The National tribune., 1884-04-17
Abolish the Special Examiners.

Abolish the Special Examiners.
Since the recent publication in these col
umns Of an editorial calling attention to the
opinions entertained by one Martin, super
vising inspector of the Cleveland, Ohio dis
trict of special examiners, in regard to the
validity of pension claims and his apparent
desire to interpose needless obstacles in the
way of their adjustment, we have received
quite number Of letters commencing the
justice of our criticism upon this branch of
the pension service and demanding its aboI-
lshment. The fact is that while many of
these special examiners are well-qualified for
their work and devoted to it, the smallness
of the force engaged operates to delay rather
than facilitate the adjudication of claims
The number of special examiners now in
the employ of the Pension Office is 240, and,
according to the report of the Commissioner,
the number of examinations made during
the year was only 6,419, of which but "a
were classified as thorough while 1900
cases were still in their hands awaiting ac-
ton At the best. therefore, it viii require
between two OF three years to dispose of the
cases already referred to special examiners,
to say nothing of the time that will be oc-
cupied in investigating such of the 244,O00
claims that are now awaiting the produc-
ton of the evidence necessary to complete
them as in the opinion of the Commissioner
ought to be made the subject Of special
examination. 1t is pretty safe to say that
at the present rate of progress it viii take
twenty years to complete these examinations,
by which time, it is to be feared large
majority of the claimants viii be in their
graves. On this ground alone, therefore,
the present system Of special examinations
is open to the grayeY objections. But the
most important question is, whether or not
there is any real necessity for maintaining
the system. The total number of claiais
allowed by the Pension Office since July
1861, is 510,938, of which 1880 have been
dropped from the rolls by reason of death
and other causes, leaving on The rolls On
June 30th, 1883, 303, 658 persons in receipt
of pension,l yet the proportion of fraud,
according to the report of the Commissioner.
does not exceed one-tenth of one per cent,
=
than which 10 better proof could be desired
of the excellence of the system of adiudi-
eating claims on er-parte evidence, and if
such success has attended its operation in
the past, it seems to rs that there can be no
sufficient reason for substituting any other
system for it now. 1t is, of course, no more
than right that where there is good ground
for believing that claim is fraudulent
special investigation should be ordered, but
if the percentage of fraud is but one-tentb
of one per cent. it is certainly useless ex-
pense to maintain the present force of exam
liners to conduct these Investigations, as well
as needless occasion of delay. The existence
ofthis force is, indeed, a perpetual temptation
to the Pension Office to shir< the responsi-
bility of passing on claims which are plainly
meritorious and ought to be allowed. but
against which some purely technical obiec-
ton can be made to lie, and the consequence
is, of course, TO still further delay action.
thereby inflicting upon the claimant add
tional hardship and suffering We submit
that neither the occasion nor the result ius-
titles the continuance Of this system of
special examinations. Instead of tending
to shorten the agony of the 244,000 claim
ants whose applications for pension have
been pending these many years, its effect is
to prolong what Senator Hoar has Justly
characterized the pension tragedy.
Such being the case, the sooner it is abol-
ished and the force now employed in this
branch of the service put to work upon the
adjudication of claims in the Pension Office
which are ahundantly supported by er-Darte
NflttNicSc tiiS SuoHcl lit usSFi0dued MES OF
the Pension Office VIII be cleared of their
burden and claimants accorded the measure
Of justice that has so long been withheld
from them. Instead of authorizing the en-
ployment of one hundred and fiftv addi-
tional examiners, as it has been asked TO do.
it would be necessary for Congress. in order
to insure the completion of their work with
in reasonable period, to authorize the
appointment of four or five thousand speciaI
examiners, and.on account of the great ex-
pense involved, this is not likely to be done;
so that it would be better on the whole to do
away with theentire system, and every ex-sol
der who desires to put an end to this shameful
delay III the granting of pensions, should.
by personal letter to his Representative and
Senators, urge them TO take this action at
the earliest possible moment. Nothing short
Of this will suffice 10 cut the red tape with
which the just claims Of our veterans are