The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-02-08
AGENCIES CUT DOWN.
RETRENCHMENT PUT IN EFFECT
At THE PENSION OFFICE.
$I5o,ooO 1ear-Number of Agen-
cies Reduced From Eighteen go
Nine. without Impairment of the
service-More Than 300. 900 PEN
sioDers in the United states.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7-The president
has signed. on the recommendation Of Sec
retary OF the Interior Francis. an impor-
tant order, reducing the number OF pension
agencies In the United States from eigh-
teen 20 nine. The object OF the order IL 10
effect a very large saving 10 the govern
ment without inconvensenCing the pen
sioners. The secretary demonstrates that
by this reduction OF the pension agencies
the cost OF disbursement Of pensions can
be reduced by az least $4,000 per annum.
The change was made possible by an
amendment TO the law governing the dis
bgrslng OF pensions. which amendment
was approved March ., 1895. Il required
tha; all pensioners should after that date
be paid by checks remitted by mail. Re
ports from the pension agencies IN reply
70 Inquiries as 10 the operation OF the new
law. was 10 the effect that under II the
pensioners are paid much more promptly:
that possibility Of error is minimized, and
that upon the whole. Il is much more salts
factory 20 pensioners than the former law
The agents also advise that the pensioners
receive their pensions when remitted by
mall ar their homes. where. being sur
rounded by family influences. the pen-
sioner IS much more likely to make a Judi
cious disposition OF his pension money
Under the previous law many pensioners
collected their quarterly payments IN per-
son. ard under the influence OF bad asso-
Citations. were often induced 10 apply these
payments unwlsely and to deprive their
families OF the benefits thereof
This executive order will 20 into efes,t
September ! next. It's execution having
been postpaid until that date IN order
that TO peIlsioner SHOULD suffer iucon-
vernieuce IN consequence of delay in re-
ceiviug his pension. and give ample tlrae
Tor the removal Of the rolls and records
fr1-D the agencies discontinued The con-
Se.idatl7n was made by uniting existing
aEe7cies and the entire Jurisdiction there
-. IN order that 10 expense should be in
c'IrTc-3 by the making OF new rolls The
agencies at Couconl. y. II and Augusta,
Ne are discontinued. q ~ payments htth-
erto made there are ordered made from
the agency AZ Boston, Mass. the pension
ers heretofore paid at Buralo y Y. ara
- - paid from the New York city
ago0rv: those - PittshUvg. from the Phil
aFf@lphis agency those al Louisville and
Knoxville from Washsrgtosa. those ~
Detroit. from Indiana polls. those al Nil
wsukee, fTo~n Ch5cago: those from Des
N's0es ard Topeka from 50, Louis where
"A rcS agency Il establish ri. A new
age-u~y IS established ~ 81 Louis b@-ause
- the better fa~flitleS ths-e than AZ prs
MosDeS and Topeka. ard To~ the fsrthe-
rsfls01 thst the~e f. q government build
~ - - AFfAt~ M4tt+l can - fe1r14tfit%i
withoIt cost 10 tire government. and that
the-e = also s-ih-tr~sasurv there. A per-
st11 a gegF~y was ryFno~7esi frnsTl S. Louis
- Topeka ln Iss1. There are rrlu~e pen
sf1ners now - NasSouT than N Kansas
~ 81 any state formerly pasd BY the To-
PeA~ o- the Des Nfo3ues agency. There
are ir ls@1ir1 S2Si2 p~T1sfowerx. frl Kan
SIS = t3 in Iowa S1.-ss
TIE following are the rire agencies and
tae number % pensioners PAID thereat IN
Der ;ae neW order: