Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-02-01
'oeS Not Favor Houses Action IN
Assembling Pension Agencies
In Washington.
BILLIONS ARE DISTRIBUTED.
Capitals Small Meat Shops Are Fi'thy
Hon. Wm. Ryan Tells Good
New Seed Story.
snecIal colresnondencc.


the senate amends the pension appro-
priaton bill by restoring the appropri-
alton for pension agencies every ono
of the Is agencies now in existence VIII
be wiped out except the one In WASH
ington. The agencies are located IN
Augusta, Me-. Boston, Buffalo Chica-
so, Des Moines Columbus, Concord,
Indianapolis Knoxville, Louisville, Mil
waukee, New York, Philadelphia, san
Francisco, Topeka and Washington.
The committee on appropriations ID
preparing the pension appropriation bill
decided to reduce the number OF agen-
cies to nine, as 1t was shown that this
could be done without injury to the IN
terests of the pensioners or the govern
ment But the threatened loss OF pat
ronage created Il great howl and Mr..
Dalzell of Pennsylvania. who represents
the Pittsburg district, announced that
IF Pittsburg was to be deprived OF its
agency he would make fight to have
EN- all wiped out" He carried out his
threat and the house struck out IL of
the rs. Now if the action of the house
is endorsed by the senate the govern
ment will save the salaries of II PEN
sion agents at $4,000 per annum each,
and upwards OF 100 clerks at an average
annual salary of $1,000 each, or in
round figures s16S,00o.
SOME PENSION FIGURES.
The number of clerks employed in
each of the is agencies is: Topeka, 80;
Columbus, o., So; Chicago. 32; Knox
vile, IS: Indianapolis, 20; Boston, &c;
Philadelphia, 81; New York, %; WASH
ington, "a; Des Moines, 20; Milwaukee,
81; Pittsburg. "a; Buffalo, 81; San Fran
cisco, 20; Detroit, 90; Louisville, IA;
and Concord. 10. The number Of en-
ployes now required is 4S4, at an annual
cost of S435 900.
The number of pensions paid at the
different agencies follow: Topeka, 49,
597; Chicago, 1864; Knoxville, 65,246;
indianapolis, ST. 1853; Columbus. 9S06S:
Boston, 59.973; Philadelphia, 5s.23S; New
York, $3.50; Washington, SALT; Des
Moines. 53,951; Milwaukee 49,603; Pitts
burg, 1894; Buffalo, 45,S1S; San Fran
cisco. 42,514: Detroit 4l,3ss; Louisville,
27544; Augusta 17,723; Concord, 1888.
1t is proposed to transfer about $50
clerks from the different agencies to
Washington. and 1t is the opinion of the
commissioner OF pensions that the
change will not delay the payment of
pensions east of the Mississippi more
than "a hours and in most cases there
Will be no delay whatever.
HAS DISTRIBUTED BILLIONS.
Under the present system the average
annual cost of payment Is about 43 cents
per pension. This cost varies in accord
ance with the number OF pensioners paid
which II the largest IN the United states
the annual cost Is about 40 cents per
pensioners: while at the Concord agency
which Is the smallest--the cost Is "A
cents per pensioner. The number Of
clerks required'at the Topeka agency is
49, or an average of &c clerk to every
$3.50 pensioners. while at the Augusta the
proportion is one clerk to every l,477 PEN
sioners. Payments are made as prompt
ly at the lar5er as at the smaller
agencies such as Topeka.
In this connection the committee on
appropriations has furnished a very in
teresting statement showing the, amount
which the United States has paid out for
pensions since the revolution. The totals
are as follows:
War OF the Revolution (esti-
War Of 1872 ION account OF
service. without regard to
Indian wars ION account Of
disability -, ..........,.,. s,99o,143. IS
count service without
regard TO disabIlity)....... 2S.O59.245 %
War OF the Rebellion ....,. S,259, 195, S0G. g.
war with Spain and insur-
ireetlon In the Philippine :, .ooo.. :,
Regular establishment ...,.. 7.229.312. 50
Unclassfied .....,........ -. 16,f35.STS. SC
Total disbursements for
pensions -. ....,,.-..sS fos, s6o,Sll 70
of the above amount sss Al, 1900 was
paid from July l, 1880, to June 30, 1855.
II is almost certain that the senate will
restore the agencies -, rlcken from the bill
by the house, and Almost equally certain
bp
OF the senate.
MARKETS ARE UNCLEAN.
The paragraph in this correspondence
last week which called attention to the
filthy condition of some Of the places in
Washington where meats are sold has
stirred the authorities into action. II
was apparently necessary that some out
side newspaper should point out existing
conditions In order that official action
should be taken towards correcting them.
Now Washington If stirred up. The 10
cal papers have ascertained that the
experts OF the agricultural department
found conditions even worse than Were
lntimated and the health officer has come
attempts 10 Justify his laxity IN looking
after the health and welfare OF the peo-
pie OF Washington: He complains tina
Assistant secy Hays failed 10 point
aud intimates that his own inspectors
have been unable to find any meat stall
80 dirty as to attract their attention. II
Is not forgotten that when Inspector
Neil and Reynolds made their report up
on the condition OF The packing plants
In Chicago they condemned the entire
industry and failed TO point out a single
sbbatori which was conducted IN a SAINT
fary manner The result of that report
was the practical annihilaiion Of u
for several months. although its authors
subsequently admitted that the flthy
conditions which they pointed out were
discovered only IN one or tive, and not all
OF the packing houses.
SMALLER SHOPS ROTTEN.
The facts are ms stated IN previous
dispatch, That the local authorities here
were unable 70 discover OFFICIALLY
what any purchaser could readily scr
IN az leHst one OF the markets were ana
are today absolutely disreputable In the
NTH which f. 10 be- found on the walls
and meat blocks. The employees are, ~
rule. unclean and unkempt and they
handle meats meant for food about az
tilzer plant Now <~ais - changed
and the change Ii .,at due 10 the fact
that The local authorities havs been al.
igeni but 70 the Indignation Of the pub
lie over the discovery that their local
servants waited until the federal au-
thorities pointed out conditions which
should have been discovered long $50
Washington has one market which II a
model FOR The world. II II kept thor
oughly clean and sanitary. II Is a. show
smaller places are absolutely rotten IN
their dirtlness aud yet the authorities
complain because their attention has
been called 10 conditions which they have
appaiertly been unable 10 discover foI
themselves.