The times., 1897-09-03
PENSION OFFICE CHANGES.
Talk of an Investigation by the Civil
Service Commission.

Talk OF an Investigation Dy the civil
Service Commission.
More stories about Pension Commissioners
civil service reform law continue To cir
enlate. With some OF these stories Is
coupled the statement that the Civil Serv-
ice Commission is very indignant at Mr..
Evans attitude and the insfnuation that
the Pension Bureau may become the subject
OF inquiry and Investigation.
siouis receiving many complaints about the
office, that some inquiries are being made,
and that something has already been ac-
compIished by it, an, for instance. In the
case OF the special pension examiners VINO
were dropped on uly L.
Commissioner Evans made the very frank
statement. at the time that these men
were dropped at the end OF the year to
make way for old soldiers who had been
thrown out by the last Administrations
This Is a violation of the civil service law,
according IN Judge Jackson's ruling, just
as much as IL these special ex aminers were
| ON the regular roIfs and were not by custom
| reappointed every year.
| The facts about these examiners We're
| that they were on the regular force OF the
office two or three days before the end
of June and that Commissioner Evans had
them sign new oaths of office. They all
| did this without being told what 1T was
! for, thinking that they were to be pro-
noted In two days they found that they
! had been transferred To the special x
arniners' roll. from which point it was
easy 10 transfer them still further entirely
off tile official books.
| One of the clerks reinstated by Commits
| sioner Evans is said TO be quite notorioUsly y
] inefficient and unfit, and has pretty
| sturdy police record. His pull is excellent,
however.
| There are other cases like his, though
not quite so bad. These probably all
will pe looked into.
It's in the matter of the boards of ex-
amining surgeons OF the Pension Officei
| however. that the really startling work
| OF Commissioner Evans has been done. Hi
| method with regard to these boards Il
| simple and yet effective, and, II IL Is
| allowed to continue, it viii not be loni
| before the entire list of examining sur
geons Will be changed, and good Repubii-
| cans have sIl the places. Already the
commission has found this plan well be
| gun in several places.
Tie law with regard to these boards
provides that they may be established
! wherever the Commissioner sees fit, NJ
restriction as to numbers being made
II there S one board in a county ant
Mr.. Evans wishes TO have two or three
be may appoint the extra boards. Tht
he has done He appoints new board o
Republicans in a district with dn ole
board, ard it is then sugges ted TO thos'
who v isll to be examined that they e
TO the new board. This cuts down th
fees OF the old board. 1t has been ruleC
that all boards whose fees are under S3Ot
year do not come under the protection
of the civil service reform regulations
y hen one OF these marked old boards
left for the new one therefore it's fee
drop below $500, and it may then be II
moved with neatness and dispatch
1t is even ass erted that inducement
are he'd out TO the old soldiers that th
new boards In these eases viii ma k
more liberal reports in their cases ant
get them higher ratings.