Evening star., 1902-08-27
MONEY f0R PENSIONS
Sl53,556,b39 Was Paid Out
During Fiscal Year.
MORE HELP Is NEEDED
IN ORDER ITO MAKE CAREFUL
EXAMINATION oF VOUCHERS.
Work of Office in All Divisions Well
in Hand, Says Auditor Of In
terror Department.

Inc annual report of the auditor for the
interior department has been made to The
secretary OF the Treasury. This shows
'that the disbursements of pensions for the
nscal year ended June 80. 1902, was S1S3,Gi9
on account of the war of 1912, 1860, 150 on
account Of the Mexican war, $412, Isl for
Indian wars, S64, PAS, ,9S7 under general laws,
$50. 93,142 under the act of June 81, 1890,
and $l,657, ,9o7 on account of the war with
Spain, making total of s133, ,5o6, ,039.
Auditor Person makes the following
statement in his report:
The work of the office in all divisions is
well in hand. though vast amount of extra
work has been. and for some time will con-
tinue to be, required to secure an absolutely
correct pension roll. The card system of
Keeping this roll has disclosed a very large
NUMBER or errors, which, though generally
OF MINOR Importance, yet are such as should
not be perpetuated or remain uncorrected.
!hls work has required the constant serv-
ices OF four to six clerks throughout the
year, but this class of work will gradually
diminish.
More Help Needed.
Another class of work also requires an
undue amount of labor. 1t is apparent
from correspondence with pension agents
that the force now employed in some of
No>'ASiSS
careful examination of vouchers, prior to
payment, as should be made in order to
aVold the suspension of an excessive num-
per or the same by this Office.
very large number of vouchers is re-
turned to agencies each quarter because
oI their improper execution. This causes
undue delay in the settlement of the ac-
counts to which they pertain. Every effort
mas Deen made to harmonize the work Of
tne several pension agencies in the prepara-
md II, hair
ecution and authorization SO as to meet
the requirements of this office and the reg
ulations OF the pension office. Through the
cordial cooperation of the the Commits
sioner of pensions and an evident desire on
the part OF the pension agents to conform
10 the regulations, some progress has been
mace IN TINS direction, but the result is still
snort or what is rea sonably desired espe-
cially when it is considered that pra cticallv
lio,ooo'oOo year are disbursed through
these agencies, g.
Prior to the introduction Of the card sys-
tenn now In use for entering payments of
pensions, notices from the pension office in
regard to issues, reissues, transfers etc.
We're from two to two and one-half months
behind the current work of the office. This
arose from the necessity of allowing at
least q months accumulation, in order
to avoid the frequent handling of the heavy
record books, nearly 400 In number. conse-
of such notices. which amounted to about
4o,O0o In number, referred to in the last
report, has entirely disappeared. They are
now disposed Of from day to day as they
are received and the information desired
from them is Immediately available. This
would be impossible but for the new system
of entering them. The work Of transcribing
the pension records from the roll books to
the cards was fully completed in January
and now all entries are made directly there
on -
Number Of Employees.
The total number of employees in the office
is 122, classified follows: One law clerk
$1,000; 3 chiefs of divisions, 1900; clerks
of class 4, $1,S0O; 10 clerks of class g.
$1,G0O; 35 clerks of class 2, 81 400; % clerks
of class /, $1,2C0; IL clerks of class E,
$1,000; clerks of class D, 5000; clerk of
class c, $40: l assistant messenger, S72O
10 laborers, $3.50; female laborer, $3.50.
OF the 122 employees 81 were granted an
extension Of annual leave on account of
sickness during the calendar year 1901, be-
ing an excess of 10 over the number in
1900; but the total time lost by sickness
was SSS days, whereas there was a loss of
1,170h days from the same cause in 1900.