The Washington times., 1894-05-02
IN AND OUT OF OFFICE.

The seed distributing season has ended, and
over at the Agricultural Department an air Of
gloomy quiet pervades the seed building.
"erstwhile filled with the busy hum" etc. In
other words. as the papers have announced,
100 and more Of the seed girls have been
dropped. Tomorrow the fourteen men left
In the division will also go, and the doors will
be closed. Next Fail the division will be
opened again, and more people viii be em-
ployed ON the new seeds and the new appro-
priation. At present there aren't enough
bundles OF watermelon seeds to raise pump
kin with In tine whole place.
Chief Clerk McQuaig tells me that applica-
tions still come in regularly for work in the
seed department and the other divisions that
are being reduced and wiped out OF existence.
"Of course there's nothing to do" he said,
"but reply that there are no vacancies. That
doesn't have any influence, to be sure. Peo-
pie never are satisfied with any such answer. :"
Dominic I. Murphy, first deputy pension
commissioner, is the hardest worker at the
Pension Office suppose. He does more than
likes to stop until everything is done. whether
he ought to do 1t or not, and Of course things
are never completed in the Pension Ofice.
He has been doing this unhealthy sort Of q
thing all the time lately, although he was very
sick few months ago and did not fully re-
cover before he came back to the office. The
result is that he has all gone to pieces again.
Mr.. Murphy has left Washington for an in
definite rest, at Fort Monroe I believe.
I see that DR.. MacGill, OF Frederick, Mary
1apd ,rh. Lc,o<od ba Doot 9oo napo
month or so ago with a delegation, has got
Blackstone, and that Senator Germans can
didate is out Of sight.
Third Auditor BlackwelPs office is nearer
up to date ON its accounts than It has been
since 1860. In connection with which you
must take into consideration the fact that
the business Of the Office, pension claims,
quartermaster's accounts, engineers ac.
counts, aud others, is increasing and the
office force is no larger.
The Pension Ofice gives out some COM
parative figures too. 1t compares itself now
with itself four years ago. between April
/, 1885," the Office says. "and March 81,
1894, during which the law division was un-
S27 ,513.24 Of money improperly and illegally
received for pensioners was collected through
the instrumentality of the law division,
against SIG. 6.Ss3.27, collected between April /,
1892. and March 81, 1898. Besides this, nearly
a million dollars have been saved prospec-
lively to the United States on payments that
would have accrued and been paid on ad-
mitted and pending claims but for the dis
covery Of fraud and the punishment Of the
wrongdoers and consequent cesser Of title"
The Office also gives figures stating the large
number of arrests and convictions during the
same time. This is very nice, Of course. The
Pension Office people are Jealous in the per-
formance of their duties. One may perhaps
note, however, that this particular work Is q
comparatively new one, and that this growth
Is only the natural one. There might have
been, and probably was, the same statement
made after Mr.. Harrison's first year.
And another thing: did you ever notice the
singular fact that where any branch Of an
Offices business has been less gratuitous
statements are never made? Then these
neatly typewriter stories for the convenience
OF the newspaper men are not given out. The
Pension Office shows several divisions with
this condition of things II you can obtain an
inside look at them. There are, to be sure,
tricks in the trade Of government as well as
II any OIHer. II Is not u pecullhflIy In Tue
least Of the present incumbents. / remember
the same things three or four years ago. And
it is not phase that the Pension Office devel-
ops abnormGlly. You can find Just as many
self-eongratulatory statements In the other Of
fees Strange, weird tales some OF the peo-
pies letters to the departments are. Strange
sentiments they express, strange requests
they make. weird photography they use. The
Pension Oftice samples appeal to me most. l
have made more or less of a study OF them.
Here's sample received the other day
with some of the peculiarities that character
ize the government correspondent:
Commissioner Bochren: Please read this
through. The thought Of your rejecting my
husband on account of mansell labor when
everyone knows that hundreds OF soldiers
that draws pensions work every day Of their
lives and most of them with houses that they
own. One man know got pension for
headache, claiming it was from sunstroke, he
being paperer and painter Working in busy
times up 10 8 and 10 at night. earning
from - toss day with a home he owns.
This is why we applied for pension, and may
YOU never know what it is to be rejected In
this world or the world to come. have one
favor 10 ask of you. and .hnt is will you please
get my husband in some one OF the United
States buildings to look after them ianitors
or something like that.
Chief Clerk Daniels, OF the Interior Depart
ment. has been away for seven days. He re-
turned IRON his home in Raleigh, North Car
oiina. yesterday morning Mr.. Daniels has
had T. law suit on mis- hands and has won it,
as you would expect Mr. Daniels to do. he
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