Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-23
T0GUs PENSIONS.
How the Veterans Receive Their Money
and Use 1t.
Christmas Plans and Other Topics OF the Day
at the Home.

The fact that the quarterly pension
day and Christmas come within few
I days of each other have made lively
times at the National Home this week,
not only among the veterans, but in the
treasurer's Office, the express and posi-
offices. and the officials in the respec-
tive departments have had ample op-
portunity to demonstrate their ability
to transact their special business with
the utmost celebrity.
Comparatively few people understand
or even give a thought of the amount
of work entailed upon the treasurer by
the payment of the pensions to
the members of the Home, but
when it is considered that there
are 2400 pensioners there and that the
treasurer has TO sign each. of the 2400
vouchers three times, making a total
of 1900 signatures. and in addition give
to the men the money due them, one
cannot fail to get at least faint idea
of &the magnitude of the work. This
payment of pensions is only branch
of the business transacted, in addition
TO routine duties. but in reality it is a
large business of itself.
To give an idea of the dispatch with
which the work is accom- plished, it may
be of interest to state that during,
Monday, Dec. 19-paymemt began at
noon that day-1600 of the 2400 pension
ers were made happy to a greater Or
less extent by receiving the money due
them, and that the balance, who were
either in the hospital or out ON fur
Tough, had received their cash or had
chicks mailed to them the following
4 ofning. When the Journal represen
dative called at the treasurer's Office,
Thursday morning, there We're but Il
vouchers which had not been paid.
Payment of 1900 men in one afternoon
aneans a great deal of work, but Major
Smith, and his able assistant, Mr.. Nit
chell, proved themselves equal to the
emergency. For the payment of pen
sons the treasurer has drawn, since
Dec. 4, the sum of $71,611.96.
The system of conducting the pension
business at the Home, while it necessi-
tates a great amount of work on the
mart Of the different officials having
charge of it. is of the utmost simplicity
to the nengioner. andEis perfectly free
from AM rlA tape or complications that
would t67yE 10 coH1use VI dHiioy IL IN
In ordersH get his money all that he
has to do is.tp sign an order approved
by the Gdverpor of the Home, and pre-
sent it 10 the treasurer
NeitheAbeAas he any fears Tor. the
safety of HIS precious certificate, for he
knows that 1t is as secure though IL
were locked up in a burglar proof safe
and buried miles deep in the earth,
also that as regular as the quarter
comes around he will get the cash that
it calls for.
Army veterans. residents of Name,
receive their pension money at tne OF
flee in Augusta, while naval veterans
ARE paid in Boston, but all members OF
the National Home are paid by the
treasurer of that institution
T When a man is admitted to the Home
his pension certificate-if he be PEN
sioner is turned over to the treasurer
who thus becomes the agent, or the
medium in the Home through Wnlcn
the pension agent reaches the members
i'm the payment of pensions. Inc fnooe
of operation is about as follows: Wheh
The certificate is turned over to the
rreaSurer, he enters it upon his pension
roll from which he makes vouchers Tor
the quarterly payments as they sever
ally come due, each voucher having
to be signed by him three times. For
the purpose of posting up individual
cash accounts of each pensioner, two
large ledgers are kept, also one large
cash book for receipts and disburse-
ments. Sounds simple, doesn't 1t? II
is as simple as possible. and really 1T IS
6 t1,a,. ,p
Gor while the set of books lis a hlle
specimen Of the work of the u1pook-
keeper. that which most forciply al
tracts the observer is the large amount
of work shown in them and the greater
transaction of business which ehey
represent.
Another branch of the Home busl-
ness, which also falls to the treasurer,
is that of transportation. several
times during the year the veterans
8evince a longing to shake the dust Oh
The Home from their feet and to see
something of the outside world. Some
go to visit relatives and others JUS
Tor good time. In March. June, ant
mt Christmas time the spirit predoml-
mates to the extent that the result l.
q Irregular exodus. There was one very
much in evidence, Thursday, when 81
of the old soldiers left the Home to en-
JOY the holidays elsewhere. A specia
draln on the Kennebec Central took
them to Gardiner, en- route for thel
different destinations, and it was
pleasure to look upon their faces
agleam with gladness. They looked q
Years younger. every one of them, anf
appeared more like school boys thai
stald veterans who had smelled tn
smoke of auhundred battles. At TIL
treasurer's Voffice there were sole
Thursday morning, $3.50 worth of trans
portations. The sales in March an
June We're the largest, from $500
5000 worth being sold. In June $40
WQMh were sold in two days.
IN order to get a transportation tic
Kee man must get a furlough card
from the Governor. He then goes to
une treasurer and gets ticket to his
destination and return, for which he
pays. The Home has special rates
.Waun the different transportation COM
Pan'es and the man is given a ticket
ExE