The National tribune., 1886-02-11


in said letter, III. I02 inyalds and 81 $50 wild
ows and other applications, and which, assun-
ing that 80 per cent. will receive favorable con-
sideration and that Is years will be the average
arrears period in invalid eases and nine wears
in widows and other cases, the annual rate
averaging 800. in each class will require 70
pay said arrears 1913, 357, 500. Add TO this sum
the S5i, ass, 300 above shown, and the grand
total is 1892, $50 200.
To ascertain the net additional cost to the
Government by the proposed repeal OF the
Limitation acts of 1879, we must subtract from
the 1902 $50 200 the $50. i6S 100 above shown
as arrears in cases fled prior to July /. 1880.
already allowed and in which said amount
will be paid regardless Of any change in the
Limitation acts, leaving 3222 ;i;,jS 100 as the net
additional cost to the Government which the
proposed repeal of the limitation acts OF 1873
will entail.
Fourth: 'Should the limitation of the ar
rearS of pension acts be repealed. what portion
of the cases filed since June 90. 1880 could not
be adjudicated with reference to arrears with
out additional evidence. and approximately
what portion Of such cases requiring additional
evidence can be adiUdicated annually III the
ordinary course Of the business of your Office
with its present force?"
So far as the office is concerned, probably %
per cent. of the cases filed and allowed since
June 80, 1880, can be adjudicated with refer
ence to arrears without additional evidence or
on the evidence already fled for the reason
that in all cases allowed it has been required to
show continuance and disability, and the same
is true as to the cases now pending and await
ing additional evidence under existing law
But in great number OF cases the claimants
themselves having been informed that under
existing law arrears could not be granted, con-
fined their proof of disability to the period
subsequent to the fling of their claims; and
L
1880, whether pending or allowed, the claim
ants would demand the right to file additional
testimony, showing the degree of the disability
more clearly than already shown, for the Pc
Rod between discharge and the date of filing
the claims and from the experience of the
Office it is safe to suggest that not more than
30 per cent. of the claims filed since June 30
1880, can or will be adjusted without the con-
sideratiOn of additional evidence.
Fifth. with the limitation OF the arrears
of pension act repealed, what will be the total
annual expenditure for pensions with the pres
ent capacity of your Office for the adjudication
of pension claims
In the estimate which I have made for
1867 | have asked for the allowance OF
S75,000000, believing that that sum would be
sufficient TO pay the pensions to be allowed
during that year under existing law
In making this estimate for approximations
[ calculated and intended that the Office would
be worked to its utmost capacity, and I do not
see how wisely and economically anything
more can be done by the present force.
If more work is to be done, greater force
must be allowed.
Sixth: Should Congress repeal the limta-
ton imposed by the act of January ., 1879.
and of March 5, 1879, what additional clerical
force would be requisite to the Bureau in order
to pay during the fiscal year of 1887 the claims
of pensioners non on the r0iiss'
In answering this question, proceed upon
the theory that the Congress of the United
States, in repeating the limitation imposed by
existing Statutes, will otherwise leave the
laws as they are now found upon the Statute
Books, creating no arbitrary rate in any given
case but leaving the rate to be adjusted by the
evidence On file, or hereafter TO be obtained.
l. It is probable that % per cent. of the cases
which have been both filed and admitted since
the first day of July, 1880. could be adjudicated
as to arrears without additional evidence.
g As to the eases adiudicated By rejection
since the first day of July, 1880, the presump-
ton is that no arrears, except in very snail
number of cases, will be either claimed or
established.
8 As to the cases still pending and unadi udi-
Gated, have written at length in answer to
the fourth interrogatOry.
In view of the preceding statements, it is my
opinion that 300 competent clerks must be
tue clerical Oh tDlS OIliCe IN OruSf
to pay during the fiscal year of 1887 arrears to
pensioners now on the rolls, should the limita-
ton be removed.
In making this estimate. take into con-
sideration the enormous and immediate in
crease in the correspondence of the office, which
would occur upon the passage Of an act repeal
ing the limitation as to arrears and which must
be handled and disposed of before Just judg-
ment could be made even IN those cases referred
to in your sixth interrogatory.
| also consider it certain that a good proper
ton of the claimants whose claims have been
admitted since July, 1880, would certainly file
additional evidence relating to their claims, so
that instead of adjudicating the 90 per cent. of
cases without additional proof, we would have
to consider additional evidence in at least 30
per cent of the cases, as above shown.
If the law should be so framed as to direct
the office to adjudicate the cases admitted since
the 1st of July, 1880, without tax ing additional
evidence, except in those cases where in the
Judgment of the Commissioner additional
evidence should be required, then the additional
clerical force needed to pay arrears in the cases
contemplated By your sixth interrogatory
would not necessarily exceed 100 clerks.
The payment of the widows increase, if
granted. will not require any addition to the
clerical force at this office; it adds 80 per cent
TO present rates and will be speedily computed
at and by the agencies.
Very respectfully,
(Signed} JOHN c. BLACK,
Commissioner.
(See accompanying recapitulatiGn.l