Amended estimate of appropriations required for the office of the Adjutant-General, United States Army, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883. Organization provided for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882: 1 chief clerk 11 clerks of class four.. 181 clerks of class one 31 clerks, at $1,000 each. 9 assistant messengers, at $720. $2,000 19,800 27, 200 49,000 217, 200 31,000 6,480 352, 680 Organization estimated for in the book of estimates for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883: 1 chief clerk.... 11 clerks of class four.. 17 clerks of class three.. 35 clerks of class two.. 181 clerks of class one. 31 clerks, at $1,000 each 9 assistant messengers, at $720.. Increase of force now proposed to expedite the settlement of pension claims: 5 clerks of class four.. 8 clerks of class three.... 12 clerks of class two... 125 clerks of class one 7 assistant messengers, at $720. 7 watchmen, at $720.... 3 laborers, at $660....... Total force to be provided for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883: 1 chief clerk.. 16 clerks of class four.. 306 clerks of class one.. 31 clerks, at $1,000 each 16 assistant messengers, at $720. 7 watchmen, at $720.. 3 laborers, at $660... $2,000 19,800 27,7 200 49,000 217, 200 31,000 6, 480 352, 680 $9,000 12,800 16,800 150,000 5,040 5,040 1,980 200, 660 $2,000 28,800 40,000 65,800 367, 200 31,000 11,520 5,040 1,980 553, 340 Contingent expenses. Stationery, printing, purchase of additional file cases, and for office furniture and repairs, &c.: Amount estimated for year ending June 30, 1883, in book of estimates... $15,000 Amount now estimated for, under proposed increase of force to expedite pension claims .. 35,000 The additional amount estimated for, under proposed increase of force to expedite the settlement of pension claims, is as follows: ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, March 20, 1882. Specific authority of Congress to rent these buildings is also necessary. WAR DEPARTMENT, SURGEON-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, D. C., March 15, 1882. SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith an amended estimate of appropriations (for increase of clerical force and amount necessary for contingent expenses) required for this office for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 1882, with the request that the same may be forwarded to the President for transmittal to Congress. This estimate has been prepared at the invitation of a joint sub-committee representing the Committee on Pensions of the Senate, Committee on Invalid Pensions of the House of Representatives, and the Select Committee of the House on the Payment of Pensions, Bounty, and Back Pay, verbally made at a conference held at the office of the Commissioner of Pensions on the 11th instant for consideration of the means necessary to accomplish within a limited number of years the final adjudication of all claims for pensions. To enable this office to perform its part of the work it will be necessary to provide 1st. A suitable building with the proper equipment (desks, chairs, shelving, and other office furniture) to accommodate two hundred clerks, and in which could be deposited a portion of the hospital records contained in the overcrowded building on Tenth street (the old "Ford's Theater" building) now occupied for the purpose. 2d. One hundred and fifty clerks in addition to the present force. If this increase of the number of clerks is allowed, the entire clerical force of this office should be regraded as follows: 1 chief clerk, 29 clerks of class four, 32 clerks of class three, 62 clerks of class two, 176 clerks of class one, 94 clerks at $1,000 per annum. It will furthermore be necessary to add to the present force: 6 assistant messengers, 3 watchmen, 6 laborers, and 1 superintendent of building.. It should be especially provided that not less than three hundred of the clerks aboveenumerated shall be exclusively engaged in preparing and making reports to expedite the settlement of pension applications called for by the Commissioner of Pensions. The regrading of the clerical force as above suggested would very materially increase the efficiency of the office aside from the increase of the number of persons employed. Opportunity for promotion is an inducement for men to render themselves as efficient as possible, and zealously to perform their allotted duties; especially when it is a well-known fact that efficiency and zeal is the only recognized basis of recommendation for promotion, and that those standing highest in that scale will surely receive such recommendation, which is the inviolable rule in this office. The effect of inadequate salaries of clerks in this office, or rather the small number of clerks of grades higher than class one, has long been grievously felt; affording as it does scarcely any ground to expect promotion, and therefore but little incentive for any exertion on the part of clerks in the performance of their duty beyond that required to accomplish an average day's work, or sufficient to enable them to retain their positions; whereas if promotion were a reasonable probability, their best energy would be displayed to secure advancement, and the work performed increased both in quantity and quality. Many useful men, valuable to the office because of their thorough knowledge of the work, and of superior clerical ability, have resigned their places solely on this account to accept appointment in the same grade in other offices where the probability of promotion is apparent; in some cases appointments in higher grades in other departments have been tendered to and accepted by men whose services might have been retained had promotion in this office been likely to happen. Nearly all the men now employed in this office as clerks of class one have been connected with the office for upward of ten years, some of them for twenty years; they are efficient and faithful clerks, valuable to the government because of their experience and knowledge of office business, whose services entitle them to consideration, and their advancement to a higher grade should be made possible. The schedule for regrading the clerks herein submitted as necessary and proper has been made proportionate with the present organization of the clerical force of the War Department and its bureaus exclusive of the office of the Surgeon-General. In considering this question it should be remembered that all the clerks added to the office of the Surgeon-General since 1877 have been employed at a salary less than $1,200 per annum; and under the present organization 43.44 per centum of the whole number of clerks employed receive but $1,200, and 46.72 per centum receive a less salary per annum; leaving less than 10 per centum receiving the salary of grades higher than class one; a higher percentage of clerks receiving $1,200 or less per annum than any other office under the government. Referring to the question of the copying of the hospital records now in the posses sion of this office, the necessity whereof is fully recognized and was made the subject of remark in my last annual report, as follows: "The volumes of hospital records on file in this office are becoming so dilapidated from the constant handling that the utmost care must be exercised in order that the entries contained therein may not be irretrievably lost, the clerical force not having been sufficient during the past fiscal year, or at any previous time, to permit the copying of these original records.” There are now deposited in this office upward of 18,000 volumes of hospital records; a great number of these volumes were already old and much thumbed and worn when received, and the paper in many of them was originally of poor quality. By constant use they have become still more worn, and many of the volumes are now so tattered that unless they are copied at a very early day the valuable records they contain will be lost forever; in fact, the work of destruction has already commenced, notwithstanding the great care exercised for their preservation, and will rapidly progress to a dis astrous extent. The number of unanswered cases now on hand in this office is 25,000. The average number daily falling in arrear during the month of February was 39-nearly 1,000 for the month. If a suitable building is provided for, with the necessary equipment, and the clerical force herein specified allowed, the best energy of the office will be as now devoted to the work of expediting the furnishing of information desired for the speedy settlement of all pension claims. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. the SECRETARY OF WAR. J. K. BARNES, Surgeon-General, United States Army. Amended estimate of appropriations required for the office of the Surgeon-General, United States Army, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883. Organization provided for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882: 1 chief clerk.. 8 clerks class four. 106 clerks class one 94 clerks, at $1,000 each 1 anatomist at Army Medical Museum. 1 engineer in Division of Records and Museum. 12 assistant messengers, at $720 each... 5 watchmen, at $720 each.. 9 laborers, at $660 each ... $2,000 14,400 9,600 12,600 127,200 94,000 1,600 1,400 8, 640 3,600 5,940 280,980 Organization estimated for in the book of estimates for the fiscal year ending June 30, 183: 1 chief clerk.......... & clerks class four 6 clerks class three $2,000 14,400 9,600 12,600 Total force now proposed, to expedite the settlement of pension claims, and to be provided for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883: 1 chief clerk. 29 clerks class four.. 156 clerks class one 94 clerks, at $1,000 each. 1 anatomist at Army Medical Museum 1 engineer in Division of Records and Museum. 18 assistant messengers, at $720 each. 8 watchmen, at $720 each 15 laborers, at $660 each 1 superintendent of building.. $2,000 It should be especially provided that 300 of the clerks above mentioned shall be exclusively engaged in preparing and making reports to expedite the settlement of pension applications called for by the Commissioner of Pensions. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, March 20, 1882. SIR: With the understanding that it is the desire of Congress to effect the settlement of the vast mass of pension claims within a limited number of years, and to provide an increase of the clerical force of the Pension Bureau and of the War Department adequate to that end, so that the labor of many years may be ended in a few, beg to represent that such a measure would add largely to the work of this office, in the search of Confederate archives, which are in the Secretary's office, and the general correspondence upon pension matters. The record of many soldiers who are carried on Confederate rolls, and who may have been entitled to pensions prior to the war, and questions growing out of correl *This schedule of clerks is proportionate with the present organization of the War Deparment and ts bureaus, exclusive of the office of the Surgeon-General. ative subjects would arise, calling for great dispatch of busmess. The arrangement and index of the Confederate archives recently placed under my charge has not, heretofore, been done with that orderly and methodical system which wish to have, and the present force could not do it in a long time; it must be increased. Besides, there is always a part of the business at large of pensions that comes into the channel of the Secretary's office, requiring correspondence and record. The increase estimated for the Adjutant-General's office, is 150 clerks, 7 assistant messengers, 7 watchmen, 3 laborers; contingencies, $15,000; 3 buildings, $5,000; and for the Surgeon-General's office, 150 clerks, 6 assistant messengers, watchmen, 6 laborers, 1 superintendent of building, and a suitable building, with the proper equipment to accommodate two hundred clerks. I beg, therefore, to recommend, if this avalanche of labor is to be precipitated upon the department, that provision be made for that part of it which will fall upon this office, and that an increase be made of the force and contingent expenses of this office, and I estimate that there should be provided, in addition to the present force, two clerks at $1,600 per annum; three clerks at $1,400 per annum; five clerks at $1,200 per annum; two messengers at $840 per annum, and $1,000 for contingencies. I have the honor to be your obedient servant, Hon. the SECRETARY OF WAR. H. T. CROSBY Chief Clerk. |