New-York tribune., 1885-01-07
ABUSES IN PENSION CLAIMS.
GENERAL WARMERS RAID ON AGENTS.
AN AMENDMENT TO THE APPROPRIATION La"
ADOPTED AFTER ACRIMONIOUS DEBATE
my TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEI

49, .,u>n,,vxr To THE APPROPRIATION LAW
ADOPTED AFTER ACRIMONIOUS DEBATE
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSEI .
w,su,NcroN. Jan, 6.-The House devoted
,, 90 the aav To raid Oh the pension claim agents Oh
Washington In the last pension Appropriation Ia" u
provision was inserted which permits the pay he' %
fee Of not exceeding S25 for the prosecution OF e
rov,ded that written agreement be executed by the
claimant and his attorney and approved by the ComS
sioner OF Pensions 1t designed tlat thiS prov
should apply only to new claims ned supscq"on", " ~
the date OF the act-Juy A. 1ss4-put the Pni"
finally adopted by ac0nference comm'teefequ
sruction which permits claim agents and tne
-. , s,ch a agraon,epts as TO Chains that have Dech
,andng for wears and some of which had actuay oecn
settled The claim agents were not slew 10 TAKE "'
tage of this construction, ana they PromP'i' ~
every claimant blank forms OF agreement 10 oc
in accordance with the new law, which aho"s zoo "
@a5 instead of $40. The claim agents went iur'oi
,h. on out with the blank forms circulars 80 wordeo
"a 90 make claimants believe that the execution Oh c
contracts and the payment of the additoha ioo moi
made obligatory by the law OF 1854 ana the
under It, General Warner. OF oho' re"u 0
from some OF the circulars Thus 'no 'nou u
lar of soule & Co. calls attention to the new
tow and informs claimants that the ihcioseo
ocrccmept must be signed and promptly retrnea III
aecorianoe with the requirement OF tne ~
TonsiansD According 70 General warner 'noueius VI
pension claimants have been dnped S the cH heen
and contracts to the number OF nave ors
cxected and filed the Pension once III other
a. anpears that Instead OF reforming abuses justly %
nlained Of Congress at Its last session Prepa,u ,h
yronnd and planted the seed of new abuses from WHICH,
ss General Warner asserts the claim agents nave
h harvest at the % be 81 hs late war lie
Hantly declared that piracy Ia ,onss, tmc "a CALI
ages was honorable n,,oo. ana hohes' of some
of the Washington pension claim agents VINO n "a the
the friends of the soldier, and VINO belriehu MN u" viz
General 1;of of West Virginia. made sensible speeca
IN which he poned out that the law itself IL not so
s General Warner had painted II, because claimants ar
not Obliged execute the agreements. aten " ioS Of
in some respects acrimonious discussion III thc oou ~
which the Congressional contest between nSne Ia 81.
Ser and i d. TAYLOR fought over again. anu ,io
(,ommittee on Pensions, Bounty ana BackIs! waS o."
sailed and defended, amendment was amoI.eu Tes Ms
General Warner fOndly believes VIII cure an .nu
Shch nCS Claims, exist Consists % aS of nine or
sections and probably. not ten men III inc lVie s s
Snew when they voted for it, what viii be It's eneet ~
sbaIl become law. IL provides apparently loI lho
and approved by the Commissioner OF PENSIONS ae Is
nroyided that hereafter IL shall be uhawu lo any S
atom claim agent lives In tho Dlstrlct Oh Ooiu"ia
10 enter into an agreement with claimant WHO Nv %
any state for the payment 10 inc oto & U or hountv
ing $40 for the prosecution of any pension OF oous
claim although sucl agreements may DC eAeCutou ~
tween claimants and claim agents VINO are reS'ucH'S "
the same state. J.. ,.,,, ,or n ronsion
claim agent any State to have partner III tho
cution of n pension claim under 20 coh'it.;.
who lives in the District of Columbia or 70 snare "u
him the fee under such contract III tns fesPeo
ia UNIQUE. Ii assumes that claim hsc. VI
State is more honest and deserving than one VINO ve
in Washington, and seems designed 10 puIiu uP n
tester a new industry in the several states hooPtc,
ono effect will be the exodus OF Washington clah ascS
to Alexandria, Va, whcre they may Lo t o. it' aatber
nerships as they choose with CLAIM agents Ill o'n'i
Snafps