Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-05-21
A New Pension Law
U. S. Pension AGENCY, }
TOPEKA Kun. MAY. ID. 1891 [


8, 1891, the eighteen pension agen-
cles in the United States are arrang-
ed in three groups, to take effect from
and after July 1, 1891.
The first group will consist of Chi
cago, Des Moines, Buffalo. Concord,
and Pittsburg, will make their pay
ments January 4, April 4. July 4,
October 4, Of each year.
The second group consists of In
dlaDapolis, Topeka, Louisville, Phlla-
delphia, Knoxville and New York,
viii make their payments February
4, May 4, August 4, and November 4,
of each year.
The third group which consists of
Columbus, Washington, Boston, De-
troit, Augusta and San Francisco, will
will make their payments March 4,
June 4, September 4, and December
4, as at present.
The regular quarterly payment,
due June 4, 1891, will be made as
usual at all OF the agencies and with
the checks forwarded from this agency
as voucher for two months pension
from June 4th to August 4th will be
sent, and the pensioners are urgent
ly requested to send them in on Au-
gust 4th, or as soon thereafter as cir
cumstances will permit Pensioners
residing in Topeka or the immediate
vicinity, who are paid in person at
the agency, are also urgently request
ed to present themselves at the agen-
cy on the fourth of the pay month.
On that day the whole force of the
Office is available for the payment of
local pensioners. Afterwards but one
clerk can be spared for that purpose.
An extra force of clerks will be pro-
vided and every effort put forth to
make the payment as rapidly as pos
sidble. No extra force will be pro-
Vided in September and should any
considerable number of pensioners fail
to execute their vouchers before Sep
TENDER 4, it will be impossible to make
prompt returns, considerable delay
Will not only be caused them, but the
other work in the Office, which is rap
idly increasing, will be greatly re-
tarded thereby. Notwithstanding
the rapid increase in the number on
the rolls, the payment is made in as
short a time as when the number was
considerably less. About 5000 pen
sioners are paid every day after the
4th, and by the close of business on
the 18th, checks have been issued for
every correct voucher received.
Pensioners are earnestly requested
to wait till the 18th before writing
or telegraphing to know why they
have not received their checks, and
to give number of pension certificate
when writing for vouchers or other
information. In this connection I
desire to call attention to the fact
that large numbers of the vouchers
received at this agency during each
quarterly payment are incorrectly exc
cuted and have to be returned to the
pensioner, which causes unnecessary
delay to them as well as unnecessary
correspondence to the agency. To
obviate this, pensioners are earnestly
requested to examine them carefully
before sending to the agency, and see
they are signed in three places pro-
vided therefor, and that the sigma
ture is letter for letter as the name is
spelled in the pension certificate. If
name is incorrectly spelled therein,
the certificate should be returned to
this agency for correction. They
should also see that the officers seal
is affixed, provided he is required by
the laws of the state to use one; that
his jurat IS properly filed up dated
and signed; that all erasures in date
of execution are certified oyer his
his own signature and the receipts
are witnessed in all cases, whether
the pensioner writes or not, and for
that purpose the officer IS a compel
ent witness. There must be two wit
nesses to deposition when pensioner
signes by mark and the address to
which the check is to be sent should
be given in the body of the voucher
exactly as it is on the back of the du-
plicate receipt.
( 1t is frequently the case that the
officer inserts his own post Office adj
dress instead of the pensioners and
that one address is given in the body
of the voucher and another on the
back. A little more care Oh the part
of the officers and pensioners will
prevent these delays and save the
agency from beng unjustly blamed
as is often the case.
The act of congress approved July
1, 1890, provides that any officer hav-
ing no seal must file with the pension
agent clerks certificate of his Off
cial character, and one such certifi-
cate duly filed with such pension
agent, shall be sufficient during his
official term The act further pro-
vides that any officer having, or using
a seal, need not file any such certifi-
cate
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