Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1883-03-15
PENSION SHARKS.
spetial TO the st, Louis Republican.
SADLY DIsAPpOJNTED.

the late congress, under which the
pensions of soldiers who had lost one
hand or foot were raised from SIS to
$24 per month, and of those who had
lost one arm at or above the elbow or
leg at or above the knee from $24 TO
$50 month. Before the ink was
dry on the enrolled bill, thousands of
circulars had been scattered through
the country by enterprising agents
calling attention to the new &C. and
asking for any business that might
flow out of it. The fee which a claim
agent is permitted to charge for prose.
cutting pension claim is ten dollars,
and the agents took it for granted that
an increase of pension under the act
alluded to constituted u new and sepa.
rate case, on which they
COULD COLLECT FEE.
The pension office, however, struck
this scheme fatal blow by announc-
ing that the increane of pension was a
part of the original case and that the
Intervention OF an attorney would not
be recognized as giving him right to
an additional fee. In explaining this
matter Commissioner Dudley said TO-
day that the increase could, Of course,
be only granted on information as to
disability already on file and proven
to the satisfaction Of the fics; other
wise the pensioner could not be draw
ing the present rate of bounty. All
that need be done was to fill out sim.
pie blank by which the identity of the
pensioner was established. The inter.
vention of claim agents was not neces.
sary and would not be permitted.
There was nothing to cause delay, and
he hoped to have the changes made
very soon. The claim agents natural.
ly feel sore over this decision and do
not admit that it shuts them out from
this branch of the business. They
say that If q pensioner writes to them
and asks them to personally
TAKE THEIR CASE IN HAND
and attend to It, they can take any
amount not In excess Of $40 as allowed
by law. 1t is question, however,
If any of them will attempt to do
this from fear that such action would
result in their being debarred from
practice, as there Is none too cordial
feeling between the Office and the
agents. The Office regards or affects
to regard the claim agent as the es.
sencs of all that is unscrupulous and
vicious. The fact is, that at the
best claim agent cannot expedite q
case, and that generally speaking the
peLsioner is muicted out of q $40 fee
on the one hand while his case is
often shamefully neglected on the
other. The claim agents assert that
much of this indignation on the part
of the office Is assumed for political
capital, and that In reality the office
is very glad to have the help of the
sgents in setsling these claims. Many
of them involve an enormous amount
Of detail, much of which ID done by
the clerks ,pf the AGENT, and paid foI
out Of hi 90 fes, which would eost
the government many times that
amount In salaries, to high priced and
incompetent clerks. It is, by the
way, q commentary on
THE WAY THE GOVERNMENT DOES BUsI-
That the same work for which the
government clerks are paid $50 to
$500 month for doing, Is performed
In the private Officer for from $25 to
$50 or $40 per month. The public
generally has no conception Of the
enormous proportions Of this pension
business. The appropriation for pen
sions this year exceeds that for the
army and navy, and all those disburse,
msnts In the civil service which come
under the legislative, executive and
judicial appropriation bill. Of the
total number of cases, about 200, 900,
1t is estimated, are in the hands of
private agents. Some of these men
seem to deserve all the hard things
which the Office says against them.
Others are honest men, doing legiti.
mate business. Two or three of the
agencies have got the start of the 9TH
ers, and have taken the cream of the
business, but there is even . profit In
the skinned milk, and
COMPETITION 10 FIERCE.
The agents are very impatient for the
list Of pensioners to. be published, a.
is will supply them with directory
OF soldiers names, which will be Of
the greatest service. The pension
Office is very we'll aware of this fsot,
and on that account will delay the
publication OF the list 90 long a. pos.
sible, and will then try to keep. tho
copies out of the hands of the 1l'Ip
agents. There seems az reason p
believe that the ...nsion list will d.
minish for .1Ats5 ears. Il Is an Az
paIli~. fact that only. ons.fifth Of
those making up the classes eligible
to become pensioners have thus tar
made application. The pension
agents are securing the country by
every conceivable means of inquiry
to find the other four fifths and
to persuade them to try their
luck. They say 1t only coats ten dol
lars, which may be paid In ANAL in.
stslments, and that the pension laws
are 80 liberal now that almost any one
who, after lapse of fifteen or eigh-
teen years, finds himself seriously dis
abled can make oat plausible case.
These solicitations are thrown away.
One agent said to-day that one of the
most surprising features Of the whole
business to him was the number of
original cases constantly coming in to
him. One would think, he said, that
by this time the bulk of the business
would be in the reopening of abandon
ed and rejected cases, and In spplica.
tion for an incresse of pension, but as
q matter Of fact the majority of the
cases which came into him were
original applicsdons for pensions.
CAPITOL NOTES.
Special Dispatches TO THH BE.
THE DETENTION OF A SHIP.
| WARRINGTON, March l4.-Geperal