The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1893-05-05
ORR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsHINGT TON, APRIL "a, 1882.

Judge Lochren, the democratic Commits
sioner of Pensions, takes charge of the Pen
sion Bureau this week, with the full kuowl-
edge that he has undertaken the task of his
life. and by taf the hardest job that will fall
10 any Bureau Chief under the present admin
lstraton. He fully shares President Cleve-
lands ideas that the L . 5. Pension list should
be a rule OF honor, and from the start 1t Will
be his earnest endeavor to make II SC. No
soldier legally entitled to a pension has any
thing TO fear from Judge Lochren; it is those
who are craving pensions without any legal
! right to them that are in danger from the new
| administration of the Pension Bureau. The
| roll is to be gone over carefully as rapidly a.
| possible without neglecting the current bust
| ness of the office. and the la>cals, when found
are not only 10 be dropped, but where ever ii
| can be done they are IT, be compelled to re-
| pay the mo .ey they have illegally drawn from
the government. In this good work Judge
Lochren will be glad OF the cooperation OF
every good citizen. If any citizen in any
part of the country knows of any man who
draws pension without being entlIled to 1t
| he should at once communicate with Judge
Lochren, giving the facts as far as he knows
| Them in order that an official examination
| NAV be made IL is believed that the Old sol
| ders themselves will aid in this work as soon
| as they become convinced, as they soon must
| be, that only the frauds are i'll any danger OF
| losing their Q isions.
Secretary Herbert has been so busy since
he took charge of the Navy Department,
making preparations for the Naval Review,
TO say nothing of an attack from the grip, that
he has had no time to Inquire into several
notorious abuses known to exist in his depart
ment but he will do so now. Prominent in
this list of abuses is tue practice of granting
long leaves of absence TO naval OIL .erS with
two-lhlrtls pay, in order that they may enter
The employ OF private parties or corporations,
thus draw two salaries. The very nature of
the employment of these officers, as will be
seen by list of the most prominent of them
hereto appended, is in Itself scandalous, and
would not be tolerated by any other govern
ment, and probably not be much longer by
the United States: Commander Folger, who
was for some years Chief OF the Bureau Of Or
dinauce of the Navy Department., was last
January granted leave OF absence for two
wears on the ground of i'll health. He imme-
diatey entered the employ OF the company
which controlled the Ii trvey process for inn
proving steel armor plates, and which has
large contracts with the government, con-
| tracts, too, which he, as Chief OF the Ordnance
Bureau, had been instrumental in getting a.
warded to that company. This transaction
doesn't lCok altogether straight. does it?
| l, 1890, and all this time he has been Ill the
employ of Sellers Il Co., OF Philadelphia, who
have sold the Navy Department big bills OF
tools ETC., many of which were deslsued by
Lieut. Swift, who also negotiated their sale TO
the department.. Lieu. Commander SYM
onds, and Chief E sneer Robinson got one
years leave Of absence each in order TO &C.
cept positions with private parties at the
Worlds Fair, Lieut.. Comm inder Cornweli
has been on leave of absence for two years
and under salary to the Thomson-Houston
Copper and \ ickell Co., to look after lis con-
tracts with the Navy Department. Lieut..
Stone has a three years leave dating from
March IL, 1891, and draws 5000, a year
! from Carnegie Il Co., to look after their steel
contracts with The Navy Department. Lieut..
| briggs, joint inventor of rapid firing gun
used III The Navy, is on leave and in the use
| OF the company that manufactures those guns.
| Lieut.. Seaoury, is on leave, aud in the en-
| ploy of the company that manufactures ord
| nance for the army. Chief Engineer Towne,
afer long seiv.ce 2'u preparing for the dep; IT.
| ment, designs for machinery tor naval vessels
was granted leave for TWO years in order that
he might draw $4,000 year from Cramp and
Sons tor experimenting the construction of
the machinery lie had designed in the course
of his regular duty. Lieut.. Wool has been
on leave for nearly four years and is vice
president and IN anager Of the American Pro-
ject lie Co., which has government Contracts.
\ wal Constructor Armlstead was on iuspec-
/ ,lol duty at the ship yard, of L1ring u Co.,
up to May 4, 1892, since which date lie has
been on leave and in the employ of that firm.
Chaplain Holt is on leave, engaged in literary
work. Civil Engineer Menocal, is on leave,
and is chief ems ineer Of the Nicaragua Canal
Co. This is only partial list, but il shows a
| bad system. These men should resign their
commission fthey desire to enter private bus
mess, but if they hadn't the commissions their
services would probably not be wanted by
| their present employers.