The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-02-08

CleVeland'S Latest Pension Order Is
in the DIRECTION Of EcOlOmy.
MONEY FOR THE VETERANS
The President Hopes That WheN
They Get Their Remittances
They Won't Go and Blow
Them In for DIZZY Water.

Washington, Feb. THE president
has signed, upon the recommendation
or Secretary ~ the Interior Francis. an
important order reducing the number
Of pension agencies in the United states
from II To >. The object of the order
Is To effect a very large saving 20 the
government without inconvenieucing
the pensioners. The secretary demon
strates that by this reduction of the
pension agencies the cost of disburSe-
mcnt of pensions can he reduced hy at
least sl5O.000 per annum. The change
was made possible by an amendment
To- the law governing the disbursing
of pensions. which amendment was ap-
proved March %. 1896. IL required that
all pensioners should, after that date.
Ice paid by checks RENTED by mail
Reports from the pension agencies in
reply Ia inquiries as TO the operation
of the new law were To the effect that
under IL the pensioners are paid much
more promptly: that possibility of err
ror Is minimized and that upon the
whole IL Is much more satisfactory To
the pensioners than the former law.
The agents also advise that the pen
sioners receive their pensions, when
remitted by mail. at their homes where,
being surrounded by family influences,
the pensioner Is much more likely to
make "A Judicious disposition Of his pen
sion money. Under the previous law
many pensioners collected their quar-
t"rly payments in person and. under
the influence of bad associations, were
often induced to apply those payments
unwisely and deprive their families OF
the benefits thereof. This executive
order viii go into effect Sept. | next.
It's execution having been postponed
IA Hnf in nrIa haF
sioner should suffer inconvenience in
consequence of delay In receiving his
pension. and give ample time for the
removal of the rolls and records from
the agencies discontinued.
The consolidation was made by unit
ing existing agencies and the entire
jurisdiction thereof in order that no
expense should he incurred by the max
ing Of new rolls. The agencies at Con-
cord. n. H.. and Augusta. Me. are dis
continued and payments hitherto made
there are ordered made from the agen-
/ cy at Boston. Mass. The pensioners
heretofore paid at Buffalo. n. Y, are
| To he paid from the New York city
I agency; those at plttsburg from the
\ Philadelphia agency: those at Louis
/ Vile and Knoxville from Washington;
| those at Detroit from Indianapolis;
those at Milwaukee from Chicago;
those nj Des Moines and Topeka from
| ST. Louis. where a new agency IL es-
tablshed. A new agency Is establish
ed at st. Louis because OF the better
mail facilities there than at Des Molnes
ar To1eka and for the further reason
that there IL "A government building at
| 81. Louis which can be occupied with
out cost To the government and there
| is also sub-treasury there. A pension
agency was removed from 81. Louis To
Topeka in 1SS2 There are more PEN
sloners now In Missouri than in Kan
sas or In any state formerly paid hy
the Topeka or the Des Moincs agency.
There are In Missouri 53.sl2 pensioners,
I'm Kansas ~. iB3. In Iowa 31.79S.
The following are the nine agencies
ard the number of pensioners paid
thercat under the new order: Boston.
~, i57: New York ~, S33: Philadelphia.
loi. I35; Washington, 40. 26J, Columbus.
i0i. ia2; Indianapolis. ll6.D66: Chicago.
i25 933. ST. Louis. l6i. I09. san Francisco.
23.09s. Total. 9i0.6I3 The estimated
saving to the government is as follows;
Clerk hire sl05eia. salaries, nine agents.
$4,000 per annum, s36000, contingent
expenScs of agencies discontinued,
S10.iS2.
Under the new law the agents report
that about twice as many pensioners
are paid during the first tNn days ot
each quarterly payment rs under the
old law. This saving can he en- cted
without any Inconvenience To- the pen-
sioners and will reduce the annua eN-
prnscs Of the government To just hat
extent and may tend In gllay TO :, uie
degree IN" opposition that has IL cp
manifested hitherto ~ the great ~. y
siou disbursements uf the guvernmei I.
The total cost for pcusinus and u
disbursements thereof Tor the fsca
year ended June %. 1896 was Siig 2l6.
sos. made ~ as follows. Payments To
pensioners. tl3S "a la, fees tn eyainin-
ing surgeons. S67 ig1 maintaining pea
sion bureaus q; Washington. g. 153, 76q.
cost al maintaining pension agencies
sjGj.02i Il Is on this last item that the
new order IL intended 60 save between
sljO000 and $50 OOo per annuin.