The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-08
Guardians of Pensions Must Not
Squander Their Money.
Government Will Hereafter Re-
quire a Strict Accounting.
ORDER NOW IN EFFECT
Troubles Of the Pension De-
partment Over the Matter.
Pension Agent LeIandSays First
Reports Now Coming In.

Hereafter guardians Of people who
receive pensions from the Tnited States
government will have to give a strict
account of their guardianship, SO far
as the pension money is concerned, or
they will get no more money. This rul-
ing has recently been made by United
States Pension Commissioner Evans,
and is being put in force for the first
time during the present payment.
The reason for this order is that COM
plants have reached the pension
bureau that guardians do not always
use the pension of their wards for the
good of the wards, but use it them
selves The United States government
does not propose to pay out money for
the support of old soldiers who are
mentally unable to care for themselves
and then have the money appropriated
by some one else. Therefore every
guardian who receives pension money
will have to render a sworn statement
to the pension bureau once a year,
showing just how much of the money
has been spent.
About 1000 of the pensions paid out
through the Topeka agency go to
guardians. Blanks were recently sent
out to each of them, and with each
blank Pension Agent Leland sent
notice of the ruling of the pension COM
missioner. 1t was required that the
blank be filled out and returned with
the voucher for the present payment.
If the blank is not returned, or not
properly filled out or sworn to, no
money will be paid, pending an investi-
cation.
The blank calls for a statement of
the amount on hand at the beginning
of the year and the amount received at
each of the four quarterly pension pay
ments; an itemized account of the dis
burSementS of pension money, and the
amount on hand at the time of making
the statement, and If invested, showing
exactly what the investment is.
The blanks are now being returned to
the pension agency, and many of them
have to be sent back for more complete
information. Many guardians fail to
ments, and this is responsible for the
failure to properly fill out the blanks;
but after they once understand that an
accurate accounting will be necessary
they will be more careful to keep a
record of their payments.
The next report will be called for at
the time of the November payment.
and it will be called for annually
thereafter at that time.
ITO show how this will straighten
things out" said Pension Agent Le-
land today, there was a girl over in
Missouri who received a pension as the
minor of an old soldier and she had
a guardian over there, but her relatives
all lived somewhere else. She got dis
satisfied there and ran away to her
sister out in central Kansas. The sis
ter had a guardian appointed for her
out there, so we had two guardians
claiming the pension. We thought the
girl ought to be with her relatives,
but as the Missouri guardian had been
receiving her pension money a blank
was sent to him requiring a. statement.
AS soon as he found out that a state
ment of this kind would have to be
made every year he was willing to re-
sign. The object of the new order is
simply to insure that the wards will
get the benefit of the pension money,
and not someone else"