The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-05-05
WASHINGTON LETTER

WASHINGTON, May Judge Loch-
rem, the democratic Commissioner Of
Pensions, takes charge Of the Pension
Bureau this week, with the full knowl-
edge that he has undertaken the task
of his life, and by far the hardest job
that will fall to any Bureau Chief un-
der the present administration. He
fully shares President Cleveland's ideas
that the U. S. Pension List should be
a role Of honor, and from the start it
will be his earnest endeavor to make
it so. No soldier legally entitled to a
pension has anything to fear from
Judge Lochren it is those who are
drawing pensions without any legal right
tothem that are in danger from the new
administration OF the Pension Bureau.
The roll is to be gone over carefully and
rapidly as possible without neglectlng
the current business of the Office, and
the rascals, when found, are not only to
be dropped, but where ever 1t can be
done they are to be compelled to repay
the money they have illegally drawn
from the government. In this good work
Judge Lochren will be glad of the CO.
operation of every good citizen. If any
citizen in any part of the country knows
of any man who draws pension with
out being entitled to it he should at once
communicate with Judge Lochren, gv-
ing the facts as far as he knows them,
in order that an Official examination
may be made. 1t is believed that the
old soldiers themselves will aid in this
work as soon as they become convinc-
ed, as they soon must be, that only the
frauds are in danger Of losing their
pensions.
Secretary Herbert has been so busy
since he took charge of the Navy De
partment, making preparations for the
Naval Review, to say nothing of an at,
tack 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. Promi-
nent in this list Of abuses is the prac.
tice Of granting long leaves of absence
to naval officers with two thirds pay,
in order that they may enter the EN-
ploy of private parties or corporations,
thus drawing two salaries. The very
nature of the employment of these
officers, as will be seen by list of the
most prominent of them hereto ap-
pended, is in itself scandalous, and
would not be tolerated by any other
government, and probably will not be
much longer by the United States.
Commander Folger, who was for some
years Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance
Of the Navy Department, was last
January granted leave of absence for
two years on the ground Of i'll health.
He Immediately entered the employ
OF the company which controlled the
Harvey process for improving steel
;armor plates, and which has large con.
tracts with the government, contracts,
too, which he, as Chief of the Ord
nance Bureau, had been instrumental
in getting awarded to that company.
This transaction doesn't look altogeth-
-er straight, does it2 Lieut.. Swift has
been on leave since August I, 1890,
and during all this time he has been
in the employ Of Sellers & Co., OF
Philadelphia, who have sold the Navy
Department big bills of tools etc,
many Of which were designed by Lieut..
Swift, who also negotiated their sale
to the department. Lieut.. Command
er Symonds, and Chief Engineer Robi-
son got one years leave of absence
each, in order to accept positions with
private parties at the Worlds Fair.
Lieut.. Commander Cornwell has been
on leave of absence for two years and
under salary to the Thomson Houston
Copper and Nickel Co., to look after
its contracts with the Navy Depart
ment. Lieut.. Stone has three years
leave dating from March I6, 1897,
and draws $5 900, year from Carne-
gle & Co., to look after their steel con-
tracts with the Navy Department.
Lieut.. Drigg, joint inventor of rapid
iiring gun used in the Navy, is on
leave and in the employ of the COM
pany that manufactures those guns.
Lieut.. Seabury, is on leave, and in The
employ of the company that manufac-
lures ordnance for the army. Chief
Engineer Town, after long service in
preparing, for the department, designs
for machinery for naval vessels was
granted leave for two years in order
that he might draw $4,000 year from
Cramp and Sons for experimenting
the construction of the machinery he
had designed in the course of his regu-
lar duty. Lieut.. Wood has been on
leave for nearly four years and is vice.
president and manager of the Ameri-
can Projectile Co., which has govern