New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-14
THE OLD SYSTEM BETTER THAN THE NEU.
CHARGES AGAINST DIR. AINSwoRTH'S METHODS
IN THE SURGEON GENERALS OFFICE.

IN THE SURGEON-G ENERAL'S OFFICE.
Washington, Dec 10 (SpeciaD-Charges are made
against the system upon which the record branches OIL
the Adjutant-Gen and SurgcOn-C eneraPS Offices
ara managed by Assistant Surgeon i. {. AinswOrth,
one OF the Democratic " hold-over" officials inc
index card" system by means of which the names
of soldiers found upon the records of hospitals feg
mental surgeons reports etc. were copied upon these
cards with excerpts Of such service, system which
was completed after vast expenditure OF tiine anu
money and heralded throughout the country As d.
Ainsworh's INVENTION appears to be, IN prac'Ne' d
veritable house Of cards. a deception ana snare H.
is said moreover, that the doctor dld nor hmseh
initiate this plan, but that IL was borrowed from 'ho
Mutual Insurance Company of NewYork, where 1t has
been In use since 1885. Those who ought 10 Know
assert that great injustice is done to claimants for
pension through the methods pursued by Dr. AnSworth
The records bearing evidence OF soldier having been
treated for sickness contracted while in service are
under DR.. Ainsworth's exclusive charge
The necessity for careful search Of the records
by expert clerks IS obvious and yet It Is charged that
the searching IS carelessly done by ignorant
men that inaccuracy the rule and not the exception
that the force employed is driven al hel-press"re
speed utterly ignoring the rights of claimants 10 the
end that a Democratic official, who too young Ia
serve in the Rebellion himself may secure coveted
Army promotion, and that thousands Of claimants
will thus be ultimately derauded of their pensions.
Under the old system pursued In the SurgcOnGen-
erals Office brief of the claimants allegations was
made for the searcher" who forthwith examined the
records researcher" then took his report and went
over it again upon the records; after which it was
gone and compared by third searcher.' Under
this system from TO nine searches" were made
by each clerk in day. After the mlch-vaunted
card system" adopted, however,. the average
number Of searches made by each clerk increased
from 20 to 25, and it is said to be high al
fIom 80 TO 40 and upward, while
perts at The business claim that even
If the cards were reasonably accurate fom
20 10 25 searches By each clerk would be fair
age for days work. Under the Old system more
over, the search made 10 cover period Of six
months, three months each side of the dale given
by the claimant-in cases where his treatment
not found on or about the date which he alleged
it-whie now two months prior and subscqu 10
the date given by the claimant, three months only.
covered by the search. The index cards are in
complete and inaccurate while they should have been
compiled and the slips for them written by
petent and careful AS matter of fact very many of
those employed In the work Of searching the data
for them were rairoaded" into office during the
Cleve ard Adminit on, men utterly incal able and
some of them actually unable read properly or
understand common newspaper paragraph