Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-12-01
The Report of the Commissioner Of PEN
aiona.

The annual report of Hon. J. A. Bent.
ley, Commissioner Of Pensions, shows
the operations of the Pension Bureau for
the fiscal year ending Juno 80, 1876. AT
that time the total number of pen.
sionors on the roll was 234, ,S21, or 2, 6s4
less than the total number one year pre-
vious. The roll Of army invalid pen.
sioners was increased by the addition of
2,912 names during the year, and mum.
bered, June 30 last, 5,47S. Number
of widows and minors on the roll de-
ceased, 3,7tS, leaving 104, 800 names.
Total number of survivors of the war of
1919 borne on the roll at the close of the
year, is, S85, showing that 1 1,669 had died
during the twelve months. The total
amount paid out for pensions during the
year was $28, 1851 $40, leaving balance
of about 81, ,650, 900 not drawn from the
appropriation. During the year AZ, S77
pension claims of various character,
original and for increase of pensions,
were filed, of which 1854 we're adjudi-
Gated by allowance, and 10, 132 by rejec-
tion. Total, 1883, or only 64 per cent.
of the number filed.
On the 30th of June last there were in
the Commissioners office SS,973 unad-
Indicated claims, besides upward of co.
600 so-called rejected claims" pertain
ing to service in the late war, all of
which are subject to be called up and re-
opened; 2,033 of the latter class were
reOpened during the year; 19,263 of
the pending claims were filed prior
to Jan. 1, 1870. The Commissioner,
says that not only is this accumulation
of claims adding greatly to the labor of
the office year by year, but the great de-
lay in their settlement is causing much
complaint, and in many cases is un-
doubtedly working hardship and injus-
tice to the claimants. He attributes this
condition of affairs partly to the small
ness of the force of the bureau, partly to
the total unftness and inconvenience of
the buildings occupied, until recently,
by it's clerks, and, furthermore, to the
great delay in obtaining answers to calls
upon the Surgeon General for the hos
pital histories of soldiers. He says the
Surgeon Generals Office has fallen so far
behind, on account of its small force,
that on the Both of June last there were
nearly 13, 900 unanswered calls from the
Pension Bureau, with the number con-
stantly increasing.
Commissioner Bentley reports, how
ever, that, although the cause of delay
may be removed, the present system of
adjudication is in itself radically de-
fective. When applied te cases involv-
ing obscure questions 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 eDparte testimony exclu-
sively, given by witnesses who are en-
tircly unknown to the Office, and whose
affidavits are almost universally prepared
by claim agents, who can receive no
compensation for their services unless
the claim is allowed. Moreover, the ex-
amining surgeon who certifies to the ex-
istence, character and degree of the
disability is almost universally the
neighborhood practitioner, whose pro-
fessional interest is to please the claim
ant at the expense of the Government;
so not only is the door thrown wide open
for the perpetration of fraud and de-
ception, but every interest connected
with the preparation of the case is ad-
verse to the Government The Com
missioner says, in conclusion, that he is
not now prepared to submit plan to
remedy the evils of the present system,
but will make it the subject of a future
communication.