New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-27

THE COMPLETED FILES SYSTEM
v,-prurR APPROPRIATIONS OF THE INNOVATION
INTRODUCED uS THE PENSION offD"N
BY GrNERNL RAUM
Washington, sept % (spccial'-ASS''.an'. cam,
pusscy testified Neforc the Ralm lh'c'ue IL. .ho
mittce on september II, and besides 'no"''e ' mn
svstc,n Of the completed files" met WI" ,,, nor
qualified approval asserting tha' a. .,'a nrcer
fectd il was a splendid arrangement lor inc JIM
~, ,,t ,o uh,d been much pleased with tic ei'"O
,roycmcnt Of the Pension Office under Comi''''"e
paum.s administration The TriDuho 'o'io IT.
wondered at the time when thS p.o'"''|'s i'm
testified whether he knew anything apo"' ''h ha
nortapt reform than the " admltteo "ic' uoIr
hoen introduced by General Raun, one "n'h 49,
.,,zod ,1o uhoIe gigantic business OF INC rch'''
pureau for all time and whether he iad Dceh co'u
about and had approved II, as he hao ''o o .,
Under the old system, 1t must DC Ic'"c", ,.. con
calls upon claimant or his attorney iot Co., .ost
erals and s1rgcon-c generals reports ior CO.. .rds
monv As also for certificates from the neo'ci
r,h ovo,,ped the soldier were duly notcd IN Driei
hut succ,nct shape upon the back OF the JaoNce "
Rho case These calls" which arc fc"ii,
notatlons OF the progress OF the case W"a, ~,
tlon would Of course also bear tho i''''a''
oyanlncr II for any reason the case idu "'e"
20 any other examiner the name OF the nc" ''''' no.
n IL
,,t ,oco and that Of his predecessor stricken o"~
The Jacket OF each case would therefore DC d .o.p
history Of It's progress through whatever " :, ..n
uas,,,l while the examiners who hah ha'iu'" ''
for year, back could readily be tFaceu' -,
thcsc claims take for various reasons NUM-" "
wears for their adjudication. some oil '"cIh 80,
instance to Lc sent to four or nNe u''oAU
examiners In the neld' for investigation .
4 large proportion Of claim, are also III
delayed because Of the soldiers lhaoiits ~ liz
the necessary testimony, or through Ills uc"'h .d
widow, inability to prove up the cian' P'"ue -,
| his death Case, OF this Kind become cAccco'"e'
milky and many Of those so-callcd )a'ke's haNo !.
hc nscd 70 carry on tho history OF the claim anu y,
the Pension bureau, dealing, with it, These ja'"c',
| a, soou as there is 40 further room upo" ~
the examiners nOtatlons are carefully loucu anu r
! away with other papers aud evid"hce' "''n'" "
| Jacket and tho first notation upon inc D''iH ,
This latter il for former Inducements sec oid I"
| nsJo In some old and vOluminols pension ciai'
h,rs ara four or Eve old jackets and IN Snch ce'o
| thov are numbered -" - B. ~ or '' ~
th,,s Jackets" arc quite thick when io"ed up "''
| mako quite tight tit wien packed WIN o''rF pap,
in their red covering, there Is A'''' I'D" - 'S
| being lost. ,f, h,,
mi. /. the simple but ciCac!ous system wh"h h''
boon follow.d In tho Bureau Of Pensions Tor Ie'rN
| thirty years. Each Gaze, in SHORT C'h''' Wv" -
| own tell tale record Of all actions tdhc"' Wv
INT or letters written 10 the claimant u'o E"''"''
| att
ever. required superior methods. lie h'' aooh'"eu
the u,s Of tho jackets for noteton' Irieieo I" u
In ,,,re Of II nc makes examiners uec Il. new i'hb''"
card entitled call, for evidcncc' when mas 81 'no
ton number Of claim. date Of filing and name fA'N'
| company and regiment of the claimant. men ''''o"
| thirteen r,ual spaces. each numbered as io""s anu
,rratim: ] Date ,d,d lor. ----- l7-' Nl'"er H',u,
| --- Is No. ] represents, let Us SAY thc eau
upon the AdIu;.,nt General for tbs claimant rc'"'u
Of military ,-rvics aui each Successive number rep
r,ens some other kud Of e. den'c nee I''afy I" '"'
pctlOu Of IN" claim
| Sow IN the lr,t place. Willie these examiners "
! member the evidence by it, name" "'"'th. since
| tr continuance since di,charec,' they c"hE"t
| possibly ruc.Ll it by tho huuuttH' '""c'A.
| these cards and numbers are the ed"7c ~
| much and frequent profanity, NOT onN oS Tic 'N
| amIner, but by the clerk. In the n!c> ne 'aiN'
are thin and readily lost from cases Indeed te'e arc
already number. Of Lost cases and Gases ITO" WIZ"
,nprtnnt evidence and briefs have slipped IN othcrs
Years honce whom this absurd Improvement IS as
carded and tho old system restored the ne" 'e' vi
clerks will not know l3' from SIDE OF SOLE es'er'
| or from last year, birds nest and the former
work on tho claim will be hopeless blank 10 them'
until thev puzzle II out This silly and stupid scheme
| IA, ALREADY hopccs,ly mixed mp the cnditi"n al
thousands Of case II - an outrage on the u"he>'
,c;rrau whose Interest It will in mlny cases lrrrtrHN
ably run, while the transcript OF actions rom t'>"
carLs back 10 tie Jacket" in plain English. which VIII
east I'M. toy, rnncnt many thousands 81 dollars and
| ,oiri.rne the tiac ut u large force Ot clerks.
| Whether the renegade Rcpubh'ai Who pre-
| ratea the pension vetocI for 'UNcrnor tlcvrllud
or the hold.ovei Democrats whom Eaum
| and lbs young son, the assistant chief clerk and APP
uontmcnt clerk are continually promoting. willis they
eait with III d. gui>cd imIntiencc for Ia" T. turn ~
tho Democracy 10 power; suggested TINS >tarili- pan
! II rnutere little. At the Of IT. INCEPTION tll1
passage Of the Disability Pension Law had already
| ,ast H. warning shadow arip>, "" ln'nir "i 'hc
| ring" suggesting thar their Official day, w'r uun
| brrpi and say, abba and rcrsrcui"d E'pub.''dh
rnplovr IN an ofl.iu report from which IL" ltllhf
| ma already quoted: But NV c\p"ricn'" al over iNlF
| Years IA this bureau has taught me that there nave
been and are now AT IN" head Ui DIVISIONS Whose
| daily tllunght, have been: How can . fame r'i
s,utL,r cAcu-,. L. reject IN" claim am w"rhuE on .
How can manage q DENY tat -"l'irr what 1t" ami
| evidence in ~, cast should ave mm or What e
do pcrp"tuIt' IN" work q" TINS Once 10 INC tlih
that may retain "A place IN NJ
Fortunately these are not mo class "i men Mhnh
, General Eaum keeps constantly sP"'cd l'' Vi
l,,al.