Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-07
TIE my Ar OTHER PLACES.
PENSION COMMISSIONERS REPORT.
Claims still on the Increase-The Average
Value of n Pension.
lBy telegraph % be DIspatch.


washington. October G.-The annual re-
port OF General Raum, Commissioner OF
Pensions. shows that at the end OF the
fiscal year 537 ,9A pensioners were borne
on the rolls. Of whom sol ,9J9 are credited
10 the civil war. %. 1922 TO the Mexican
war. 4lS to the survivors of the war OF 1872,
and $50 TO the widows OF soldiers OF the
war Of 1912. Original claims allowed
during the year. 66,637; increase OF l4,tlb
over the previous year and $3.50 over 1855.
The amount of the first payments III these
cases was $50, 47S,S4l.
TIE VALUE OF EACH PENSION.
The average annual value Of each PEN
sion AT the close of the fiscal year was Sl4.
of the completed-fles system the Commits
sioner saws. in part THE Complexities
docket regard as of great Importance IN
securing a prompt adjudication OF the
completed cases upon motion OF CLAIM
ant or his attorney. Prior 10 the es-
Enlistment of this system the complaint
was almost universal that thousands OF
claims were pending IN the once the
consideration Of which has been neglected
for wears and that the claimants were pow
erless to secure their consideration.
soldier had right 90 file an application
for rension and to present all the cyl
dence necessary 10 prove ms claim, but he
has no power to bring that claim before
the adiudicating division 10y any act on his
part the drawing of his clam from the
files for that purpose beng III the dlscre-
tion of the file clerk.
THE COMPLETED FILES SYSTEM.
Under the completed files system the
transformers or their attorneys can, upon
proper certifcation that their claims are
complete, have them Immediately placed
upon the - completed files, where they are
| taken up for adjudication within week.
| n the case then be found incomplete a
| call is Immediately made for the necessary
additional evidence and the case IL disposed
| of AS soon as this is received. The system
| is an orderly method OF procedure. Up
| 10 June 3Oth, 99,76l claims were placed
mon these files system. The system has
| had the effect Of enabling many thousand
claimants whose clans have been pending
| from five TO twenty years 70 9rlng their
claims TO the attention of the bureau tor
adjudication and allowance. and the COM
plant OF delay has beenreduced 60 mini
| mum. AS the result of these changes IN
| business methods more work has been
accomplished than ever before.
PENSION INCREASE RECOMMENDED.
The Commissioner recommends an in
crease of the pension for disability that
prevents the performance of any manual
| labor from $50 to $50 per month. Under
the dependent and disability act OF this
| Congress 4sO, 2S2 claims had been received
up to September 3Oth. This enormous
number of claims has taxed the office re-
sources to the fullest extent. Congress
has authorized 43S additional employees on
account Of these claims ana the Comlhls-
soner has assigned l75 OF the present EN-;
nlovfs To these cases. He has so arranged
| the work of the office, he says, as to permit
the claims under the old laws TO be rapidly
| adiudicated without interfering with the
claims under the new laws.
If necessary he intends to ask for more
| clerks in December.