The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-09-04
THE STATE
PENSION BOARD.
DEFENDED BY THE COMP
ER-GENERAL.
Its Work Was a Labor OF Love, But
Was Accomplished Under I'm
mense Difficulties.

There has been dissatisfaction with
the work of the State Pension Board.
This dissatisfaction has been confined
to those who did not realize the dihi.
cultics under which tho Board labored
and the amount Of work it had to do.
In reply to letter of complaint,
Comptroller General Norton, n mem
Der Of the Pension Board, has written
the following defense of it's work:
COLUMBIA, S. c., Aug. %. 1896.
Mr.. W. q. BrittOn, Esq, Barn,CcU,
). {.
Dear Sir: The application of b. M.
Still was duly received and approved"
by the State and if his name is not on
list sent to the Clerk of Court of Barn
we'll it is mearely because of q clerical
error in copying names. If the County
Board will give us the names of all
pensioners on roll of 1895 which they
approved and have been left off roll of
1896 by error there or here we will
add their names to the roll and also B.
NJ Stills.
When an application was disap-
proved for any cause, Irregularities in
application, such as failure to have ap-
plication sworn to by applicant or
witness, or the County Board to give
legal reasons for approving claim, or
the Auditors certificate not attached,
too much property, or any other cause,
such names cannot be added to the roll
of 1896, rs much as we might be
pleased to do SO.
We are not surprised Mt iii ssatisfac-
ton nor are your people moro dissatis.
fed than the State Board. This Board
cannot please everybody and obey tho
law. If we had 81, 900, 900 instead Of
500, 600 and ample time and clerical
force, We might hope to please for
.short time few claimants. Neither Of
these is at our command. The Legis-
lature fixed tho amount at 100000,
orened the doors of three classes, A, B
and G, and provided about one dozen
conditions to the class, gavo us practi.
cally no help (only S400) and said you
(we) should look into all these classea
and conditions and prorate and pay out
this money by June Is. We did not
and could not do so until July Is. We
just could not return defective applica-
tions for corrections and could not ap>
prove when not fully in accord with tho
law. The result is many good men
and women failed to bo placed on the
roll, deserving men and widows. How
could or can the State Board helr
matters? What could they do? Sim
ply do the best they could under tho
law. We were "cussed" by hundreda
because We were slow, as they charged,
and could not pay out the money
sooner. Hundreds now "cuss" us be,
cause we paid out the money too soon.
"Cussed" we are doomed to be, do ma
We may. A majority of the State
Board are old soldiers and sympathizc
with their brother Confeds of course.
The other is son of Confederate
soldier. Suppose, my friend, the
State Board were Indifferent and al.
lowed all kinds of applicants to pass,
where would we land? Deserters,
aliens, prostitutes, women never mar.
ried and heaven knows what nll we
could have on the rolls. The situa-
tion has developed some bold charac.
ters in these matters.
No application has passed us unless
by mistake, except such that criminal
action would lie if fraud should be de-
veloped hereafter, as it would be onr
duty to have prosecuted any one or
more swearing falsely to obtain this
money, this bounty of the State, to her
worthy indigent soldiers and their
Widows.
Iou will SEQ that we have great cause
rs State Board TO be dissatisfied and
sympathize accordingly with your dis
satisfied neighbors. 1t has been with
us a work of love, rs we have received
only cusses for our efforts, work and
sympathies OF this we do not COM
plain, bnt with a consciousness of hav-
ing done our duty fully and fearlessly
under the law, we rest there
Respectfully,
JAMES NORTON,
Cnmpfrollor Gaperol for Cto<o Ro,rl