The Red Cloud chief., 1884-11-21
PENSIONS AND CROPS.

g~yesss Of gs@ns~.ies~s ~f rensss~s
p.as~y sss NEys~-itsr~i n~rsssn.s~f
V~Sur--rb~ Nssh~r sas Cssf ct tss
Maltese rsa.sss<~-The Csssss. Core
ssa Potato Grsy~
w..arxGrss IL e. SovsnhS- u
Commissioner 81 Psrssoss bud1sy. u
81. annual rcposs for The lAss E~Al
sears, Az. that; at thr eio~c oi Se
Gear ,Aerr were S@..TS p~zsioncrs on
he rolls Classified IS fellow. 1855
array insalid.. 1855 auss WILSON'S,
aalnor ehliirvn AID ~depeDasni rvlAiisc>;
!,sIs nasy sssAlsds. i.ss- aAsy Si8ows,
minor chIidrvn AID dsTruarEi rris-
lives; 3.-as survivors q. The ~ar Of
1919, aad 1879 widows of tSo~e who
.~rvcd In tbs war. Darta- iae pear
the nz-scs Of ss.tIs pensioners were
added "a ihe rull aEd iS.sl5 wSrr
dropped for various osu~., Rssisg .
oct incrvAss Ia the number ca thr roll
Of ie,V,s. The AMOUNT paid .ss prn-
lions daring the year "a ssSso.,S1!.
>iscr ls6l IS, -. disability claims and
sz5.tCz death claims have b-ea nled.
of the invalid claims -53,s=t. ana AZ tAv
death claims 3IS.oss have bcra allowed.
Al the rate claims have been ni~d fog ihs
past few year the close If the year lss5
will undoubtedly show i.es1,o0 claims
nleti for pensions sinrc ISL. The total
amount which has bccn disharsri = pen
sioners since ISL II s6T-,S4e -.
30 general hal tccn the complaint
from applicants for pension OF liability
to ascertain the ~h~rcaboai. OF company.
officers and comrades. often ,trfratin. tie
allowance oi a claim for want oi irsti-
mouy from these Witnesses, ant The com
paraiiVe limited resources Of the special
examination service Ia supply the want iu
the large number Of cases Of this chATar-
ter that the Commissioned deemed u ncc-
csSaTy to inansura;c some method where
by the fost-otlce addresses Of - large a
number a. possible II the surviving
soldiers Of the lat war bc procured and
compiled tBtoa permanent record cum
ycnient for reference. With this object
in view, suitably prepared printed slips
for name, rank, company, regiment AMI
POst-Oficc address wcrS accordingly
sent out ID Grand Army Republic
Posts, and aseariy - April last 4 sufficient
uumbr hal been completed and received
10 that their arrangement, according to
military service, could be commenced.
In addition To this The examiners in the
Pension Office were required 10 note The
nlnc OF all witnesses who had been la
the service which they met With Ia The
examination of claims. 80 that from thls
source alone some 100, o,pp names were So
cured. II l. expected that 10y January
next there will be arranged and ready tuT
immediate reference Il record of
between Goo. q aud 1Gs 900 names.
The practical Use oi thi- rec
ord became Immediately apparent
a. soon A. reference could be made II 10,
and the information furnished by IL has
proved of material service In the AL udi-
cation Of claims, both ~ Ia ~cXpediting
the work and the asCcgtainmcnt Of the
necessary facts. Many instance, arise
which could be- cited, II necessary, show
Ing the inability of claimant, I" procure
material testimony for want of knowledge
of their comrades whereabouts, which
the information afforded by thi, record
relieves, and often j. the means ~ not
only establishing the right t. a pension.
but OF opening the Nay To defeat al uB-
Just claim.
The Commissioner observes tina the
system of settlement OF pension claims
has properly claimed the serious con-it-
Grafton Of Congress for the past two ses-
sions. IL has pot thus far been deemed
wise to change this system, imperfect a.
il may seem in IT,, operations In some
eases, aud remedial legislation has been
proposed which should take from the
claimant some of The BURDEN, which Ia
their operations amount tai a practical
denial oDhis claim. TN the subject of
remedial legislation the Commissioner
contents himself by briefly referring to
and recommending The passage of the hill
cmbracin: hi, recommendations reported
to the senate, and placed on the calendar
In May last, where it still remains.