The following statement shows amounts paid by disbursing officers from the appropriation for Army transportation for the first and second quarters of this fiscal year: Employés, water, purchase of mules and stores properly chargeable to appropriation for transportation, &c.... 302, 731 95 892, 906 52 1,882, 123 59 The difference between this amount and that shown as remitted is held in hands of officers for payment of accounts, or has been paid since January 1, 1882, the date of last reports of payments. No part of the regular appropriation for transportation is held in the settlement of accounts of "land-grant roads." Fifty per centum of amounts earned by those roads is paid from appropriations specially made for and applicable only to such roads. The deficiency of funds on account of Army transportation cannot be ascertained accurately until the end of the fiscal year. The reasons for extraordinary expenditures that may be reasonably expected this fiscal year may be generally stated as follows: The movement of troops and supplies for the Yorktown celebration. The movement of troops, supplies, purchase of animals, &c., attendant upon operations in Arizona. The transfer of four (4) artillery regiments. Repairs to vessels owned by the department. The transportation of oil and lamps, some 600 tons weight, to date, mainly from Jeffersonville, Ind., to all military posts and stations; and the movement of troops in the Ute country. There is as yet no data in this office by which it can be stated what was the actual cost of these movements separately. J. G. CHANDLER, Deputy Quartermaster-General, U. S. Army. QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE, 1st Session. No. 162. INCREASE OF THE FORCE IN THE SECOND COMPTROLLER'S AND THIRD AUDITOR'S OFFICES. THE LETTER FROM SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, SHOWING The necessary increase of force in the offices of the Second Comptroller and Third Auditor, provided the proposed increase is made in the Pension Office. APRIL 7, 1882.-Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., April 6, 1882. SIR: I have the honor of handing you herewith two communications, one from the Second Comptroller of this department and one from the Third Auditor thereof. I respectfully recommend a reference thereof to an appropriate committee, and therewith to ask that such committee give the matter attention. In my judgment, if there is made an increase in the force of the Pension Office, there should be a proportionate increase of force in the Second Comptroller's and Third Auditor's Bureaus of this department, otherwise the increase in the Pension Office will be futile. I do not wish to be taken as urging or recommending an increase of force in the Pension Office. With much respect, your obedient servant, CHAS. J. FOLGER, Secretary of the Treasury. To the Hon. J. WARREN KEIFER, TREASURY DEPARTMENT, SECOND COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE, Washington, D. C., March 30, 1882. SIR: I have the honor to invite your attention to the President's message of date March 14, 1882, and its accompanying documents (copy inclosed) on the subject of facilitating the settlement of pension cases, and in regard to an increase of force in the respective offices of the Commis sioner of Pensions, the Adjutant-General, the Surgeon-General, the Third Auditor of the Treasury, and in this office; and in pursuance of a request made by the joint subcommittee of both houses of Congress referred to in said documents, I respectfully submit the following estimate of the increase of force that in my judgment will be necessary in this office, should pending pension claims be settled within three years. I think it necessary that there be added to the force now employed in this office: The following is a statement of the number and classes of clerks now employed in this office, and of those deemed necessary under the plan proposed at the joint meeting of the subcommittee above mentioned: I have the honor therefore to submit the above estimate, and to request, if it meets your approval, that it may be forwarded, with your recommendation, through the proper channel to the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations for the House of Representatives. I am, very respectfully, Hon. CHAS. J. FOLGER, W. W. UPTON, Comptroller. Secretary of the Treasury. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, THIRD AUDITOR'S OFFICE, Washington, D. C., March 30, 1882. SIR: A proposition is now being considered by the several Pension and Appropriation Committees of Congress looking to an increase in the force of the several offices whose duties pertain to the allowance and payment of pensions, to the end that the large number of pending pension claims may be disposed of within the ensuing three years. With reference to the increase of force which such a rapid increase of business would render necessary in this office I have the honor to submit the following statement, and ask that, if you concur, the same may be transmitted to Congress, with your approval. This office is charged with the duty of keeping a complete record of all pensions granted and all payments made in consequence thereof; of receiving the accounts and vouchers direct from the pension agents, and of examining and computing every voucher and entering the payment on the record opposite each pensioner's name. It will be seen that the clerical force of the pension division of this office must be as well acquainted with the laws and instructions relative to pensions as the clerks by whom the claims are adjudicated, in order to ascertain if the rates and dates of commencement named in the certificates issued come within the provisions of existing laws. The consolidation of agencies from July 1, 1877, and the number of pensioners added to the rolls under act of March 9, 1878, and the "arrears" acts of January 25 and March 3, 1879, together with the constant increase in the number of regular pensioners, have caused the accumulation of work now on hand. June 30, 1877, the number of pensioners on the rolls was 223,998. The number on the rolls June 30, 1881, was 268,830, an increase in original cases of 44,832 (28,740 during the past year), and, as each pensioner is paid quarterly, the number of vouchers to be examined and payments entered during a year is 1,075,320. Besides the original cases allowed, the number of restoration, reissue, and increase cases is very large, and these require more labor in recording and calculating than the original cases. The present force employed in the pension division of this office aggregates 37 clerks and 2 copyists, which force is inadequate to the amount of work to be performed. The following statement shows the amount of unsettled pension accounts on hand in this office June 30, 1877, together with the amount received and audited from that date to March 1, 1882, showing an accumulation in that time of $43,713,971.75. Statement showing amounts of accounts on hand June 30, 1877, and amounts received and audited from that date to March 1, 1882. *The decrease in the number of vouchers examined and payments entered in the regular accounts was owing to the examination of vouchers and entry of payments under arrears" acts. My present force has been pushed as hard as a proper regard for accuracy would warrant, and yet it will be seen that we have not been able to keep up with the constantly-increasing work. The hope that when large payments for "arrears" were settled we could reduce the large aggregate of unsettled accounts has led me to defer asking for additional force. If, however, our work is to be largely and rapidly increased by the settlement of pending claims within three years, I estimate that to meet it our necessities will require an increase of force as follows: Five clerks of class 3, seven clerks of class 2, and eight clerks of class 1. Any less increase would leave us unable to transact the business which would be thrown upon the office with that promptness and accuracy which the public interests require. In this connection I desire to call attention to the great disadvantage this office has long labored under in the matter of compensation. The following tabular statement shows the number of clerks of each grade in the offices of the Auditors of the Treasury Department as at present constituted, and the proportionate number of the higher grades: This statement may be verified by reference to the legislative, executive, and judicial appropriation bill passed last year. An examination will show that the Third Auditor's Office, in the number of clerks of class 4 and class 3, is not only far below any other office, but very far below the general average. Any one familiar with the business trans acted in the several offices must admit that the work of this office calls for clerks of, at least, average ability and efficiency. The discrimination that has been made against this office renders it hard to keep good men in the office. My best men are constantly tempted to seek transfer to some other office, where some promotion is possible, and too often I am compelled to let them go. Under these circumstances, I ask to have my office graded up to the average only. I ask for a readjustment of grades to make my office equal to others, that I may give some most worthy clerks long-deserved promotion, and retain them where they can "do the most good." To this end, I ask that the 122 clerks now given me in classes one, two, three, and four, may, in any event, be classed as follows: 9 clerks of class four, 30 clerks of class three, 43 clerks of class two, 40 clerks of class one, all lower grades of employés to remain as now. It seems to me that the justice of this request must be acknowledged. Either the other offices are too high or we are too low. Approximate equality, at least, should be secured. I do not think the others are too high. If the measures looking to the early settlement of pension claims be adopted as proposed, then I submit my force should be provided for as follows: 9 clerks of class four, 35 clerks of class three, 50 clerks of class two, 48 clerks of class 1, all lower grades to remain as now. If the recommendation in my letter of October 3, 1881, relative to salaries of two chiefs of division, be followed, then the number of fourthclass clerks may be properly made 7. Very respectfully, Hon. CHAS. J. FOLGER, E. W. KEIGHTLEY, Secretary of the Treasury. |