National Republican., 1883-04-12
THE PENSION OFFICE.
Some Figures Showing the Magnitude Of the
Business Going On There.
Over 1900 Petitions From the One
Armed Soldiers Already Received,
Over $4,000 Pieces Of Evidence, $1,000 Reports, and
10000 Letters Attended To Last Month.
How 1900 clerks and 175 Examiners
Employ Their Time.

est TO certain class of soldiers, was passed by
the last congress granting an increase of ratio
from $24 to $50 per month to all those who
were so disabled in the service of the United
States as to render them unable to perform
manual labor, or lost leg above the knee CT
an arm above tho elbow; and an increase
from SIS to $24 to those who in like manner
haye lost hand or foot, or were otherwise
disabled in o degree equivalent thereto. AL
though the act was so recently passed l1,400
applications have been filed in the pension
Office for increase under said act, and about
$500 of said applications have been considered
and new certificates issued thereon. All that
is required of soldier who is entitled to OBJ
tain an increase under this act Is to mail TO
the commissioner of pensions his certificate
and transmit il with letter, giving under
his own signature his present postoihce ad-
dress. No attorney is recognized. In some
disease cases another medical examination
will be required.
In addition to the above there has been is
sued during the month of March 5000 orig
inal pension certificates and about 200 ordi-
nary increase, reissue, and claims of other
character. At this rate of disposing of pend
ing claims IL would seem that the accunu-
lated business of the pension Office would be
completed within a reasonable time; but the
remarkable fact exists that during the month
oil yharCn over 1OUU OIlRllldl luNdllu
pensions were filed and over 1000 claims for
Increase other than under the net of March
8, mentioned and l 400 claims of widows. 1t
is proper to state that on the passage of the
act of March there was considerable of an
increase in the number of original claims filed
as well as increase other than under said act.
High rates operate as n stimulus in that re-
gard IL must be remembered that large
number of the claims recently filed will be
rejected.
In giving the work of the Office above, no
mention is made of the number of rejected
cases which necessarily occupy large amount
of the time of the clerks of the office. The
number of reflections for the present fiscal
year will doubtless be not far from 10000. 1t
may be supposed from the foregoing statement
showing such an constant accumulation OF
work that 1t will be some years before 1t is dis
posed ofby the office, which is true 80 far as the
number OF the cases pending is concerned:
but il must be remembered that all claims
filed since July |, 1880, do not carry arrears
that is pension, if allowed, must begin at the
at the date Of filing the application, and that
even great number of such claims do not
call for the expenditure of very great sum
of money BY the close of this presidential
administration all cases in which arrears can
be allowed will be practically disposed of
either by admission or rejection, but the lat
ter may be reopened at any time on new and
material evidence, so that by the time men
IlOQeu inc country Will DC T6llGNcu IneTc-
after of such immense appropriations as have
been necessary in the past. Before tho first
of July next claimants will be practically in
default in this that all calls will have been
made ON the War department for the record
of the military history of the applicants, and
all calls made for evidence in cases where
such reports from the War department are
an file; and there will be thereafter but little
delay in the settlement OF any claim in which
the claimant has filed the necessary evidence
as required by tho office.
The large force of the pension Office Is being
well utilized. The best means possible have
been adopted for the instruction of those re-
Gently appointed by dividing the force of the
Office into small sections, and by the printing
of the decisions Of the department concerning
the adjudication OF claims, also by the pubi-
cation of treatise" formulating tho un-
written practice, which heretofore being un-
written was of necessity not well settled.
Taking into consideration the magnitude
of the pension business the above showing
certainly should give satisfaction to the coun-
try Concerning the amount of work re-
quired Of this office some idea may be had in
addition to the statements mado, by giving
some further figures as to the amount of work
performed during the month of March. There
was received, to use round numbers, 32,50O
pieces of evidence; 10000 reports from the
adiutant general 1900 reports from the sur
geOn general 1880 reports of surgeons of
medical examinations; 1000 reports on cases
from special examiners; daily reports of same,
5000. Each Of the papers received must no.
cessarily be classified and applied to tho
proper cases. In addition to the above there
were received 1900 miscellaneous letters,
1000 congressional, and %, 800 other letters of
inquiry concerning claims. Before making
answer to each Of the three last mentioned
inquiries the condition of the claims called
up thereby must be obtained from an exami-
nation of the papers
The whole number of letters and circulars
mailed by tho Office for the month Of March
was 133,500; there were 1890 calls made on
the adjutant general, and 10000 on the SUR
geon general.
II is easy to understand the necessity for
such large force of nearly 1,600 clerks as is
employed in the pension office in the light of
tho figures given. The best means appears to
have been iuaugurated by the commissioner
of pensions TO expedite business, but ut tho
same timo a due regard is had to prevent the
improper allowance Of claims that are not
meritorious. At this time about 175 clerks
are employed as special examiners, stationed
at different parts of the country for tho pur-
pose of examining such claims as the commits
sioner is authorized by law to specially OK
anime No claim is thus examined until the
claimant has made out u prima facie case upon
OK parte testimony, and then only such are so
examined where there is we'll grounded
doubt as to the genuineness of tho claim, or
where the claim appears to be meritorious
upon the evidence filed, which is not of the
character according to the rules of the office
sufficient 20 establish the claim, and rejoc-
tion would not seem 10 be proper. Safe
guards 70 protect the government arc also in
auguTated inside the Office in the reorganiza.
tlon of the force, mention of which may be
lnado In this, that claim Is required to pass
che inspection Of u number Of clerks before il
Is allowed. When the claim is ready for con-
Gideration II Is placed In tho hands of an ex-
Aminer, who conducts tho correspondence
with the claimant, gives him instructions as
90 the manner Of working up his claim, and
when completed, briefs and submits IL for
final action 20 what is termed the Board of
Review" which Is composed of examiners Of
skill and experience. When claims are thus
submitted they are distributed 70 the review
cra In q miscellaneous manner, so that neither
the examiner nor the claimant has knowledge
of the particular reviewer who will consider
the claim. The claim then passes TO the
" Medical Board" where II Is considered In
the same manner upon the medical questions
involved and passed 10 tho certificate room
for the issue OF o certificate of claimants
right 60 n pension and thus the work pro
gressos which distributes throughout the coun-
try 90 many millions Of the peoples money.
Alabama Claims.
In the court Of commissioners of Alabama