Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-12
REDUCING THE PENSION FORCE.
Representative Dingley States the At
titude of the Committee.


titude of the Committee.
The paragraph in the legislative appro-
priation bill rrovidingtfor a net reduction
of ia clerks in the pension Office, and an
increase of $50 special examiners. caused
considerable debate in the House. yester-
day afternoon. Mr.. Dingley of Maine, as
member Of the committee. having
charge of the bill, made the following ex-
planation:
1.-THE commissioner of pensions came be-
fore the subcommittee that prepared this
bill and informed us that it was necessary
to have that full sum; that he had expend-
ed that amount during the last year and
the previous year. When I inquired what
the effect would be if an appropriation of
only $25O,OOO should be made with a pro-
vision that the amount should be SO dis
trlbuted as hot to create a deficiency, lie
said he would be obliged to call in one
half the special examiners in the field,
and that he desired to know at the very
beginning of the fiscal year whether that
was To be the policy adopted by Congress.
l then asked him what would be the ef-
feet upon the business of the pension office
II that should be done. He replied that
1t must inevitably cause delay in the ad-
judication Of pension cases because the Of
iice felt it it's duty to refer to the exam
iners in the field certain number of cases,
and in order to keep up with the work as
cases were thus referred, not less than
$500.0OO and the force that is now main
tanned in the field would be required.
when I inquired of him further as to
what this special force in the field was
doing. he replied that so per cent of this
expenditure was being made directly to
aid pensioners whose cases had not been
satisfactorily made out where the pension
office desired further investigation, and
therefore that in every respect 1t must be
held to be in the interest of the pensioner.
AS to the other 20 per cent. he said that 1t
was used in cases where fraud had been
alleged or where suspicious circumstances
had arisen, and that in every point of view
the full appropriation which was asked by
Secretary Of the Interior, was needed II
pension adjudicaticns are to go on at the
rate at which they are now going on.
concluded, therefore, that in view of the
commissioner of pensions and by the Sec
rotary of the Interior it was desirable that
the full appropriation asked for should be
given in the interest Of the pensoner.
THE commissioner and the Secretary or
the Interior recommend a reduction OF 100
clerks on the rolls of the pension office, OF
which 81 have been for several years as
signed to other bureaus in the Interior De-
partment, making an actual reduction or
ia in the force of clerks In the pension
office. When the fact was brought out that
the reduction Of the force in the pension
office was to be net ia l asked the COM
missioner OF pensions whether such a re-
dhction would not result in delay In the
adjudication Of cases. l also asked the
same question of the Secretary OF the In
terror. Both replied that it would not. Ana
when 1 inquired as to how this could be
possible, their explanation was substan-
TALLY this, that there are in the pension OF
flee a large number of clerks, soma ad-
vanced i'll years, unable to perform their
duties properly, and others who are 1nef-
fcent and that in some of the divisions
there is an excess of force, and no room
to expand; so that the work is not being
done economically and efficiently; and in
the judgment of these officers If this force
should be reduced net III by the discharge
Of the inefficient much work would be
done as has been done in previous years
In view OF this statement, where the
head of the pension office and the Secre-
tary Of the Interior have taken upon them
selves the responsibility of officially IN
forming the subcommittee of the commit
tee on appropriations and through the
subcommittee and full committee of in
forming the House that the reduction OF
this force will tend to- economy and to
efficiency in that branch of the service,
and that it viii in no way result in re-
tardirg the adjudication of pension claims
l felt that the responsibility of the reduc-
ton must rest with the executive officers
of the government making such recon-
menda ton
ut is but just to myself however, that
1 should say, Notwithstanding what the
commissioner CT pensions as well as the
Secretary of the Interior says that can
hardly conceive how it is possible that a
reduction of III clerks in the pension office
at this time viii not result necessarily IN
Increased delay in the adjudication of pen
sion cases although I bow to their Judg-
me-t as Responsible administrative officers.
holding them responsible If the result shali
he otherwise than what they affirm 1T Will
be | isn It my duty to present to the
committee the statements which We're
made to the subcommittee by the commits
sioner of pensions and the Secretary OF the
Interior" -,
The paragraph came over until today
without action.