The National tribune., 1882-05-06
The Board OF Review Bill.

The Board OF Review Bill.
The bin now pending in the House of
Representatives for the establishment of q
special Board for the consideration Of reject
ed pension and bounty land warrant claims
ought not to be passed without very careful
consideration, since it is by no means certain
that it viii accomplish the object which its
authors doubtless had in framing it.
In the first place, the machinery provided
for the dispatch of business is sadly made
quate Under the most favorable circum-
stances, it would be physical impossibility
for each member of the Board to examine
and pass upon more than two or three
claims per diem, and at that rate it would
require many years to dispose of the thou
sands of rejected applications. The mere
reading of the papers accompanying each
claim, TO say nothing of the weighing Of
evidence, the examination Of records and
the taking of new testimony, would consume
several hours Of every session.
We also question the wisdom of imposing
upon the Commissioner of Pensions the
duty of presiding over the deliberations of
this Board. How, indeed, would it be posi-
bic for him to direct its labors without neg
Letting The work of his own Office? He has
already more work. ethan one man ought
to be required to do, and he could scarcely
undertake this additional charge except at
a sacrifice of other interests still more i'm
portant-more important because, it seems
to us, that claims about whose validity there
is no question ought to be settled in advance
of these which have already been once passed
upon. Indeed it is our judgment that at
the present time the attention of the Gov
ernment ought to be concentrated upon the
task of adjudicating the quarter Of a million
claims that simply for the Iacl, of sufficient
clerical force in the Pension Office have
never been passed upon at al. When once
they have been disposed Of it viii be a COM
paratively easy matter to provide for the
consideration of rejected applications.
The bill is not Objectionable, however, on
these grounds alone. We have said that the
machinery which it provides is inadequate
for the accomplishment Of It's purpose. We
may add that is also cumbersome. 1t is
constructed apparently upon the theory
that it is practicable to try pension cases in
much the same manner as ordinary claims
are tried in a court Of equity, whereas, the
whole experience Of the Pension Office is
against such a supposition.
Upon all these points, of course, we are
open to conviction, bat il we may judge by
past experience, The objects of the bill-so
commendable in themsciyes-will be frus-
trated by the physical obstacles which viii
impede its operation. The same considera-
tions which make the settlement of claims
in the Pension Office a work of so much
time and trouble will limit the work OF the
Board to a very small proportion of achieve
ment to effort. The one thing which the
Pension Office needs to-day is the increase
Of clerical force that Commissioner Dudley
has asked for to take up and adiudicate the
/ claims that are now pending, and which it
is practicable TO settle at once. But this in
crease will be useless, unless, at the same
time proportionate increase is authorized
in the force OF the Surgeon-General and
Adiutaut-Genorals Offices. Our Congress
men VIII shortly be compelled 10 face their
soldier constituents again, and they cannot
afford to ignore this all-important fact.