The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-03-17


one Of these cases2 1t seems to me that 1t
must consume world Of time to take up
each case. ~ "a, K
SDr.-You bee our Committee on Pen.
sions consistg OF eleven members, and
each member Is Q. subcommittee to exam
inc q given number Of petitions for relief.
For instance, all the Ohio petitions are
referred 10 me. bring certain amount
Of them here TO my room for examination,
and at times / spend hours Determination
on q single case.
q SFELLloRNcER-Do you depend on the
ex:parte statements OF applicants for
light? $500. :,
been before the Commissioner of Pensions
and have been examined and rejected
there on technical grounds. The Com
missioner is guided solely by the strict
letter Of the law in his decisions, and nm
less claim can be proved up according
to law he irejects 1t. They then come 70
Congress for consideration on their merits,
as 10 Court OF Equity. We avail our
selves OF all the light surrounding, each
case In the Pension Office, and after
thorough examination OF all the probs6il'
tiles OF it make out brief for submission
TO the full committee, and tho full COM
mittee hears and passes upon each case.
Ifthey agree that 1t Is q meritorious case
they 80 report 10 the House, and the
House, II so inclined, discusses each case
and iisposes OF It iavorably or otherwise.
INTgILIaEScER-Wh number OF pen.
sioners have you in Ohio, ahd how many
In your district?
Drive have about $1,000 pensioners
in Ohio, Of whom perhaps nearly 1000 re-
side in my district. ] cannot tell you ex-
actly. g' So
iETEILtdExcER-:What changes in the
general pension law are proposed by your
Bill, which I sec is now on the calendar
brit Is intended'to remedy general
defects 10 the present law. 1t rates the
loss OF an eye at Sl2 per month. The law
has never fixed the pension Tor the loss oil
an eye, and II has been rated by the Com
missioner at only 81 per month. In cases
where the injury TO one eye affects I'M uri'
ously AS it often does, the sight OF the other
eye, the bill provides for an equitable in
crease In the pension, MOTTO exceed altogeth'
or S25 permonth. In cases in which one eve
/ ia lost In the service, the sight OF the other
having been previously lost, 1t is made
S72 per month, the same as where both
were lost in the service. In total deafness
the pension Is raised from SlS to SOS per
month, and for any loss OF hearing less
than total deafness, an equitable portion
Of the full pension. There are othel
amendments Of the pension law included
4 in another bill before the committee
! which will, Il passed, be OF benefit tc
other classes OF pensioners.
INTELLIGENCE = Do not fraudulent
claims frequently get through the Pension
office.
DR. Sometimes, bat not Frequently
] This is inevitable In SO vast number o.
applications Probably not oftener than Ii
other cases Of government transactions
and surely no other class Of government
. contractors 80 much need their honest dues
+ and no other class Of debts have been 81
long delayed as the Just pensions OF many
private soldiers Officers, by means Of in
! iluence, have in many cases been more
I fortunate than privates in getting thei
: claims passed.
, IsTRLLldRNCER- you not think tina
the discrepancy in thepensions allowed L
officers and priyates is too great2 20.
Dr.-I am inclined to think so. 'Hsseed
! / often think that "a mans man for a
/ that" The man who depends on manua
labor for support misses his arm, in many
cases, even more than the man who has /
: profession or can do clerical work will
: bis other arm, and therefore think thu
4 pension 10 both should be the same. Al
!, rule, one man is arm, or leg, or eye, Is al
! Ivalnahlp IN him and those dependent or