Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-07
NATIONAL CAPITAL.
AaAual Report Of Pension CommiS-
SiOnef Raum.
CENSUS RETURNS.
The Story that Indiana is to be
ColonizeG for Political Pnr-
poses Denied-Etc.
TsFEolAI DISPATCHES TO rHx RrooRn-useos.,
THE PENSION BUREAU.
Report of Commissioner Raum for tg-
Past Yeau


Past Yeap.
WASHINGTON, October 6,h.-The annual
report of Pension Commissioner Raum
shows that there were at the end of the last
fiscal year 537 ,944 pensions upon the rolls
classified as follows; Army invalid pen
sioners, 392, 500; army widows. minor chill
dren aud dependent relatives, I0i ASS: navy
invalid pensioners, 5,274; navy widows.
minor children and dependent relatives.
9 460; survivors Of the war of 1912. Alb.
widows of soldiers of the war of 1912, S.6lO:
survivors of the Mexican war, l., 7,i5e; wild.
ows of soldiers Of the Mexican war, 6 764
There were 1857 original . saims al owed
during the year, being 14,Tl6 more
original claims than were allowed during
the fiscal year of 1889 aud 6 3S5 more than
were allowed during the fiscal year of 1888.
The first payment in these GO 637 original
ceses amounted to $50, AIS, ,04l, being Sl1.-
036 492 more than the first payments on
the original claims allowed during the fis-
cal year 1889, and $40, 179 225 more than in
1888.
OF the system of completed files, organ
lied by him, the Commissioner saws in
part; Under the system of completed files
the claimant has right upon proper GER
titication that his claim is complete, to
have it Immediately placed upon the c0m-
pleted files and taken up in order for adiu.
dication. Claims placed upon completed
files are taken up within week for action,
and if found complete are Immediately
allowed. If the proofs are lacking, a
call is made upon the claimant to
supply the deficiency, and upon re-
ceipt of the required evidence the claim
is again taken up for consideration. To
the last day of June, 1890, 76l claims were
placed upon the completed files upon re-
quests mads upon behalf of claimants.
This system has had the effect of enabling
many thousands of claimants whose claims
have been pending from five to twenty
years TO bring their claims to the attention
of the bureau for adjudication and allow
ance, and the complaint of delay has been
reduced to a minimum. This system
throws the responsibility upon the claimant
and his attorney of having the claim adju-
dicated, and has proved more satisfactory
than the old system of leaving the selection
of claims for adjudication to the discretion
of file clerks. AS result of these changes
in the business method of the office more
work was done in given time
th an was ever performed before. On the
25lh of October, 1850. when l took charge
of the Office, the work of adjudicating
claims and issuing certificates had, during
the period from July l, 1859, fallen far be-
hind the same period for the previous fis-
cal year, while from October 20, 1889, to
June 30. 1880, there was an increase in
the adjudication of claims and issuance of
certificates greatly IN excess of the same
period the preceding fiscal year. This is
shown by the following statement of work
done: Total number of certificates issued
during the year ended June 80, 1890, l51,-
65S; total number of certificates issued
during the year ended June 80, 1889. 145;-
292 increase in 1890 over 1889, 1855 ; to-
tai original certificates issued during the
year ended June 80, 1860, 66, ,637; total
original certificates issued during the year
ended June 80, 1889, 51,S9S; increase,
14,741
Thus great amount of work was accom-
plished by the distributing clerks, who
composed the Board of Review amongst
other divisions, calling in forty special ex-
aminers from the field, thus adding eighty
persons to the force engaged in the ao-
judication of claims, and particularly by
concentrating the work of the Office for
five days in week on the adjudication of
claims.
As provided for in Order No. 14e, creating
a system Of completed files" in June last
detailed 116 persons as an additional
force for SPECIAL examination, making in
all 33S on duty in the field. As a result of
these efforts, the number of cases now in
the hands of the special examination di-
vision will be reduced from IA ,225 to 1924
OF these only about 5000 are in the hands
of special examiners, the others being in
transit to and from the Office.
The Commissioner invited attention to
the difference in amount between the rate
of $50 per month granted by the Act of
March 3, 1883, to pensioners so disabled as
to be ilcapacita Ell for manual labor,
aud rate of S72 per month
granted by the Act of March 4, 1890,
to pensioners who require regular
aid and attendance of another person.
There are many claimants entirely in
capacitsted for manual labor who periodi-
cally require aid and attention of other
persons, but who are unable to establish.
the fact of requirement of constant aid and
attendance. He commends that a rate of
$50 per month be created for them.
There have been received 460, ,2S2 claims
to September Both under the disability pen
sion Act of June 9th. The care of such
an enormous number of claims received in
so short time necessarily taxed the re-
sources of the Office to its fullest extent.
The work of the mail division ran up to
more than $4,000 pieces of mail per day, to
be opened, classified and properly dis
posed of.
AT this writing October 1st, the division
is handling TO- 06o claims day. 1t is be-
lieved that there are probably 100, 200 claims
in the Office which can be properly allowed
under the provisions of the regulation ap-
proved September 16, 1890.
In conclusion, the Commissioners says
the Act of June 81, 1890, is the first disa-
bility pension law in the history of the
world which granted to soldiers and sailors
pensions for disability not proved to have
been incurred in the service and line of
duty. This law recognizes higher obliga-
ZION of the people to their disabled veterans
than was ever formulated into law before.
Nothing shall be undone by this Bureau
to give effect to this latest expression Of
gratitude of the American people to the
soldiers who saved the republic.