet these obligations.
Third Count: When Col. Dudley entered
the Pension Bureau it had little less than
600 employees, whose annual pay was $685.
80. The Act of March 3, 1881, provided for
an additional force of 141 clerks, but with
few exceptions their services were not
available before July, 1881. This force
paid out $61 ,345 1885 FOR the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1882, and had paid out
S56,777, 174.44 for 1880. 1t was then calcu-
lated it would finish up the pension business
in eight years. He was given, in the Pen
sion Office and in those with which he did
business, an increase of; 1,190 clerks, at an
increased cost to the Government of $1,71s,-
40 per year. That isl in order to enable
him to fulfill his promise to reduce the time
of winding up the pension business from
eight to three years, the number of his
was nearly trebled, and their cost
to the Government moro than doubled.
Money was given him by the hundreds of
millions where it was given his predecessors
by the tens of millions
Fourth Count: Nearly two and half years
Of the three that he asksd have elapsed since
he was given additional employees by the
and money 10 pay them with by
the million, and money to pay pensioners
with by the hundred millions. With five
sixths of his allotted time gone he cannot
complain that there is anything harsh orpre-
mature in passing judgment upon his work.
He asked for SO months in which to accom-
plish certain results; nearly % has passed
since he was given every man and every
dollar he asked for to enable him to do the
work. If he has done anything effectually,
it is to demonstrate his utter failure as
an administrative officer. He has not done
q thing that he promised to do. He has
not accomplished result that he engaged
to accomplish. He has not fulfilled single
pledge. April l, 1882, when he applied for
the assistance that Congress gave him, there
were 2Gs,554 claims pending. After 90
work with the enormous force and
immense sums Of money given him, there
are still 239600 pending. He himself ad-
mits, in his report for 1883, that after years
labor with his vastly increased facilities, he
had added but l0,645 more names than had
been put on the roll the previous year.
Page S, Report Of Com. of Pensions, 's3). He
promised to disburse 100000, 600 in 1888
for the relief Of the deserving soldiers of
the Nation he only paid out Sc, 431 ,972.S5,
thus leaving locked up idle in the Treasury
vaults more than $39,00O.0OO rightfully be-
longing to the soldiers of the country, which
had been given them by Congress, and for
the need of which they and their dependent
ones suffered inexpressibly. He promised to
pay out $50, 200, 900 in 1884 he has allowed
but $57,OO0,GO0 to 60 out to those for
whom it was intended thus in two years
alone depriving the needy men and women
of the United States of more than 1872, OO0,-
600 which was their rightful due! He has
not removed the stumbling blocks in the
way of transacting business in the Pension
Bureau, but multiplied them. He has not
the weary distance between
rightful claimant and his pension, but
heightened it and made it more arduous.