The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1890-10-08
TAs. PENsloN oFFlcE.
Commissioner Raam Makes His Annual
Repast 60 Secretary Mobile.

Repeat 60 Secretary Noble.
B WAsHIH0roN, 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 heen submitted 10 the secre-
tary Of the Interior. 1t shows that at
the end of use fscal year there We're
53T, ,0A4 penskae,s borne upon the rolls.
There were q 337 original claims allowed
during the sear, bcipg ta,7lG more than
were allowep Ia i5a The amount of
the first pa5I ent q taese claims aggre-
gated e. as, 3;i, leing 81 / .035, 4a2 more
than Ii Ill nresioa4s fiscal year and
$40, ~, ,225 l4ore than the first payments
of tho hse..b year 1888. The average
annual valgk og each pension at the
close Of the fear was eI330i.
Roforms Wrought by Raum.
Connissioner Haum SAYS that upon
assuming charge Of the pension Office
last Octohcrhe discovered that num-
ber ofimportant chu ges were necessary
60 secure satisfactory results, which
secretary 81 tho intetior. There were
no satiataetGfy spce.Gyl duties provided
for the Gelaty commissioners or the
chief clerk uf lie bureau. Several thou
aand letters wero daily received from
eigIniants apa att2, ucys making ccm-
Ilainte, to 1hich 10 reply was made;
the medical division was divided into
sections for -#iaiaesation OF classified
diseases; the gWSg Of re-opening claims
was cxercised by heads of divisions
aud exaiurers without submitting
them 60 tae commissioner; claias
were drawn from tie files, from day TO
day, fuT adjudication at the direction Of
the tue ci'GEs. claimants having
No powertu Caase thr settlement
Of their claims wlien complete; rs per
cent OF the official forces assigned to
duty in The lield Tor the special cxani-
nation uf CaeeE, when there were II ,335
cases in the saecsm examination divis-
ion; diyialen had heen created, called
the beard 0f w@axeNimasg gaaeessAssoasd Of
about forty persons. for The re-examina-
ticn Of cases passed upon ly the beard
Of review ard matters relating 20 the
appointment and promotion of the Off
cial ferCe of the peneiau oi8ce aud Of
boards vt medical examiners were under
thu direction of two divisions. The re-
port contains all the orders in regard 90
these defects in adininist tgation, aud the
manner in which they were remedied,
The Completed Files.
Tha commissioner deyoses considera.
bic space 60 discussing and explaining
the present system II drawing eases
from the lilies for adjudication and SAYS
files, the claimant has right, upon n
proper Certitication that his claim is
complete, 10 have 1T immediately placed
upon the completed flesn and taken up
ia its order for adjudication. Claims
placed upon the completed files are
taken up Within week for action, and
If found complete are immediately al
lowed If proofs are lacking, a call il
Immediately made nD0n the claimant
To supply the deficiency. and upon the
receipt If the required evidence, the
claim is again taken mp for considera-
tion. The soldier who Ii entitled to
pension and promptly furnishes the re-
QniTed eYiaanee 10 eztahliah his claim
should have his case disposed of without
delay lie should have the right TO no.
tify the oitice that he is ready for trial,
and not be compelled toawait the action
of file clerk in declining his claim.
The Amount of business.
To illustrate the great amount Of
>business transacted, compared with pre-
yious work uf the bureau, the report
furnishes statement showing that
since the disability act was passed the
bureau received in July, August and
September past / ,276. .72v letters relating
to disability claims, aud sent out
during the Same period, 4S5, ,462
replies. The commissioner Gays that prob
ably 100000 Of these claims can Sc 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
law which recognizes higher obliga-
tion on the part of tho people 10 disabled
veterans tnan was ever before for mu-
lated. Nothing, he SAYS, shall be left
undone by the bureau 10 give effect to
this latest expression of the gratitude Of
the people % the soldiers who saved the
republic