Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1890-10-09
TIE PENSION OFFICE.
Commissioner Raum Makes His Annual
Report to Secretary Noble.

Commissioner Raum Makes His Annual
Report to Secretary Noble.
WASHINGTON, Oct. S.-The annual re-
port of the commissioner Of pensions for
the fiscal year ended June 30 past and
including the first quarter of the current
fiscal year of the operations of his
bureau has been submitted to the secre-
tary Of the interior. It shows that at
the end Of the fiscal year there We're
537 ,944 pensioners borne upon the rolls.
There We're 6G, 337 original claims allowed
during the year, being 14,7l6 more than
were allowed in 1889. The amount Of
the first payment of these claims aggre-
gated $;32 AS, ,S4l, being $11 ,036, ,432 more
than in the previous fiscal year and
$40, ,119, ,225 more than the first payments
of the fiscal year 1888. The average
annual value of each pension at the
close Of the year was $133.4
Reforms Wrought by Raum.
Commissioner Raum says that upon
assuming charge Of the pension office
Der of important changes were necessary
We're brought to the attention of the
secretary Of the interior There We're
no satisfactory specified duties provided
for the deputy commissioners or the
chief clerk Of the bureau. Several thou.
sand letters We're daily received from
claimants and attorneys making ccm-
plaints. to which no reply was made;
the medical division was divided into
sections for consideration OF classified
diseases; the power of re-opening claims
was exercised by heads of divisions
and examiners without submitting
them to the commissioner; claims
We're drawn from the files, from day to
day, for adjudication at the direction Of
the tile clerks, claimants having
No Power TO Cause the Settlement
OF their claims when completes; IS per
| cent Of the official forces assigned to
duty in the field for the special cxami-
nation OF cases, when there were II ,3335
| cases in the special examination 6ivis-
| ion: division had been created, called
| the board Of re-review- composed OF
| about forty persons, for the re-eXalnina-
| ton OF cases passed upon by the board
Of review and matters relating to the
| appointment and promotion OF the Off
| clal force OF the pension Office and of
| boards Of medical examiners We're under
| the direction Of two divisions. The re-
| port contains all the orders in regard to
| these defects in administration, and the
manner in which they were ren,edied.
The Completed Files.
The commissioner devotes sseonsider:s-
| bic space to discussing and explaining
| the present system Of drawing cases
! froln the files for adjudication and says
! that under the system of the completed
! files, the claimant has right, upon a
proper certiticatiou that his claim is
complete to have it Immediately placed
| upon the "cnn,pleted files" and taken up
Units order FOR adjudication. Claims
| placed upon the completed files" are
taken up within auveek for action, and
it found complete are Immediately al.
lowed. If proofs are lacking q call is
Immediately anade upon the claimant
to supply the deficiency, and upon the
! receipt Of the required eFidsnce, the
claim is again taken up for considera-
ton. The soldier who is entitled to a
pension and promptly furnishes the re-.
quired evidence to establish his claim
should have his cae disposed of without
delay. He should have the right to no.
tify the office that .Ae is ready for trial.
ana nu be compelled to await the action
Of file clerk in declining his clai,A.
The Amount OF Business.
To illustrate the great amount OF
business transacted. compared with pre-.
vious work Of the bureau. the report
furnishes a statement showing that
since the disability act was passed, the
bIlreau resolved in july, August aud
September past ,276. 72y letters relating
to disability claims, and sent out
during the same period. 49,, ,46s
replies. The commissioner says that prob.
ably 900 Of these claims can be al.
lowed He speaks of the disability act
as the first in the history of the world
which grants pensions for disabilities
not proven in the line Of duty, and as d
law which recognizes a higher obliga.
tion on the part Of the people to disabled
veterans than was ever before fo1mu.
lated. Nothing, he saws, shall be left
undone by the bureau to give effect tc
this latest expression Of the gratitude of
the people to the soldiers who saved the
republic"