Huntsville gazette., 1893-06-17
GREAT LEAKS STOPPED
Pension Commissioner Lochren Be-
gins Reform in Dead Earnest.
HE WILL SAVE MILLIONS.
The Shot Appropriation, Made upon
Raum's Estimate. Will Prave
Enough and to Spare Ac-
cording to Lochren.

WASHINGTON, June 16 - Between
S., 900 900 and $40, 900, 900 will be left to
the credit of the pension appropriation
June 30, 1894. This remarkable result
is already guaranteed by the reforms
begun by Commissioner Locnren and
his deputies. The statement here made
is no mere guess at the condition of the
appropriation at the end of the next
fiscal year, but the result of painstak-
ing examination of the work of the past
two years and careful estimate of the
savings that will certainly accrue from
the recent orders under which the bu-
reau is now working. This most graf
flying showing. which is now first CIV
en- to the public, takes into account a
deficit Of several million dollars left as
legacy by the Raum administration,
wich will be met by the appropriation
of the coming fiscal year.
Commissioner Raum estimated that
$185, 900, 900 would be required to meet
the pension roll for the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1894. To meet this con-
gress appropriated only $165, 10000 A
saving of over $5,dO0,0OO of this appro-
priation means a total saving of over
$25, 100000 which will be effected by a
thorough purging of the roll and by
greater care in the examination and
allowance of original pensi -. Not
one penny OF it will be kept back from
deserving claimants.
The pension Office is now issuing an
average of 265 certificates day, while
Raum, by forcing the Office to its ut
most capacity, turned out 700 day for
many weeks. Work done at this high
rate of speed was necessarily faulty, if
not something worse. In May last 4, 706
original pension certificates issued, and
on the basis 81, 1872 will issue during the
fiscal year of 1894. Experience shows
that there will be reduction of the
pension roll by deaths, remarriages and
like causes of not less than 10000, leav-
ing net increase Of q, 1872. The figures
showing the net increase during the fs-
cal year 1898 have not been completed,
but the increase during the fiscal year
1892-which was wholly within Raum's
nistration-reached the astounding
figure of 1919, ,0G0, or nearly eight times
as great as the estimated increase for
the fiscal year 1894.
The total number of certificates of all
kinds for the II months ended May 81,
1893, is 185, $40, making total for the
year of about 195, 900 as against 312, ,546
in the fiscal year OF 1899. The greater
part of this enormous reduction has
been made since March 4.
On the basis of the rate at which GER
tiicates of all kinds are being issued
equal to 8,740 month-the total num-
Der issued during the coming year will
be 10000. The average of first pay
ments is known to be about $3.50, ma
king total for next years first pay
ments of sec, $685. 900. as against first
payments of $40,000,000 made in the
last fiscal year under Raum. In this
single item alone a saving of nearly
$28, 900, 900 will be made. The number
of pensioners on the roll July 1, 1898,
will be 10000 each receiving an av-
erage annual payment of $l34, making
the total of permanent annual pensions
$184 900, 900.
10 this should be added the $50, $780,
900 to be disbursed as first payments in
the new cases. making an aggregate
total of 1854 $50, 900. This sum deduct
ed from the appropriation already made
by congress leaves a surplus of Sl0,-
100000, but out of this must be paid
Raum's slegacy of betwt Q 50, 800, 900 and
$4 900 900 on certificates which canno
be issued until the beginning of the
next fiscal year, owing to the INSULT
cheney Of the appropriation, These fig
ures show, therefore, that in addition
to paying debt of Raum's amounting
to $4, 1000, 900, Commissioner Lochren
can cover into the treasury So, ,000, 600
of the money which congress has al
ready provided for pensions.