The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-11-25
An Official Who Receives Comparative Small
Compensation for the Duties He Performs
and the Money He Must Account For.
Senator Allison's Reelection Assured,
Despite ClOseness Of the Legislature.
Virginia BourbOns Still CoLtending for State
Rights-Candidates for the Speakership
-Arkell's Advertising Scheme.
DUTIES OF. PENSION AGENTS.
An Office in Which There Is Great RespOn
sibiIity and Comparatively Poor Pay.

An Office In Which There Is Great Respon-
sibiIity and Comparatively Poor Pay.
epecfal TO tho Indianapolis JournaI
WASHINGTON, Nov. Elf | had known
anything about the responsibility which
devolves upon a United States pension
agent, l never should have made applica-
ton for appointment to the place." said a
gentleman, to-day, who has been here for
some time looking after a position of this
character. THE compensation attached
to the Office is nothing like the response
billties. The position In the East is very
like that in the West. except that the sal
airy is the same. with a slight increase in
the responsibilities. You may take the In
diana pension agency, which is more IA
miliar to you, as an instance illustrative of
what l say. To begin with. the agency in
Indiana has to give a bond of S1O0. 600. two-
thirds the amount of the pond that the
Treasurer of the United States gives.
whose salary is $1,000 and whose official
duties are light.
THE Indiana agency disbursed last year
IS, 335, $50 in army pensions. while it paid to
members of medical examining boards S69,-
40. The salary of the office is $4,000 a year,
with clerk hire amounting to SIG. zoo and
rent 81 1000, and an additional OF 81 $50 for
contingent expenses. The pension agent at
Indianapolis gives checks on Indianapolis
and New York to pensioners. and i'll the
multiplication of duties there are many in
which he can lose money, for which he is
responsible.
United States pension agency he naturally
shudders at the responsibilities. The agent
at Indianapolis not only has eight millions
of dollars in disbursements. but he ia re-
quired to give an exact account to the
Third Auditor of the Treasury for every
dollar that reaches a pensioner. If a PEN
sioner should be paid twice he loses the
money. Every time a pension is granted
or a pensioners pay is reissued or rerated
the Pension Office here notifies the agent,
and the CLERKS in the agents office make
a computation and then notify the pension
er. at the same time inclosing q voucher
for the original and increase of pension.
The pensiOner is required to certify the
voucher properly and then return it with
sufficient evidence that all is right, when a
check is issued. If there is any irregularity
in any of these proceedings the agent is
held responsible.
Another thing i'm connection with this
responsibility, which is very unjust.
Naturally one would suppose that when a
pension check is presented at a bank and Is
paid. the agent or indorser of the check Is
relieved of ali responsibility. Not so. If
it should be discovered in the Pension De-
partment after a check has been paid that
there is an irregularity. the responsibility
goes back to the agent or indOrser of the
check. The bank also comes in for a share
of the responsibility, and there are SO many
risks possible in the payment of pension
checks hat some of the banks refuse to
cash them. Then. when an agent goes out
of Office. he has a deal of a time to finally
Third Auditors office of the Treasury De-
partment is now only three months behind.
but it was only a few years ago When ac-
counts of pension agents were nine years
behind in settlement, and the agent has to
keep his bondsmen during that long period
Of years to a strict responsibility for every
cent paid out. The office of pension agent
is neither a sinecure nor desirable"