Hutchinson gazette., 1897-02-11

WASHINGTON, Feb, S.-The president
has signed, on the recommendation Of
Secretary of the Interior Francis, an
important order reducing the number
of pension agencies in the United
States from eighteen to nine The OBJ
ject of the order is to effect very
large saving to the government with
out inconveniencing the pensioners.
The secretary demonstrates that, by
this reduction of the pension agencies,
the cost of disbursement of pensions
can be reduced by at least Sl50,0O0 per
annum.
The change was made possible by an
amendment to the law governing the
disbursing of pensions, which amend
ment was approved March 30, 1896. 1t
required that all pensioners should,
after that date, be paid by checks re-
mitted by mail. Reports from the
pension agencies in reply to inquiries
as to the operation of the law were to
the effect that un der it the pensioners
are paid much more prOmptly that
possibility of error is minimized,
and that, upon the whole, it is
much more satisfactory to the PEN
sioners than the former law. The
agents also advise that the pensioners
receive their pensions when remitted
by mail ut their homes, where, being
surrounded by family influences, the
pensioner is much more likely to make
a iudicious disposition of his pension
money. Under the previous law many
pensioners collected their quarterly
payments in person and, under the
Influence of bad associations, were of
ten induced to apply these payments
unWisely and deprive their families of
the benefits thereof.
This executive order will go into
effect September next, its execution
having been postponed until that date
in order that no pensioner should SUIT
fer Inconvenience in consequence of
delay in receiving his pension, and to
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 be incurred by the
making of new rolls. The agencies at
Concord, N. H., and Augusta, Me-, are
discontinued, and payments hitherto
made there are ordered made from
the agency at Boston, Mass; the
pensioners heretofore paid at Buffalo,
N. Y, are to be paid from New York
city agency; those at Pittsburg from
the Philadelphia agency; those at
Louisville and Knoxville from Wash
ingtOn; those ut Detroit from Indian
apolis; those at Milwaukee from Chi
CngO; those ut Des Moines and Topeka
from st. Louis, where new agency is
established.
A new agency is established at st.
Louis because of the better mail fa-
cilities there than at Des Moines or To-
pelia, and for the further reasons that
there is government building at st.
Louis which can be occupied without
cost to the government; and there is
also sub-treasury there. A pension
agency was removed from st. Louis to
Topeka in 1882. There are more PEN
sioners now in Missouri than in Kan
sas or in any state formerly paid by
the Topeka or the Des Moines agency.
There are in Missouri 53,sl2 pension
ers, in Kansas 2,433, in Iowa 37,7gS.
The following are the nine agencies
and the number of pensioners paid
thereat under the new order:
Boston, 04,457; New York. 0S S33;
Philadelphia, 1O6,735; Washington,
l4O, 255; Columbus, 1OI,4 Indianapo-
lis, rs, 5,O66; Chicago, 125, 1873; st. Louis,
,7O9; San Francisco, 93,O0S; total,
07O.67s.
All pensioners of the United States
residing in foreign countries and now
numbering 9,7Sl, will continue to be
paid from the Washington agency, and
the navy pensioners will be paid as
heretofore from Boston, Chicago, New
York city, Philadelphia, San Francisco
and Washington.