Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-28
STRIKES AT TIE PATRONAGE
Abolition Of Pension Agencies stirs o.
Number Of Congressman.
FOUR HUNDRED CLERKS IRE INVOLVED
Total Pension Payment since the
Close of the Revolutionary war
Amount 20 Three snd
Half BIIlIon.
(From a stnn CorresnnndentN

WASHINGTON, Jan. N.-Cspeeiail-Cn
less the senate amends the pension appro-
priation bill by restoring the appropriation
for pension agencies every one OF the eish-
teen agencies now in existence will be
wiped out except the one In Washington.
The agencies are located in Augusta Me.
Boston, Buffalo. Chicago, Columbus, Con-
cord. Des Moines. Detroit, Indianapolis,
Knoxville, Louisville. Milwaukee. New
York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Topeka
ana washington. The committee on APP
preparations in preparing the pension APP
preparation bill decided to reduce the num-
Der of agencies to nine. as It was shown
that this could be done without injury to
the interests Of the pensioners or the gov
eminent But the threatened loss Of patron
age created a great howl and Mr.. Dalze1l
Of Pennsylvania, who represents the Pitts
burg district, announced that IL Pittsburg
was to be deprived of its agency he would
make a fight to have them all wiped out.
He carried out his threat and the house
struck out seventeen OF the eighteen. Now,
IL the action OF the house is endorsed by
the senate. the government will save the
salaries of seventeen pension agents at
$4,000 per annum each and upwards OF n
hundred clerks at an average annual salary
OF 1900 each, or in round figures s1SS.OOO.
The number Of clerks employed in each
Of the eighteen agencies is; Topeka, 80;
Columbus, o., 50; Chicago, 80; Knoxville,
Is; Indianapolis, Is; Boston, rs; fPhiladel-
phia, n; New York, rs: Washington, "a
Des Moines. Is; Milwaukee. q; Pittsburg
"a; Buffalo. 81; san Francisco, 20; Detroit.
20; Louisville IA; Concord. TO- The numbe
of employees now required is Is4. at an
annuel cost OF $S6OoO.
The number Of pensions paid at the diff
ferent agencies is: Topeka, 1857; Chi
cago, 1884; Knoxville 65,246; Indianapolis,
g., 4es; Columbus, IS. SSs; Boston, 69.Ts; Phila-
delphia. IS, 2Ss; New York, $3.50; Washing
ton, 54177; Dee Moines. 1851; Milwaukee,
q, COS; Pittsburg. 1914; Buffalo, 46,aS; San
Francisco, ASA; Detroit. 1888; Louisville,
q, 544; Augusta, 1772s; Concord 1858.
It Is proposed to transfer about $50 clerks
from the different aseucaes to Washington
and it b the opinion Of the commissions
of pensions that the change will not delay
the payment OF pensions east OF the Missis'
slppi more than twenty-four hours and II.
most cases there will be no delay whatever
Cost of Pensions.
Under the present system the average
annual cost of payment is about AZ cents
per pension. This cost varies in accord
anCe with the NUMBER VI pShblOhOAb p"iN a.
each agency. At the Topeka agency. which
is the largest in the United States, the
annual cost is about 40 cents per pensioner
while at the Concord agency, which lie the
smallest, the cost is "a cents per pen
sioner The number of clerks required
at the Topeka agency is thirty-nine, or an
average of one clerk to every 1890 pen
sioners, while at the Augusta the proportion
is one clerk to every LAT pensioners. Pay
ments were made as promptly at the larger
as at the smaller agencies. During quar-
terly payments, on an average, 1900 PEN
sioners are paid each day at the larger
agencies, such as Topeka ~
In this connection the committee on ap-
preparations has furnished an interesting
statement showing the amount which the
United States has paid out for pensions
since the revolution. The totals are as
follows: