Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-07-24
A SAFER PLACE WANTED
GREATER SECURITY NEEDED FOR
VALUABLE RECORDS.
Report Of the Auditor for the War
Department-The Years Work
an Claims.

en- Claims.
Mr.. F. E. Rittman, the auditor for the
War Department, has made his annual re-
port to Secretary Gage
Mr.. Rittman urgss that safe place be
provided for storing valuable papers, and
says:
THE question ofssecuring a proper and
safe place for Storing the valuable archives
OF the government is -not a new one. Pa
pers and documents 5of the late third au-
ditor's office were, under the act of July
81. 1894, deposited Inland are now a part
OF the records of this, office. Thousands of
boxes Of these papers were placed In the
Cox building, 1907 New York avenue no
further storage room being available in
the Winder building THE Importance Of
rearranging and properly caring for these
papers Is eHlpha sized, when 1t is KNOWN
that they must be consulted in nearly all
cases referred tosthfs office through the
secretary OF the Treasury by the Court OF,
Claims, and in claims presented to Con-
gress for property 1osses sustained during
the civil war. The facilities for work in
the Cox building are limited. the security
OF the papers is very doubtful. and their
loss would be irreparable.'
The Quartermaster's Division
The quartermasters division began work
"eAJ - hoOo, Win 4,OOS accounts On udHu,
received during the year 4,266 and 1736
supplemental settlements, a total of 20510.
The total number disposed of during the
year were 1881. leaving 1929 on hand, the
amounts involved in the latter being $751;
tSl,4 4S, against So, 742, ST. in the 1893 ac-
counts with which the division began the
fiscal year. 49,.
% In 70, the military claims division there were
10 4Sl claims on hand June 80, 1900. Dur
ing the year 22,62i were received. The d.
vision passed upon 44712, leaving 1888
pending at the beginning Of this fiscal year.
were allowed. 1881 disallowed. 2,30S dis
missed and 1,3O6 returned OF the work
OF this division Mr.. Rittman says:
Many Claims Twenty Years Old.
Excellent progress has been made in the
work of this division, as Is shown by COM
parison Of the number of claims on hand
June 10, 1900, and those on hand June 80.
1901. While these figures would indicate
that the work Is now nearly up to current
demands. it is proper to call attention to
the fact that heretofore, in the desire to
expedite the adjustment of claims that had
accumulated, many were temporarily laid
aside, either for lack Of proper evidence
not Obtanable at the time, death Of claim
ant, or for various other reasons, and only
those cases where the evidence was on
file or readily procurable were taken up for
settlement and enter into the figures in the
above statement There are about 50, 900
unadjudicated civil war claims on hand in
this office, many Of them filed over twenty
years ago, suspended or partially aban-
doned for reasons above stated, but it is
proper to state that thousands Of these
cases are meritorious, and 1 am of the
opinion that they SHOULD be taken up for
consideration iBf accordance with the pres
ent practice. t1Thsn work, taken in con-
nection with the adjustment Of claims of
the volunteer organizations now mustered
~ hot, d.,
pine service, wouldsnecessitate the reten-
ton Of substantial part Of the extra
force put on On account of the Spanish
war beyond the limits of the present fiscal
year" =,
Claims of sthe States.
The civil claims division has charge OF
the claims of states for reimbursement of
expenses incurred In the fitting out Of
troops during the Spanish war. The di-
vision disposed OF 3.425 claims during the
year and had on hand June 80 last 642
claims against 1.144 for the same period
year ago. ,,---..t sip
The, paymaster,s division had AT ac-
counts on hand july T. 1900. received $50
during the year and examined 906 leaving
on hand June 80, 1901, 121.
The records. division began the fiscal
year with SO documents on hand, received
1852 and answered 1889. leaving $50 on
hand. The correspondence Of this division
tory shape
The division Of accounts handles requi-
sitions, warrants, transfer and counter set
Elements and had q busy year. 80.
The record of deposits by enlisted men Of
the army under the act Of May Is, 1872,
shows that 44,447 deposits were made since
last report. amounting to 81 s23, AHA, and
that 80, AT deposits have been withdra wn,
amounting to 81. 40s, 215.34 upon which the
depositors received interest amounting to
So, 257. SO.
Soldiers Home Fund.
The sum Of $492, &C was placed to the
credit Of the permanent fund Of the Sol
diers' Home, being the amount retained
from enlisted men of the United States
army on account of. the 12la-cent fund.
fines by general courts-martial ana
amounts due from deserters at large and
dishonorably discharged soldiers.
There was withdrawn from that fund,
for current expenses, the sum Of s248. 900
and the amount paid the treasurer Of the
home on account OF interest on said per-
manent fund under section of the act
approved March 3, 1888. was $7S,O3277.