Show The Good Work in the Pension Office WASHINGTON September iThe bitter attacks at-tacks upon Pension Commissioner Black that crop out here and there in Republican organs arc claimed to bo good evidence that he is doing thorough work in checking gross abuses in the Pension Office In speaking speak-ing of the work of the office Colonel McLean First Deputy Commissioner of Pensions said The statement was made in the newspapers a few months ago that in the Philadelphia Pension Office many names of pensioners and remarried widows were carried car-ried on the rolls and that 20000 or more had been paid out by the Government in fine on false representation Believing that such frauds might exist throughout the entire en-tire country the Commissioner directed that all of the pension rolls be carefully scrutinized scru-tinized This work was done through the Special Examination Division of the Bureau The investigation thus far shows irregularities irregular-ities in Alabama Washington Chicago Philadelphia and elsewhere General Black will continue to reorganize the boards of examining ex-amining surgeons as he thinks they may need changing in spite of the protests of Republicans For years the entire pension offico hils been n great political machine Republican commissioners have used all their powers to advance party interests Only about fifty of these medical examiners out of 2000 were Democrats Thousands of surgeons throughout the country who served honorably in the Union army were ignored in making up these boards General Black has changed all this He has destroyed the partisan character of the boards and surgeons sur-geons of both political Jarties serve on them He has also appointed men from every reputable school of medicine |