The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-07
There Are More Than Halt a Mil
lion Recipients Of the Ma
tion's Bounty.
Claims Allowed and Monev Dis
bursed by the Pension Blu
reau Last Year.
Almost Another Half Million Claim,
Filed Under the Disability Act
of June -.

WAohAN9TONs OCC. O.-1ne annual report
OF Pension Commissioner Raum shows that
there were at the end of the last fiscal year
bS7,9A pensioners upon the rolls, classified
a FOLLOWS: Army-invalid pensioners, 392,-
S0O; widows, minor children aud de-
pendent relatives, 1O4,456; navy-invalid
pensioners. 5,24; widows, minor children
and dependent relatives, 2,4GO; survivors of
the war of 1872, 413; widows OF soldiers Of
the war of 1872, $3.50; survivors of the
Mexican war, II, 1853; widows Of soldiers of
the Mexican war, 6, ,764. There were 66,637
original claims allowed during the year,
being Il, ZIG more original claims than al
lowed during the fiscal year 1889, and 6.3S5
more than allowed during the fiscal year
1883. The amount Of the first payment in
these 66,637 original cases was So, Az, ,O41,
being $11, ,036, 1872 more than first payments
on original claims allowed during the fiscal
year 1889, and $lO, ,179, ,225 more than for 1883.
OF the system Of completed fles'' organized
by him, Commissioner Raum says in part:
Under the system Of completed files the
claimant has the right, upon proper certi-
ication that the claim is complete, to have
it Immediately placed upon the completed
files and taken up in order for adjudication.
CLAIMS placed upon completed files are
taken up within week for action, and if
found complete are Immediately allowed.
# proofs are lacking, call is Immediately
made upon the claimant to supply the def
cheney, and upon the receipt Of the required
evidence the claim is again taken up for
Up to the last days of June
50, ,761 claims were placed upon the COM
pleted files upon requests made upon behalf
of claimants. This system has had the
effect of enabling many thousand claim
ants, whose claims had been pending from
five to twenty years. to bring their claims
to the attention Of the bureau for adjudica-
ton and allowance, and complaint of delay
has been reduced to minimum. This sys-
tenn throws the responsibility upon the
and his attorney of having the
claim adjudicatsd, and has proved more
than the old system of leaving
the selection Of claims for adjudication to
the discretion of file clerks. AS a result Of
there changes in the business methods Of
the Saiice more work is accomplished in a
given time than WINS evor performed before.
!. ''On the LIST of October, 1889, when took
charge of the Office the work of adjudioat-
ing claims and issuing certificates had. dur
ing the period from July l, 1889, fallen far
fiscal year. while from October 20, 1889, to
June 30, 1880, there was an increase in the
adjudication of claims and issuing of GER
titicates greatly in excess Of the same period
of the preceding fiscal year. This is shown
~ the following statement of work done:
Total number of certificates issued during
,he year ended June 80, 1880, 51,658; total
number of certificates issued during the
year ended June 3O 1889, 145,292 increase
n 1880 over 1889, 1886; total original GER
i6cates issued during the year ended June
70. 1880, 66,637;- total original certi-
icates issued during the year ended
[une 80, 1889. 5l,896; increase, 14,744.
This great amount of work accomplished
~ distributing clerks who composed the
BOARD of review, called for special examin-
RS from the fields, thus adding eighty per-
ons to the force engaged in adjudicating
'laims, and particularly by concentrating
york of the Office for five days in the week
lpon the adjudication Of claims, as pro-
'ided for in order No. 149, creating sys-
EN- of completed files. In June last de-
allied 116 persons as additional force for
pecial examination, making in all 333 on
luty in the field. As result of these ef-
orts the number of cases now in the hands |
t the special examination division has
een reduced from Ia, 225 to 1924; of those |
My about five Thousand are in the hands
f special examiners, the others being in |
ransit to and from the Office"
The commissioner invites attention to the
Inference in the amount between the rate of
30 per month granted by act of March 3,
1888. to pensioners SO disabled as to be IN
apacitated for work, and to the rate
t $72 per month granted pensioners
,ho require the aid and attendance of an
ther person. There are many claimants
ntirely incapacitated for manual labor
nd who periodically require the aid and at
,ndRnce of other persons, but who are un-
BILE to establish the fact of the require
rent Of constant aid and attendance. He
that the rate of $50 per month
Q created for them. There had been re-
stability pension act of June 27. The care
such an enormous number of claims re-
sived in SO short time necessarily taxed
ae resources of the Office to the full extent.
he work of the mail division
IN up to $1,000 pieces of mai
er day to be. opened. classified
Dot. i the division is handling 1000
aims day. It is believed that there are
robably one hundred thousand claims in ,
le Office which can be properly allowed
nder the provisions of the regulations ap- /.
roved Sept. l6, 1890.
In conclusion the commissioner SAYS the s
It Of June q, 1880, is the first disability I
,nsion law in the history of the world I
hich giants to soldiers and sailors PEN /.
ons for disabilities not proved to have !,
zen incurred in the service and line of !
,ty. This law recognizes a higher obliga- !
On of the people to their disabled veterans :
an ever formulated into law before.
Nothing shall be left undone by this .
lreau to give effect to this latest express !;
On Of the gratitude of the American people =
the soldiers who saved the republic" :
NEW MEXICO.
nuu.1 R.v,ort NJ Gov Princa-Unsattlea |