The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-04-14

such ofhcer 50 designated shall give bonds,
II required by the President, for the faith
Secretary Of the Interior shall allow In the
settlement of the accounts Of such officer
the necessary expenses incurred by him in
the discharge Of his duties under this Sec
ton. The foregoing provisions shall ap-
ply to any vacancy now existing"
CLERK TO SIGN PENSION AGENTS NAME.
The act Of June 80, 1890, as modified
by the act of July Is. 1894, provides:
I'm case Of sickness or unavoidable alb
sence of any pension agent from his office
he may, with the approval Of the Secre-
tary of the Interior, authorize the chief
| clerk, or some other clerk employed
therein, to act in his place, to sign official
checks, and to discharge all the other
duties required by law OF such pension
| agent; and any pension agent may desig-
nate and authorize a clerk to sign the name
of the pension agent to official checks; but
| the appointment of the clerk to sign Off
cial checks, shall be made by
the pension agent without other or further
approval. The official bond given by the
principal Of the Office shall be held to cover
and apply to the acts of the person ap-
pointed to act in his place in such cases
over. for the time being. be subject to all
the liabilities and penalties prescribed by
law for the official misconduct i'm like
| cases Of the pension agent for whom he
acts"
Section 47SO, Revised Statutes, prov
ides:
1.-THE President is authorized to estab.
fish agencies for the payment of pensions
wherever. in his judgment, the public in
terests and the convenience of the pension
ers require; but the number Of pension
agencies in any State or Territory shall in
no case be increased hereafter so as to ex-
| coed three. and no such agency shall be
esta blished in addition to those now exist
ing in any State or Territory in which the
whole amount of pensions paid during the
fiscal year next preceding shall not have
exceeded the sum Of 100000"
SALARY, CLERK HIRE AND EXPENSES.
The act of March 3, 1891, provides:
THAT the amount Of clerk hire ut oh
agency shall be apportioned as nearly rs
practicable in proportion to the number
Of pensioners paid ut each agency, and the
salaries shall be subject to the approval
Of the Secretary Of the Interior"
The act Of June 30, 1890. provides:
1.-THE Secretary of the Treasury, where
practicable. shall cause suitable rooms to
be set apart in the public buildings under
his control in the cities where pension
agencies are located, which shall be accep-
table to the Secretary of the Interior, for
the use and occupancy Of the said agen-
cies respectively"
TIME AND MANNER OF PAYMENT.
The act Of March 3, 1891, provides:
1.-THE Secretary of the Interior is hereby
n ut bnr OIL nd n oil tn a fho
rious agencies for the payment of pensions
in three groups, as he may think proper,
and may, from time to time, change any
agency from one group to another, as he
may deem convenient for the transaction
Of the public business The first group
shall make their quarterly payments Of
pensions on January 4, April 4, July 4,
and October 4 Of each year: the second
group shall make their quarterly payments
Of pensions on February 4. May !, August
4. and November 4 Of each year; and the
third group shall make their quarterly
payments OF pensions on March 4. June /,
September 4. and December of each
year. The Secretary Of the Interior is
hereby fully authorized to cause payments
Of pensions to be made for the fractional
parts Of quarters created by the change
from former methods Of paying pensions,
so as to properly adjust all payments as
herein provided"
Section AGA, Revised Statutes, as
amended by the act Of March 3, 1901, is
substantially as follows:
Within 10 days Immediately preceding
the fourth day Of each month in which
quarterly payment Of pensions is to be
made ut the several agencies as hereinbe-
fore provided for, each agent for the pay
ment Of pensions shall prepare a quar-
terly voucher for every person whose pen
sion is payable ut his agency, and trans
NIT the same by mail, directed to the ad-
dress OF the pensiOner named in such
voucher, who, on or after the date on
which the payment of such quarterly pen
sion is herein authorized to be made, may
execute and return the same TO the agency
at which it was prepared and at which the
pension Of such person is due and payable
Section 4765, Revised Statutes, prov
ides:
Upon the receipt Of such voucher, prop
erly executed. and the identity Of the
pensioner being established and proved
i'll the manner prescribed by the Secretary
Of the Interior, the agent for the payment
Of pensions shall Immediately draw his
check on the proper assistant treasurer
or designated depository Of the United
States for the amount due such pensioner.
payable to his order, and transmit the
same by mail, directed to the address Of
the pensiOner entitled thereto: but any
pensioner may be required, if thought
proper by the Commissioner of Pensions,
to appear personally and receive his pen
sion.''
The regulations prescribed by the Sec
rotary Of the Interior under the above pro-
visions, for the establishment Of the iden-
tity OF pensioners. requires that pen
sioner shall exhibit his pension certificate
to the officer before whom he executes his
voucher, and that the officer shall so GER
tify in the voucher. Notaries, justices,
and other officers authorized to administe r
oaths for general purposes, who desire TO
avoid all possible trouble and the possible
| cancellation OF their commissions or the re-
fusal Of the Commissioner OF Pensions or
the pension agencies to recognize their
official acts, should observe the regulations
closely.
FOURTH-CLAss PosTMAsTERs
The act Of August %, 1894, provides:
THAT hereafter, in addition to the OFF,
GERS now authorized to administer oaths
in such cases, fourth-class postmasters of