The National tribune., 1908-04-09
THE PENSION AGENCIES.

The feeling is manifesting itself more
strongly every day and thruout the en-
tire country against the proposed aboli-
ton of the Pension Agencies and the
consolidation of the work into one Office
at Washington. The veterans see many
serious objections TO this consolidation
and naturally fear the complications,
delays and other unfortunate features
that must inevitably follow such a
wholesale reorganization of the present
system of paying pensions. 1t is no
small thing to have a million pensioners
get accustomed to the system which is
now in vogue and represented by the
uted equally over the country. 1t will
be a most hazardous experiment and
cannot help bringing about endless an
noyances and complications TO oveTturn
this system and adjust all the business
of the offices to a central point in WASH
ington. 1t cannot help but take years
to readjust conditions as satisfactorily
IS they now are and during that time
there will be much suffering and in
convenience among the veterans.
Such radical upheavaI is contrary
to al the practices in the past in other
larry, in the Internal Revenue Bureau
the changes have been made gradually,
consolidating the offices in different
States into one and thus accustoming
every one to the changes without any
strong shock to the business of the pat
that should be the policy followed in
regard to the Pension Agencies. y
may be that in some instances two or
more agencies in the same section could |
be economically consolidated without
detriment to the interests of the pen |
sioners. We are very clearly of the |
opinion, however, that it will be i'm |
policy of a pronounced character to |
abolish the agencies which now do bust
ness with pensioners scattered over
great areas of the country. These are
Of the highest importance to the pen
sioners inasmuch as they are within
easy reach of the mails from their
homes and any information can be OBJ
tanned, mistakes corrected or other
business transacted within a conyenient-i
ly short time. Such would not be the
case if distant veterans had to send
their vouchers, receive their pensions.
etc, direct from Washington.
The various Pension Agencies have
perfected their system SO well that all
Of the pensioners in their districts file
their vouchers and receive their pen
sions within the shortest possible time.
The perfection to which the different
agencies have brought the routine of I
their office is something that is not sur
passed, TO say the least, in any of the
Bureaus in Washington. They can OBJ
tain clerical assistance much cheaper
than the rates of pay in Washington
and their output of business per capita
Is markedly greater than in Washing
ton. Since the work has to be done,
why not do it where it can be done
cheapest and most efficiently?
An illustration of this was the way
in which the Chicago Agency handled
the volume of business thrown upon it
by the passage of the McCumber Act.
There were 24,354 certificates received
by the Office coming in in a short time
n great volume, but all these were
handled by the regular force of clerks,
and without additional help, and they Il
we're handled within the time prescrib-
I'd by the Pension Bureau at Washing ;