The National tribune., 1893-03-30
"PENsIoN OFFICE REFORMS"
The Boston Herald saws editorially:

Commissioner of Pensions should during the Hez
four years be held by O man of exceptional ability
A recklessness has been shown Ia the manner i
which business has been carried on in this of1c
that needs 20 be entirely changed. Even assum
ing that the pension lsws all that they shout
be, and that an honest attempt has been made {
| enforce them. vel the uncertainty and careessnes
| which have characterized many OF the operR
| lions Of The Pension Office are such that fraud
| upon the Treasury could not fail TO occur. Som
| time ago the pension authorities made an earnes
attempt TO provide for inquirer certain statistic
bearing upon the ages of those on the pension
| rolls and the time at which, on the basis of th'
tables of mortality, the pensions. deferred ans
regular, were likely to be liquidaied: but the In
formation, coliated possessed. meage
that no Ineligible estimate could be drawn from
| It,
To place the Pension Bureau upon sn exact and
scientific basis, il is necessary that the who ],
appointed it's chief executive officer should be
a thorough business man, and should have that
knowledge Of organizations and that aptitude 70,
statistics which would enable him to weed ont The
many abuses that now exist, and at tie time
TO give TO Congress and the country clear and
positive idea Of how much per annum the pension
outEoes Of the future are likely to be both for de-
ferred and regular payments. The work performed
by actuares in life insurance company. and upon
which the operations of these corporations are
based, is quite Intricate and difficult that
which tie Pension Office should perform. Beside
It's chief executive there should be employed three
or four skilled actuaries. under whose direction
the entire pension service should be placed a
footing which would not only prevent fraud, but
remove it from the uncertainty "a to ougo which
now surrounds it ana which increases the tempts-
ton TO indulge ia corrupt practices.
To some of the above we can heartily sub
scribe. No one is more anxious than the old
soldiers that thereshouldb be the utmost exact
iiude and honesty about the management of
the Pension Bureau. Further than this,
they want the public entirely satisfied that
every dollar paid out through the Bureau is
paid 10 the proper person, and has been de-
seryedly earned. We are all anxious that
every step necessary to this end shall be
taken, and nobody can be more DESTROYS of
al proper investigation than the comrades
themselves.
While we insist that the Pension Bureau
has been fully as well managed as any other
Department Of the Government, and that
there has been none of the wild and reckless
expenditure" alleged, yet we can assure
President Cleveland and his friends that
every improvement in The way of business
like management of the Bureau will be
heartily supported by the mass of old SOL
diers
But We have the right TO say what we
think will be business-Iike Improvement.
any sham reform which merely attempts
showing of Improvement by cutting down
the annual expenditures, through the de-
laying the allowance of cases, multiplying
The difficulties in proving a claim, and re-
ducing the rates of pensions, will be sterniy
denounced.
On the other hand, we will welcome any
real improvement which, while making the
most searching inquiry into the merits of
each case, will examine and dispose of it
with husiness-Eke promptness. This is all
that we ask. Let every step that ingenuity
md experience can suggest be taken
% ascertain the exact facts about every
3ensioner and every claimant, but LET the
business be done with the promptness
md thoroughness that we expect in
private enterprise. 1t is absurdly
ruel and unjust that it should take as
ong TO have pension case settled as has
,een the practice of the Pension Bureau.
The average time taken to put the cases on |
ne pension-ro1 which are now on it was
onger than it took to put down the rebel |
ion. This is preposterous Any private |
irm which would dawdle about its bust |
less in this way would soon be bankrupt. |
There Is no great mystery or hidden compli- |
alton about pension case Any man of fair |
Intelligence and industry is able to determ- |
be its merits without much trouble. The
avs governing the allowance of pensions |
re very plain. The record of every man |
Who served in the Union army is on file in !
be War Department. The disability from |
which the claimant suffers can be readily |
etermined by any competent physician.
here is absolutely no reason why claim
hould be hung up in the Pension Bureau
Dr. weary months and years
There are plenty of competent business
zen in the country who if given the po wer
7Onld take the Pension Bureau and settle
very claim in il before the 3ist of Deem
er, 1894. This is what ought to be done
his would be the right kind of business
Ike improvement" This is the one that is
emanded, not only by the country, but by
be soldiers themselves.
We sincerely hope that this is the kind of
reform that President Cleveland will in
tItute. We do not care how rigid is the
lgestigation in each case, but we are very
lueh in earnest in insisting that deserving
len and women shall not be swindIed bv
be United States Government by being kept
nj of rights earned by blood and suffering
nil death shall have put them beyond
zach Of justice.