Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-03-30
HAM|LL OPPOSES
THE ABOLITION OF
PENSION AGENCIES
Scouts Economy Claim and Says
1t Would Be Hardship on
Veterans.

-H-HF
WASHINGTON. March s0.-In a
speech opposing the plan to aboish
the pension agencies, Representative
Hatnill. Of Jersey City, gave some sta
~tistica TO prove that there was actual.
no economy to be gained by carrying
out the plan. In part Mr.. Hamill said.
THE change would not reduce the
present number OF agents. The eighteen
Officials now performing this duty
would have TO be retained or replaced
in h new administration, not. Of
course, under the name Of pension
agents, but as chief clerks or clerks
Of divisions receiving an equal amount
Of salary. The entire work is too large
for one official to supervise and sub
division OF it into a nunlDe of depart
nients would be inevitable. Consider
also the labor and the dificulty, not
TO speak Of the outlay OF money in
yolved in transferring to Washington
the records of 9e5. 900 pensioners and
putting these records into systematic
order.
There is another feature to be looked
at in connection with this matter. Just
now the postmaster-general and his as
slstants are at their wits ends TO de-
wise means to reduce the immense AMI
increasing deficiency in the running
expenses of their departments. Congress
is assisting them as far as it can. Yet
this change would recessitate an enor
nous increase Of work for the post
office department. Personal calls from
the pensioners would be impossible and
business would ave to be transacted
by mail. Take into account the millions
of letters that would be sent annually
through the Washington postofiee, aril
they would all have to be carried on
long distanced hauls, where the govern
ment loses so much of its money.
The secretary of the interior is
quoted as having stated that tbs pro-
posed consolidation viii effect tie saw
ing of $4,000 Q annually to the govern.
raent, but the fact that they furnish
neither grounds nor reasons for this
estimate renders their authority incon-
elusive. If you will look at just n
item you will see how easily this would
be impossible There arc 4T2 clerks
employed in pension paying agencies.
Tn average salary of each clerk is
- Icy NLA&5I IL pau q
clerk in TIE pension department al
Washington IS s1.2Se.7s. The difference
between the aymen Of each clerk IS
1902. 70. and multiply that difference by
47e and you will discover that If this
change is made there viii be an tn
crease in clerk hire alone OF s125,4 25. 60"
Mrs. Mary Grace Quaekenbos. OF
New York, who for a number of months
--az a --E1so1 -za = A.
Of justice, and who gathered much of
the evidence relative TO the peonage
cases in the South. was heard yester-
day by the committee on immigration
of which Congressman Howell is the
chairman. Mrs. Quackenbos is an ef-
fective and entertaining sneaker. She
narrated some of her experiences in
Italy in investigating the workings OF
the Italian labor agents of New York.
who have sub agents on the other side
and who seek to induce their fellow
countrymen to come to this country
under all sorts of false pretenses.
Mrs. Quackenbos said that the for
eigners were in every instance robbed
by their own c~ountrymen and she did
not know Of a ease where they lad
been robbed by an American. She told
of the way in which the labor agents
in New York shipped his un%suspecting
eountrymen to various places for eal-
~p.oyrnent. in each case he eol-
leeted a certain amount ner capita from
each as well as getting a percentage of
the steamship ticket which brought the
aiien here. Mrs. Quackenbos was he
fore the committee today. continuing
her remarks on the same subject.