The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1897-12-04
FRAUDULENT PENSIONS.

ington, D. c., under date Of November IS,
as follows:
II believe there are hundreds, if not
Thousands of dead pensioners. still carried
on the rolls, a high official of the govern.
ment says. Pensions which should have
been stopped instantly with the deaths of
tho pensioners are still being paid.''
This is only one species OF a number of
! frauds which the present administration
is satisfied shonld be met by thorough
.purging Of the lists. ,T.ero. il no oppos-
ition to deprive single pensioner of his
just deserts, But there il a growing con-
viction that the conditions demand Wig.
orous overhauling of the rolls. The evl-
dences'that :!,e generosity OF the govern
ment is imposed upon accumulate. The
movement which Sc ms to be at hand ia
40 clearly in the interest of the honest
pensioner, as we'll as of the public gener-
ally, that it ought to meet with commen-
d .tion. Not voice will be raised against
the movement to drop the names cf those
who have oied and to- punish the fraudu-
lent beneficiarcies of pensions of that
class. Bat there ,s another species of
pensloa dishonesty which 1s even much
greater in what it costs the government.
To remedy 1t will arouse some Opposition.
The spirit of the dependent pension act
of ha!fa dozen years ago has been shame
lesslp violated. That law was enacted to
help out old soldiers whose ordinary
sources of livelihood were not sufficient.
1t provides for pensioning veterans who
really needed the monthly Sl2 for their
support. The application of the act has
been distorted so that it has put upon tho
ance is in no sense necessity, but Il graf
uity added quarterly to their wealth. The
violations of the spirit of the pension act
are scarcely less dishonest than the con-
tinued drawing of pensions in the names
of dead pensioners. But the enorts of
the administration to wipo out this spe-
cies of fraud will be met with contests.
Men who have falsely sworn that they
need the $l2 month to live upon will
undoubtedly fight against exposure and
the loss Of ths pensions. The fret step
to contemplation to carry through the re-
form So greatly needed is the publication
and circulation of complete list of PEN
sioners by States and counties. The the
ory is that widespread publicity will briug
to the knowledge of the bureau many ca
ses in which pensions are still drawn for
pensioners who have died. 1t may seem
strange to those who do not understand
the magnitude of the pension business
that it is possible for pensions to continue
after deaths of pensioners But the bu
reau is SO often confronted with such ca
ses that the officials can not help believ-
ing many more exist. There are thou.
sands of pensioners living in foreign
countries. The quarterly checks are:for
warded. Willingly dishonest relatives or
friends can conceal the deaths Of such
pensioners, and through forged indoose-
ments can draw the pensions after the
pensioners have died. In this country
the practice la little more difficult but
still the officials believe it is being fol-
lowed. The publication of the complete
lists, informing every community of the
men who are drawing pensions: would, it
is argued. shame some Of the we'll to.do
dependents on government bounty into
the surrender of what the law was not in
tended to give them.
But second step, more important than
the publication of the names OF all pen
sioners is contemplated: 1t is proposed
that a force of inspectors or special
agents shall be organized to canvass
county by county and verify the lists, re-
porting all cases where men of means
have obtained pensions under the depen-
dent act. This wonld be an enormous
work, but the bureau officials believe re.
suits would Justify it. There are now
100000 pensioners on the rolls. Vet.
Grams who do not come within the intent
of the dependent act, seeing how easily
their neighbors who are as we'll of as they
are, have added the $12 a month to their
incomes, are now applying for the same
recognition. To reject these thousands
of new applications aud to permit those
who have no more right to dependent
pensions, will be manifest injustice. The
alternative ls plain. Either the govern-
ment must purge the rolls of those falsely
classed as dependents or it must continue
the unjustitiable Interpretation of the Law
Something Ike crisis III the pension
system IL at hand. Those officials who
know most of the workings and condi'
tions of the present system are most out
spoken for reforms. The government il
being mulcted in the sum of millions Of
dollars year, to the desriment of the
honest pensioners as we'll 40 to the loss tc
the treasury.
Taylor the Washburn job printer, hal
received another large invoice Of printer'
Estock, such as envelopes. letter and ruled
statement paper, inks, &c. &c. All cOlOrs
= : = Il I E ri < IT.