The Republican journal., 1913-02-06
THE NEW PENSION LAW.
Payments are Now Made from Washing.
ton, d. c.

ton, -. =.
Under a bill passed by both Houses of
Congress and approved by President Taft
August H., 1912, the Is pension agencies
located in cities in all parts of the coun-
try were abolished at the close of bust
ness on Jan. 31st. This will effect saw
ing to the government IN agents salaries
alone of S6S, 090 The work of the old
system of agencies has been concentrat-
ed at the pension office in Washington
with DR.. Aivah H Thompson, formerly
in charge Of the financial division of the
pension bureau. at the head of the new
system of payment of pensions as dis
bursting clerk, at a salary of 81, 600, DIR.
Thompson doing the entire work of what
required IS agents to do formerly under
the old system. Payments of pensions
will be made upon the dates as provided
for each group under the old law, quar-,
tery payment sent out the 4th day of
each month. Feb. 4th, the first pay
ment under the new system, was made
applying to group 2, with the second paw
ment to group 3, March 4th which in
cludes Augusta, Me.
Pensioners under the old law were re-
qulred to send quarterly to their pension
agencies voucher attested by a notary
public. After the receipt of the voucher
the check was forwarded to the bene-
ficiaries. This system caused more or
less delay in the pensioners receiving
their money. Under the new law the
vouchers are done away with and the
whole matter of payment of pensions
simplifed by the discussing clerk of
Washington sending out on the fourth of
each month checks made up from the
pension rolls to those entitled to them.
This means the prompt dispatch of the
checks, and the pensioners residing as
far away as the Pacific coast will receive
their checks in less than a week from
the time they are mailed in Washington.
To safeguard against fraud under the
new manner of payment without the
vouchers, the pension checks not MY
bear the name and address of the pen
sioners ard his pension number printed
in the body of the check, together with
the amount to be paid on the check, but
it is provided that postmasters, delivery
clerks, letter carriers and all other
postal employees are prohibited from de-
llyerlng any such mail to any person
whomsoever, if.the addressee has died or
removed, OF in the case of a widow be-
lieved by the postal employee intrusted
with the delivery OF such mail to have
remarked, and the postmaster in every
such case shall forthwith return such mail
with d statement of the reasons for so
dong, and if because of death Or remar-
rage, the date thereof, if known"
On the back of each check this addi-
tional safeguard is printed:
This check is void in case of the
payee's death, or remarriage of widow,
prior to the date of its issue.
1T is payable only when personally
indorsed in ink by the payee in the pres
ence of two responsible persons, who
shall act as attesting and identifying
witnesses.
following statement:
I'VE, the undersigned certify that the
above Endorsement was made in our
presence by the person known to US to
be the payee named in this check and
entitled to payment thereon, and who
exhibited to US the pension certificate of
the number given"
The doing away with the vouchers
saves to the pensioners approximately
81, 600, 600 for the payment of notary
fees annually. Another economy to the
credit of the government will be that
with no vouchers required for the pay
ment of pensioners something like a., 900,
900 pieces of mail are taken out of the
mail service, all of which went under
frank, which at an estimated cost to the
government of ten cents each would
mean $50, 600 year, and in addition to
this the cost OF stationery for each
voucher furnished by the government
with envelope and clerk cost estimated
at one cent each there would be an ad-
dltlonal saving to the government of
S4O, 600, or an aggregate economy from
this of $4,000.