National Republican., 1880-04-01
THE PENSION SERVICE.
Some interesting Statistics Relating
TO Pensions.
Tho Causes which Led to the Proposed
Legislation - Fraudulent Claims and
How supported--TaIse Anidavits
aud Certificates - Nearly
Million Dollars Paid TO
Impostors, ETC., Etc.
Report on the slxty-surcoOn Bill.


Senator Withors yesterday presented tho
report of the Committee on Pensions 10 40
company the bill known ns the Sixty Surgeon
bill, aud the substitute therefor reported TO
the Senate q few days since
The report opens with tho statement that
tho constantly increasing business of tho PEN
sion Bureau, tho progressive accumulation Of
claims for pensions, the unavoidable delay in
the investigation and adjudication of these
claims and the magnitude of the frauds per-
potratod IN connection with pensions have
combined to produce conviction on the
minds Of oil conversant with tho subject Of
the necessity Of some change In tho existing
system.
Tho attention of Congress has been repeat
odly called to the evils nsoparablc from tho
present methods of investigation and adjudi-
cation by the Secretary of the Interior and
the Commissioner of Pensions. Various propo-
sitiOns looking to Il correction of these defects
have been submitted to Congress, but hitherto
without definite results aud for the reasons
which follow tho committee recommend the
passage of the bill, which has already been re-
ported to the Senate.
Under tho system now In force the report
says: The evidence upon which pension aud
bounty claims are settled consists of records in
the War aud Navy Departments, relating
TO the military aud naval services of the appli-
cant, and to his medical treatment while in
the service civil records, IL any, which arc
pertinent; or parte aflidavits prepared by the
claimant or his attorney, and the certificates OF
surgeons designated by the GyeInment
for the most part in the claimants Immediate
neighborhood, and who are paid fee OF 81 for
each examination. In SO far as claims
arc sustained by tho records, the
evidence is ali tnat can DO expected
or desired, but the parol evidence prepared
and submitted in tho manner above
stated, especially If il Is offered to estab-
Olish the title TO pension, Is, to say the
least, very unsatisfactory, while the medical
and surgical opinions OF the examining sur
geOns are greatly weakened by reason of their
known social aud business relations In tho
community where the claimant resides"
The committee refer TO a tabulatod state
ment which accompanies their report, showing
the number of pensioners dropped from the
rolls, tho number of claims disalOwed, tho
amount of money paid out in fraudulent cases
and the amount saved to the Government by
the discovery Of frauds before payment during
the three years Of 1877, 1878 nnd 1879. This
statement shows that during the period
mentioned l. 425 pensioners were dropped from
the rolls. or these SG6 were never entitled to
receive pensions. The balance, 559 wero en-
titled to pensions when granted to them, bat
continued 70 collect their pensions after their
right had terminated, by reason of rGmarringe
in cases of widows, or in cases of mothers aud
soldier.
An estimate, based upon computation
of tho amount paid in 900 of these cases
indicates that the total amount paid to these
s66 fraudulent pensioners was 1904, ,l5i41.
An examination was also made into the 500
cases npon which this estimate is based for
the purpose of classifying the witnesses and
their evidence, and with tho following result !:
The 500 claimants presented in support Of
their claims 4,i05 ahidavits aud certificates,
3 40 of which were false, sixteen Of them be-
ing forgeries.
This statement, tho committee says, "shows
that under the present system enormous sums
Of money are being drawn from the Treasury
through fraud by persons who arc not entitled
to pensions, aud that many perjures and
| fOrgerios are committed in pension claims;
| and when it is remembered that under the
system now In force the Commissioner is not
authorized 10 send out agents to search for
| fraudulent cases, hut must wait until rGason-
able suspicion has attached to case before he
can order an investigation, ii will be seen that
| the discovery of these frauds must DO loft
mainly to accident, and, therefore, that tho
| frauds discovered are probably very few in
comparison to the whole number which exist"
Several other tables accompany tho report,
| furnishing n great deal of statistical Informs
| tion, in which, among other things, 1t Is shown
| that the aggregate number Of original pension
claims filed from 1862 to 1879, inclusive, was
GgD, ,674, and numbcrullowod lO0,Ol5; thut tho
total number OF pending claims, Of all classes,
on flo on the lst Of March, 1850, WIS 2lS 732,
and that the average expense of settlement
per case to the Government was $3.50 for tho
year 1879.
The report, continuing, says that the COM
mitteo has prepared the substitute for the
original bill with the view Of eliminating tho
features which were most strcuuOus!y objected
to, and believe that IN the substitute & meas
uro is presented which will accomplish !he
objects sought by the original bill W!naut
subieCting the claimants to the irccavenionces
aud expenses which it was LEGGED thoy would
be subjected TO nader the bill as originally in-
! t.udUcal.
| IN conclusion the report urges the passage of
J the BILL believing that II adopted it will Sc
/ cure 10 honest cl9man,s moro correct and
speedy action on their applications, aud with
| less trouble aud expense, and that the inter-
eais of tho Government will bo better pros
tocted by additional safeguards which il pro-
Yidos gainst fraudulent claims, than under
the existing system.