Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-12-29

over the insulting and scurrilous let
tiers that almost every mail brings
you wouldn't want any job in the
Soldiers Bonus department and you
would hardly expect to get your own
bonus until week from the day
after the end of the world"
Thus spoke a man who had passed
a good part of an afternoon in the
adjutant generals office watching the
operation of receiving an, application
and finally sending out the certifica-
ton that caused his check to issue.
He started with a letter that had just
been received and what happened to
that letter-only there are hundreds
i every day and thousands upon thou
sands in all-happens to all. This
letter was in perfect condition as to
filling out the blanks and being ac-
companied with the original dis
charge Of The applicant.
The letter went to desk where il
was opened. Many of the letters
come by registered mail and that
causes several additional entries fol-
the. clerk. 1t then goes over to the
index clerk and the first entry con-
corning it made on the card that goes
with it throughout it's course and
which will at any time give just the
status of the application. 1t passes
along to another desk where il is
carefully scrutinized for any defects
| In filling out, etc. 1t then gees. over
to desk where the discharge is
copied in full for future reference
With all these processes checked up
on its card index as it goes along, il
Is finally pronounced o. X. and goes
to the clerk who manifests it for the
State auditors Office. He in turn
authorizes the drawing of a warrant
for the total amount on hand of the
| certified applications, upon the State
treasurer. The Executive Council
! then approves the warrant and the
State treasurer is notified that he
| may then send the individual checks
to the anxious men.
Now, go back to the adjutant gen
erals Office.
Every minute or so. the girl open-
ing the letters finds one so -incom
plete IN its character, that it Is start
ed on another route altogether. It is
! checked up as to its deficiencies,
placed on the card index, with the
proper notations. and the writer noti-
fed. If on the face it looks right, it
is passed along to other clerks, who
begin a scrutiny from which nothing
wrong can escape. The least omis-
sion of the simple things required.
causes delay for that application, for
the law is that it must be right, be-
fore cent is paid.
Copies of discharges, instead of the
original papers, only part of the
questions and statements answered
and given, part of address lacking,
failure to make oath to the applica-
ton, and a score of other failures. all
| combine to harass the clerks. The
( visitor referred to saw hundreds Of
letters from the adjutant general re-
turned to him-because the postmas-
ter said no such person lived at the
address given. And then the writ
ing! no one can read some Of it. He
saw one application bearing Just the
name Of the applicant and that writ
ten below the penalty clause on the
last page. And the man also sent a
copy Of his discharge. He doubtless
expects his check on the next mail
But in spite of all that the appli-
cations are being examined and ap-
proved at the rate of about 400 per
day and just so many of the boys are
happy when they receive their check.
The others will be reached lust as
soon as the force can get to them and
cannot be before.