Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-11-15
Pension Report.

Hon. j. A. Bentley, Commissioner of
Pensions, has furnished to the Secretary
OF the Interior the annual report exhibit
ing the operations of the Pension Bureau
for the last fiscal year.
1t appears that the total number Of pen
sioners on the roll june 80, 1876, was 234,-
S21, or 1854 less than the total number one
year previous. The roll OF army invalid pen
sioners was increased by the addition of
2,9l2 names during the year. and numbered
on the Both Of last June 10547S. The num-
her OF widows and minors on the roll de-
ceased, 3,7lS, leaving l04,S55 names The
total number of the survivors of the war of
1872 borne on the roll at the close of the last
fiscal year was 1855, showing that 1853 had
died during the twelve months
The total amount paid out for pensions
during the year was SIS, 35l 500, leaving u
balance OF about 81 $3.50, 900 not drawn from
the appropriation. There were filed during
the year 42,S71 pensions claims of various
character, original and for increase of pen
sions, Of which 1874 were adiudicated by al
lowance, and 10, 1872 by rejection. Total ~
5S5, or only siXty.four per cent Of the num-
Der filed.
talso appears from the tables furnished
by the Commissioner that on the 30th of
June last there was in his Office SS,973 I'M
adjudicated claims, besides upward OF co.
GOO so-callcd rejected claims pertain
ing to service in the late war, all of
which are subject to be called up and re-
opened; 2033 of this latter class were re.
opened during the year; l9, 2G3 OF the pend
ing claims were filed prior to Jan. /, 1870.
onImissioner Bentley remarks that not only
is this accumulation of claims adding great
~ to the labor Of the office year by year, but
the great delay In their settlement is caus
ing much complaint, and in many cases is
undoubtedly working hardship and injustice
to the claimants. He attributes this coudi-
ton of affairs partly TO the smallness of the
force of the Bureau, partly to the total unfit
ness and Inconvenience of the buildings
occupied, until recently, by its clerks, and,
Furthermore, to the great delay in obtaining
answers to calls upon the Surgeon General
for the hospital histories Of soldiers. He
says the Surgeon Generals office has fallen
so far behind on account Of its small force,
that on the 30th of June last there were
nearly 1000 unanswered calls from the
Pension Bureau, with the number constant
~ increasing
The Commissioners reports, however, that,
although these causes of delay may be re-
IN DYED, the present system of adjudication
Is itself radically defective. When APP
piled to cases involving obscure ques-
tons Of fact and T medical sciencc, as
was the case with some of the earlier claims,
and is the case with most of those of later
years, he says ii provides for the settlement
OF claims upon cN-parte testimony 2Nclu-
sivcly, given by witnesses who are entirely
unknown tqxthe office, and whose aiiidavits
are almost Universally prepared by claim
agents who can receive no compensation for
their services unless the claim is allowed.
Moreover, the examining surgeon WHO certi-
iies to the existence, character and degree of
the disabilityis almost universally the neigh
borhood practitioner, whose professional
Interest Is 10 please the claimant at the eX-
~ a il
the door thrown wide open for the perpetra-
tion Of fraud ami deception, but every In
tcrest connected with the preparation OF the
case Is adverse to the Government. The
Commissioner says, in conclusion, that he
is not now prepared to submit a plan to
remedy the evils of the present system, but
will make it the subject OF future commu-
niCation.