The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1886-10-07
eKNRRAL LOO RRpoRr.

The remarkable showiag made in tbs
annual report Of Gen. John G.. BIsck.
commissioner of pensions, the figures
of which have beea given to the country
through the associated press, has led to
some comments IS TO how such largely
increased result could be accomplished
with force of clerks numerically smaller
than the one employed under Gen. Black,s
predecessor.
facilities for observing the inner workings
Of the ONCE, writes Us in explanation of
this matter, and his letter is SO clearly to
the point that we give il
almost verbatim. After aIludlne
to 7the reductions in the clerical force,
and which were made necessary by con-
gressional action. he says: cit is 9 we'll
known fact that the work OF the pension
Office has been pushed forward by Gen.
Black. IN q way to produce greater results
in the adjudication Of pensions than has
heretofore seemed possible, even when the
force of clerks was much larger than q.
present; but the system by which this has
been accomplished Is not so well under
stood. The secret Is hid In two simple
words Of ponderous meaninR-executiye
ability
When Gen. Black took charge of the
office as Commissioners the clerks were In
the habit Of arriving pretty much on their
own time; then they consumed about an
hour st the noon lunch, and an addi-
ffnnRI nf
to four O'Clock, in arranging
their toilets, 30 as to be on the avenue
promptly at 4. Under the present regime
all the clerks employed are expected, and
are required. to be at their desks and ready
for work on the stroke Of the hour of 8 in
the morning, and to consume not more
than thirty minutes at the noon lunch, and
70 remain at their desks until f. The en-
forcement OF these rules gains about three
quarters Of an hour each day In the time
OF each clerk, and as there are
nearly fifteen hundred clerks en-
ployed this means gain of
more than eleven hundred hours daily,
equal to one hundred and ffty-hve work
ing days of seven hours each, or more than
four thousand dsys's gain In each month.
In the special examination division
OF the pension Office, General Black has
made enormous gains of time, by doing
away with the cumbersome system of hav-
lag supervising special examiners located
In different parts OF the country, each with
an office for the transaction of business,
and corps OF men under him. whose OPP
eratlons he was expected to direct.
Under the old system cases were pre-
pared in the pension ofice to go into the
field and were then mailed to the supervis-
ing examiners of the various districts, who
opened ana read the cases and made re-
cord of them and then re-mailed them to
the men in the field proper. These men
having completed an examination, would
mail the case to the supervisor,
who again opened and read it, and
placed his endorsement thereon and re-
mailed to Washington.
Under the present regime, cases are
mailed from the Washington Office direct
to the special examiner in the field, who,
upon completing his examination, re-mails
the case direct to Washington. The saw
ing OF time in doing away with the system
of middle men is obvious
Tue old method of taking dispositions
and writing out questions, as well as an
swers in tull, and sometimes consuming
hours in taking one statement, has given
way to the narrative form, thus making a
great gain of time IN this direction.
These are samples Of the terseness ano
brevi'y, tending to rapidIty of execution,
that now prevail in the various divisions
of the pension Office.
1t is well-understood fact that In all
the departments and bureaus of the GOV
eminent, the Influence of the presiding
head slowly, but none the less thoroughly
pervades the entire force, and this Is es
pecially true of the pension office. Gen
eneral Black is noted far his terseness and
brevity, his rapIdItY of execution and his
quick and usually correct judgments, and
these qualities. appear to have become
contagious throughout the entire force m
der his control.
Nothing, perhaps, can better illustrate
General Blacks tendency to b1evity than
his preface to the book OF Instructions
issued for tie guidance of special
examiners in the field. III
has been the custnR of former commits
sloners, in issuing books of this character.
to make preface two or three pages
long telling examiners what they should
and what they should not do.
General Blacks preface TO the book of
Instructions issued by him is such model
IN It's way "a to permit OF being quoted ID
its entirity. Here 1t is:
PREFACE.
Seek truth. Do justly, openly aod hon.
orably your whole duly. Observe the
law. JOHN C.. BLACK, Commls'r
Washington, D. e., May /, 1885.
This is fair sample of the spirit
which at present rules in the pension of.