Evening star., 1897-02-08
PENSION AGENCIES REDUCED
A Large Saving to the Government With.
out Inconvenience to the Pensioners.
Payments by Check Make the Change
Possible-The Nine Omce. TO
BE discontinued

Al the instance of the Secretary OF The
interior, the President has signed an order
reducing the number of pension aga,c,os
IN the United States from eighteen 20 min.
lhe object of the order is to effect a lory.
saving to the government Hi,hou, ynco,-
Venience to the pensioners The Secre,ar,,
SHOWS that by this reduction of agencies
tie cost or disbursing pensions can mo re-
duced by at least $4,000 per annum The
change vas made possible by IN amend
ment to the law governing the ,lisbursinr
OF pensions which amendment was an
proved March %. 1896 Ii required that all
pensioners should after that date he maid
oy checks remitted by mail. Renorts from,
the pension agencies In reply to Inquiries
as 10 the operation of the rev law were "a
the effect that under IL Tho oension.rs -
paio much more promptly; that tine pc SSH
piiity OF error Is minimizad and that unon
.ne Whoie II is much more satisfactory TO
the pensioners than the fo-me- law Tho
agents also advise that the pensionars r.
ceiNe tneir pensions when rem,ttel Inv ,rsu
al tneir homes, where. being surrounded by
1ah'iiy mnIences. the penson,r is much
more likely to make a judicious tisnositton
of his pension money. Cnder The nrario,,s
law many pensioners collected their quar-
terry payments in person, and under Tie
lnnuence OF bad associations. were often in
duced TO apply those payments uuwisely
and deprive their families of the benefits
thereof.
This executive order will 20 into effect
September next. its execution having been
postponed until that date IN order that no
pensloner should suffer Inconvenience in
consequence of delay in receiving his pen
sion and to give ample time for the re-
moval of the rolls an1 records from the
agencies discontinued.
The agencies at Concord. " IT,, ard Au-
gusta. Me. are discontinued and payments
hitherto made there are ordered made from
the agency at Boston, Mass: the pensioners
heretofore raid at Buffalo, ~ v, are TO be
paid from New York city agency; those at
Pittsburg from the Philadelphia agency:
those at Louisville and Knoxville from
Washington agency; ;uose at Detroit from
Indianapolis; those at Milwaukee from Chi
cago; those at Des Moines and Toncka
from St Louis, where a new agency is
established
new agency is established at St Louis
because of the better mail facilities there
than at Des Moines or Topeka. and for the
further reasons that there Is A govern
ment building at st. ssouis when can be
occupied without cost 10 the government.
The following are the nine agencies and
the number of pensioners paid here under
the new order: Boston. 9I.357; New SorE,
?SSf3; Philadelphia, .o6. ,35; Washington.
0.265; Columbus. l0i. .E,2; Indianapolis.
1l8,o66; Chicago. 125 t23; ST. Louis. l6l. 1V3:
San Francisco. 23,03S. Total, 91o.6Is.
All pensioners of the United S;ases rtsid-
ing In foreign countries. and now number
ing 3,1Sl, will continue to be pail from The
Washington agency, and the navy pension
ers will be paid, as heretofore. rom Pos
ton, Chicago. New York city, Philadelphia,
San Francisco and Washington.
The estimated saving 20 the government
is as follows: Clerk hire. sio5,GI5; salaries
nine agents. $4,000 per annum. s3G,pW; con-
$40, Isl; rent for agencies discontinued,
s.. $50. Total, $l6l. .401