Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-11-16
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:
It appears that the total number of peu-
sioners on the roll June 80, 1876, was 234.-
S2l, or 1854 less than the total number enc
year previous. The roll of army invalid pen
sioners was increased by the addition of
1912 names during the year, and numbered
on the 30th OF last June l05,47S. The num-
Der of widows and minors on the roll de-
ceased, 3,71S, leaving 104S55 names The
total number of the survivors of the war of
1912 borne on the roll at the close of the last
fiscal year was 1855, showing that 500 had
died during the twelve months.
The total amount paid out for pensions
during the year was S2S, S51 500 leaving 8
balance of about 81 $50, 600 not drawn from
the appropriation. There were filed during
the year IL, S77 pensions claims of various
character, original and for increase of pen
sions, of which IL, 54l were adjudicated by al
lowance, and 10, 132 by rejection. Total d.
583, or only sixty four per cent of the mum
Der filed.
1t also appears from the tables furnished
by the Commissioner nat on the S0th of
June last there was in his office SS,973 un-
adJud1cated claims, besides upward of CO.,
GOO so-called rejected elaims'' pertain
ing to service in the late war, all of
which are subject to be called up and re-
opened; 2,033 of this latter class were re-
opened during the year; 1928 of the pend
ing claims were filed prior to Jan. |. 1870
commissioner Bentley remarks that not only
is this accumulation of claims adding great
ly 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 condi-
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, anc,
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 1900 unanswered calls from the
Pension Bureau, with the number constant
ly increasing
The Commissioner reports, however, that,
although these causes of delay may be re-
moved, the present system of adjudication
is itself radically defective. When ap-
piled to cases involving obscure ques-
tions of fact and of medical science, as
was the case with some of the earlier claims
and is the case with most of those of later
years, he says it provides for the settlement
OF claims upon eX-parte testimony e8clu-
sively, given by witnesses who are entirely
unknown 10 The Office, and whose afhdavitS
are almost universally prepared by claim
agents VINO can receive no Compensation for
their services unless the claim is allowed.
Moreover, the examining surgeon who certi--
hes to the existence, character and degree of
the disability is almost universally the neigh
borhood practitioner, whose prof ssionaI
Interest is to please the claimant at the ex-
pense of the Government; SO, not only is
the door thrown wide open for the perpetra-
ton of fraud and deception, but every in
terest connected with the preparation of the
case is adverse to the Government. The
Commissioner says, in conclus on, 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 eemmu-
nication.
"A Good Way to Mend Glass
Pound fiint-glass as fine as it can pos
Sibly be made on painter stone, and
mix it with the unbeaten white of an