The National tribune., 1895-02-21

| discussion on the alleged frauds in Alabama.
The latter occasoned some debate in which Mr..
| Morgan took prominent part. In the morn
| ing hour Mr.. Jones reported the bill adopted by
the Finance Committee providing for the free
| coinage of silver, and Mr.. Gray reported the
| adverse action of the Committee on Privileges
and Elections on the bill providing for the cleo
tion of Senators by a direct vote Of the people.
| When the debate was resumed on the Postoffice
bill the discussion dragged along and no prog
ress was made at o'clock, when by special
agreement private pension bills were taken up
and the appropriation bill laid aside.
In the House, the legislative. executive, and
| judicial appropriation bill was passed. Tho
| provision in the bill for the reduction of the
clerical force in the Pension Office and the
increase of the Special Examiners in the field
/ was discussed for some time. The recommends
| tinn for this change had come from Secretary
Hoke Smith and Commissioner Locbren. These
officials declared that the increase in the corps
OF Special Examiners was needed to help claim
ants perfect their cases; and the reduction of
the clerical force. it was argued would expedite
the work in that office, inssmuch as there were
from 115 to 120 clerks there who were super
animated and incompetent, and whose dis
charge would be in the interest OF the work
of the Bureau.
Mr. Dingey, of Maine, and Gen. Bingham,
Of Pennsylvania, upheld this recommendation.
They were questioned very closely by Repre-
Sentstives Curtis. Baker. Pickler, and other
champions of the old soldiers about the sd visa
bility Of discharging over hundred veterans
and soldiers widows from the Pension Office.
strong impression prevails that this is mere
ly ruse to make places for go many Demo-
cratic clerks. The explanation of the support.
ers of the change was not very satisfactory,
but when it came to vote on an amendment
- ~ u l..
upheld.
Mr. Dingley said, regarding this provision
for net reduction of ia clerks and an In.
ease of $50 Special Examiners:
The Commissioner of Pensions came before
the subcom mittee that prepared this bill, and
informed us that 1t was necessary to have that
full sum; that he had expended that amount
during the last year and the previous year.
When / inquired what the effect would be if
an appropriation Of only $250,000 should be
made. with provision that the amount should
be so distributed as not to create deficiency.
he 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. then asked him
what would be the effect upon the business of
the Pension Office if that shorld be DONE He
replied that Ii must inevitably cause delay in
the adjudication of pension cases. because the
Office felt il its duty TO refer to the Examiners
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, 900, and the
force that is now maintained in the field, would
be required
"When i inquired OF him further as to what
this special force in the field was doing he re-
piled that so per cent. of this expenditure was
being made directly to aid pensioners whose
cases had not been satisfactorily made out
L. D. NJ. l..
LEGATION, and therefore that in every respect is
must be held TO be in the interest of the PEN
sioner. As to the other 90 per cent? he said that
10 was used in cases where fraud had been al
legged or whore suspicious circumstances had
arisen, and that in every point of view the full
appropriation which was asked by the Pension |
Office, and which WIS also asked by the Secre. |
tary OF the Interior, was needed If pension ad- |
publications are TO go on at the rate at which |
they are now going on.
THE Commissioner and the Secretary of the |
Interior recommend reduction of 165 clerks |
on the rolls of the Pension Office, of which 81 |
have been for several years assigned to other |
bureaus in the Interior Department, making |
an actual reduction of 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 LA, ask ed |
the Commissioner Of Pensions whether such 9 |
reduction would not result in delay in the adj |
jUdication of cases. / also asked the same |
question of the Secretary of the Interior. |
Both replied that it would not. And when | |
inquired as to how this could be possible, their |
explanation was substantially this, that there |
arc in the Pension Office a large number of |
clerks some advanced in years, unable to per. |
form their duties properly, and others who are |
inefficient; and that in some of the divisions |
there's an excess of force and no room to ex- |
p2nd; so that the work is not being done eco
Al. 4
OF these officers, If this force should be reduced
net ia by the discharge Of the inefficient, as
much work would be done as has been done in |
previous years.
at ia but just TO myself, however, that I |
should say. notwithstanding what the Commits |
sioner OF Pensions as well as the Secretary of |
the Interior say that can hardly conceive |
how 1t is possible that reduction Of ia clerks
in the Pension Office at this time will not TO-
suit necessarily result in increased delay in the
adjudication of pension cases, although bow |
TO their judgment as responsible administrative |
officers"
Mr.. Picker offered substitute for the pro- |
vision of The bill relating to the working force
Of the Pension Office. The substitute proposed |
the same force of officers and clerks as at pres
ent, instead Of the reduced force reported by |
the appropriation. He said the Executive au- |
th0rities were afraid TO assume the RESPONSE |
bility for dischargiDg old soldier clerks, and |
were trying to unload the responsibility on
Congress.
Mr. Milliken (Me., R. also spoke against this
"insidous plan of ousting the old veterans and
leaving them in their old age like abandoned
hunks"
Mr.. Bingham pa, r. q member of the Ap. |
propriations Committee, said the criticisms on |
the proposed reduction in pension appropria-
tions were no. justified as it was based on plain
business principles.
warm exchange occurred with Mr. Baker |
N. H., r. when that gentleman spoke of the
onc-armed clerks at the Pension Office, who
were expected to do as much as two.armed
clerks.
The vote was taken on Mr.. Picklers substi-
tute and il was de!eated-69 to 132.