Telegram-herald., 1890-12-22
CUTCHEON' BILL
To Establish a Record and Psnsion
once.
MEETS WITH GENERAL APPROVAL
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ago - establish the record and pension
oftice of the War Department, . meet
lng slth very general approval, and q
Is hoped tnst it sll be atsea upon De-
fore the expiration of size present ses-
500 of Congress. The record and pen
sion division a. nov constituted has
gg0au up ~ VARIOUS orders ot ths Sec
Fetsly of War. aud has noW become one
oi ths mosl Important la his depart
nlsnt. Whenever application = made
o. che pension ofiee for pension, the
War Department b required % furnish
the necessary evidence m the case.
They have All the muster rolls and 9TH
rr data. giving the military history OF
every man Who served u the aFmy dur
iag the Wsr. tnsl a few years ago
th.s Information was scattered through
various offices the War Department,
aud 10 Vas often a work of considerable
magnitude t0 obtain the required mt0r
nation. The work has now been con-
soldated. aud the facts desired by tue
pension olhce can bc procured much
more readily and conveniently than
they could formally. The division has
not been created Dy act OF Congress,
but. as already stated, has simply
grown 10 Us present proportions by or
ders Of the Secretary of War, and the
next secretary might. II be felt so dis
posed, put things back on their former
footing. 10 VAS felt by ten. CutcheOn
that the office should De- placed on a
permanent basis, and h.s blll was in-
troduccd Tor tnat purpose. The sue
cess Ot the division IS due in a great
measure % the work OF Captain
AiuswOrth, I. ). A., who has bl en- ia
charge since its organization. The lm-
pOrtance OF the office being n a high
state Of efficiency can not be over
estimated by the thousands Of pension
ers who have 20 rely on the lnforma-
ton furnished by the war department
O. be- able 10 make up ease which viii
enable them % procure pensions. 1t
makes all the difference I'M the word TO
these men whether they can get the
evidence which they aro after without
any delay or whether tney shall have
g. wait a considerable time 70 have
their inquiries answered. On account
ol the good work done by Capt. Ans
worth, Gen. Cutcheon proposes that he
should be promoted 20 the rank OF
colonel and retained at the head OF the
office The bill was referred 10 Secre-
tary OF War Proctor for his opinion.
and he has written 70 Gen. CutcheOn as
follows.
sr-I have the honor 10 return here
with House bill II. .652, "To establish
the record aLd pension Orhce OF the
War Department, and for other pur-
poses, and 10 comply with your re-
quest for an expression OF my views
thereon.
The present organization Of the record
and pc6siOu DIVISION IS based, think,
or correct principles. 10 brings together
under one direction all the business re-
ceived from a common source and re-
lahug O. common matters. IL permits
harmony and consistency Of action and
avoids duplication of work. Its prac-
teal success has been marked and con-
slant. But, having beeu constituted by
executive order, Us permaneuce with
out Congress 0nal action must depend
upon the executive authority for the
time teiug. THIS stop proposed by tne
bl. winch contemplate the permanent
establishment of Che record and pen
sion office upon lts present bass, j., q
seems Co rle. W se and meets with ny
hearty approval
With respect t0 is head or chief. i
nay De- remarked mat a lule more
ta3u oue-half of the clerks OF the de-
uartm no are in that division. It is
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