Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-02-08
The Arrears of Pension, Bill.

| cay 10 Congress the requested Information IN
lIe SUBJECT OF the arrearageS Of pensions bill
Inc communication consists of letter of trans.
initial, enclosing letter from the Commits
| SlOner OF Pensions. The Commissioner saws
that there will be required to pay the arrears O,
| pensions due in cases which had been allowed
previous to the date OF the passags OF the act
the sum Of S34, GOO 0tO-S600 $50 OF which will BE-
required for the arrears in the navy cases II
| Is eStlmaed that the round sum of $3.50 O00
VIII be required 10 pay the pensions Of The Cur
rent ear, OF which $50 O0o will be required for
navy pensions. Five million dollars NAV be SET
,o uoWH as the amount which will be required for
! PeISlOnS during the fiscal year ending June 30
leSo. The eStimateGf S94. 900 OG0 is not the re-
sui or actual calculation In ali c1seS but aver
ages We!e obtained by calculating the amounts
0Ie upon large blocks OF cases adjusted in each
OF lhe years from 1865 to 1871, inclusive; the re-
ma1nder to Jan. l. 1879, being estimated The
aggregate obtained for invalid cases is s25, 5,1l4-
4S54u; Tor WIDOWS cases, SIS, 15s, ,06i.S0; total,
sS3 si2, 500 20: The balance to make thirty four
millions Is added to correspond to the arrear-
ages from Jan. 1st to the date Of the passage of
the act.
AS the Commissioner in making these eSti-
mates necessarily interpreted the act and as
his construction IS subject to review and ap-
il0Nal or dlSapprova!, he submits some Ob5erya-
tions touching &he import and effect of the act
ard the practice which should be adopted in
tEe adjustment OF the arrears claims In some Of
ire classes OF cases which come within its pro-
visions, and adds some suggestions in relation
1o amendments OF the act and Of the laws touch
ilg the methods OF settling the claims in the
tnslon Office. The Commissioner holds that
tie object of the act was to place as nearly as
possible upon the same footing all pensions for
disaDllltieS which originated during the war OF
tie rebellion. He concludes. cOnSc0uently that
tie pToviso, declaring that arrears in case J
where claims were flied more than five wears
AFTER discharge and allowed priOHtO January 25
,, Iat9: should be computed at the rate per month
which the pensions we!e originally allowed. Is
intended simply to facilitate tie settlement of
those arrears without Subiecting them to the
process OF reopening and Ieadjustment upon
uncertain data. and that this Is The only Office
performed by that provision
lie calls attention to the fact that the app.i-
eaton CT the rule in regard to invalid pensions
10 Claims nied more than five years subsequent
TO discharge Will be accompanied with dif1icul-
lleS OF great proportions owing to the fact til at
IN these cases little attention has been paid to
tle CeteffLlnatlOn OF the preceding degrees OF
disability because this is comparatively uninl-
roltant until the title to pension had been 9th
elW1se established. In most cases OF invalid
Claims. then, the rating will necessarily be uoOn
some al bitraly rule or guess work at an ave.
age equitable rate: and such an admi liSyra-
lioI1 ne says Will OF necessity give rise 10 gre It
dlSs satisfaction.
Mime rOuS illustrations are given to show the
1nadequacy OF the act an equalizer of pea
SlohS between claims TO be admitted which have
been allowed, but did not come within the )
years limitation on the one hand and those
Which lave been admitted and fell under that
limitation On the other. The Imaginary case 0f
Two soldiers, who each lost an arm above the
elpOW, and were discharged June 90, 1851 Is
clled NO. filed claim June IS. 1862 and t
was allowed January "a, 1879 the day before
Ike arrears Dill became law. No. filed claim
June 20, 1869, and the pension was allowed the
same DAY. The total pension for each on the
day OF the passage Of tue act was So O32 Is for
NO and 50 cents for No. 2. BY the passage OF
the act the pension OF No became s. 632 g5
ana the pension OF No. "A, 195 20; an Inequality
In favor OF No. to the amount OF sl,162. Is.
lie aggregate amount which vii be paid TO
nrl6 nhnr-
have received for their disabilities from the
date OF discharge had their applications been
nled within the i've years is put at several mil
lions OF dollars.
The Commissioner recommends that the pro
Vlso In the first section OF the act be stricken
out, and that the following be substituted
Ihe rate al which the arrears OF an invalid
pension shall be allowed aud computed Shall in
no case exceed one-haf OF the total pension o
The soldiers rank for the period previous +
hiIng Il1i the application except in cases OF dIsa
oll1tleS which are OF record and which have
Deen permanent in degree in excess of one
nall from his discharge" The adoption of tn:
provision would, it Is thought. result in the
establishment OF general equality among lie
pensioners, and would establish a landnlari; f,r
the adjustment OF the rate at which the arrears
should be computed in cases which are ob5curei
Dy their nature or through lapse Of time
1t is also recommended that The section be
amended in accordance with the intention with
which IL was passed, so as to include under its
provisions claims on account of death or disa-
bilites incurred after the historical date of the
close OF the war, by those who enlisted before
us close, especially for service therein.
lnaSlnuch as the repeating clause OF the act is
unnecessary TO the accomplishment of the de-
clarlng sections OF the act, because being the
latest enactmentS their provisions are control
lng, tEe repeal OF section five of the act is
suggested, and declaration that all statutes
snail Stand with the same force as they would
nave mad II section five had not been enacted
IN order TO avoid the danger, arising out of the
complicated condition Of the pension laws, that
IL may be found that the section repealS prOyiS-
IONS which were not intended to be affected by
Ihe act. The adoption OF these recommenda-
Cons would, 1t is estimated, reduce the amount
necessary Tor arrears in cases allowed TO
s25 oo,LCo, for the current year to 81, 800 900,
and Tor the next fiscal year to s3,5O0OO0 so
1mrol tant are the recommendations deemed
that the Commissioner considers it his duty in
o1der 10 avoid complications, to delay the final
adjustment OF all pending claims which are
sranrs Mnln 'de me provisions OF the act, as well as
arrears Que pensioners already on the rolls,
until Congress shall have been Informed of the
suggestions made, and has had an opportunity
10 act upon them.
The appropriation Of 1900 for the additional
ceflcal force necessary OF 200, in addition to
$500 already asked, for furniture desks. etc.
ana ol 81 900 10 provide the additional room re-
qulred. is recommended.
In cOnclusion the commissioner calls atten-
tlon to the fact that the system now provided
oy law 1of the adjustment of pension claims is
ca fdrte ana encourages fraudulent Claims
points out that by the arrearages act the temp,
latlons TO present such claims and the chances
vi thelr success are largely increased, and
suongly urges that the present system be
changed as recommended in his last three an
nual reports.
fERsoNAL.-Congressma Walsh is quite I'LL at
ms iesidence In Cumberland, Md. 80. Mr. VIM.
"Nhers' a great favorite in Washington, is well
cclheu on his visit here as the leader of the Col
silH opeIu troupe. Col. S. S. Norton, Off
clally connected with the woodruff Scientific
~ ~eapeulIion, is In town, and reports that the
prospects are encouraging for the successful
accomplishment of the expedition programme
which embraces siXteen-mOnthS trip around
!he world. Mrs. E. D. E. n Southworth.
having just finished her fifty ninth novel at her
daughters home, In Yonkers N. Y, is back at
her Old home, Prospect Cottage, Georgetown.
Where she will remain through the winter. Her
aaughter, Mrs. Capt. Lawrence, who accompa-
d hled her here from YOnkers, win remain with
Ier 1Or the present. Congressman elect
Sohn S A Newberry, who will succeed the late
1en. Wlillams, from the Detroit, Mich district,
was on the floor of the House to-day. He comes
aeIe at this time to get one OF his constituents
appointed postmaster at Detroit
TREASON TO z. C.-The Michigan delegatio
IN The House is horrfied at an act of arch-trea
son committed by Congressman elect New
oerry OF the Detroit district. 1t is proper to
hot thn AGSo