New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-17
ANOTHER PENSION reform"
WHY PENSION CLAIM AGENTS ARE HAPPY
A NATTER WHICH SECRETARY NOBLE SHOULD
rxAx,xr yos H1xsELv-xo GOOD REASON
FOE BLEEDING UNION VETERANS ToA
THE sExEyIr OF RICH ATToA
n,ys.-A SCHEME 70 BOOM
nAvM AND I'LL THE
POCKETS OF CLAIM
AGENTS.

r,y rrlxoRAPu 70 the TnBu"k!
was}anston. Oct 1s.-It Is, OF coures' isool :" w.
"a follow With approving eye the course Oh u
reforms In tho methods OF the oh''eu $500 $500. Nan
90 ~h,ch b,aef allusion has already oeen
...s. =, 4hssa disnatches 1t might naturally INV
nan sunnosed that the first steps taken oS ooiA
.,on., Rsun upon this road which has NAM L.
ta.,nr.. IN stors for him would have been mesec,
Cautious and tentative in fact, to quote inc
. former able Republican Secretary OF tno A"'D.'
that he would not allow the opinion OF toS>'
turn the outnion Of yesterday On".pN'' -.
Il appears that tho new spirit Oh ioo'm =" ,n.o.t
"a like fiery untamed steed" ana - promo " 49,
-. 49,. rnon vhich occasion It ID too apt 70 DOH .'e
t-..r and noundcr In tho mud It Is ahaet.'o'u "
hu-,na tho last few days . lsrae NUMBER Oh quo -.
.,.mipers enssred upon inquiries In tne nc'U INV.
nm recalled TO washington. probably TOT t'e r' ~
act forth In Roformer Raum's annual iey" .,.,or.
describing and extolling the results OF M Y =,
forcing' system he says tnat "S Wv" -. on
original certificates issued in tho year enoeo 'u,s s"s
COO 90. "a aa7 A compared with total OF oi,eoo
IN Tho rear ended June 30, 1sso-an increase VI -.
n. saws: 1Ths great amount OF worh Wa 49,. 49,"
rlshed nv distributing tho clerks VINO comp"'0N vs.
hoard NJ rereyew among other divisions s"o 0s."H
in forty special examiners from the hou .,...,or
eighty persons to the force cnRVgeo III 'ho =.
OF claims" Tho Commissioner dscreeuy Io'Se .s,.n
r.nton in his account OF refOrmr mcthods rom "n"
~. .,nvs "a ouoted that this sudden draft Of special
examiners from the field was most unjust " o'o
mar RI, nsnts who were ready and ANXIOUS " u."e
forward witnesses and have their long oeiaseo ein.
investigated and adjudicated according 10 iA"' wv
only were they compelled again TO oo.sy 'O' o.
definite period the hearings for which they ~e'' Wv
pared In order that the Commissioner mikhs "a.u ~
some cheap capital wherewith to dazze pho eSo' y" ~
ignorant aud unwary: but the whole spec'1l '
throughout tho country became sadly demorsn1ou.
Tho number of cases awaiting special exsmmA"on
multiplied so rapidly that soon as he had maae s
extraordinsry record Of allowances-wmcn spPoa'S
have deceived almost everybody 1s".'
was compelled after June 80, 1900 to SEND ouS po9'
haste q formidable array Of special eAAmne," ~'u
detailed men. for temporary duty. 70 reduoe JUG ~
cumuIated work. OF course. 1t goes WITHOUT sssin:
that these frequent changes Of the foro IN the nea
not univ have terribly demoralixing effect upon the
work OF the Bureau. but also entail vast ana Wholly
unnecessary expenditure.
The men who were sent ont so hurredly IN July
now allied because II has been decloed 10 "ofA
up first the applications hled under the recent ac.'
these men being directed to bring back with them teir
unfinished cases. This plea might have some iorce
Congress- at its recent session, had not made hoer
appropriation Of money to pay additional clerks 10
adiudlcate claims under the new law In TACT, Con-
gress gave Commissioner Raum all the extra clerhs
and medical examiners that lie asked Tor or tho'sit
necessary. This departure will breed much mis-
chief and discntent Many thousands Of claims
hitherto rejected will Of course be allowed under TIE
new application, but as the special examination
division is grinding out its daily gist OF cases for
investigation in the field, these will naturally accumu
late, and soon another army OF men VIII nave TO DO
hurried of to work them up Moreover. the operation
will bear with special hardship upon thousands OF
deserving and disabled veterans whose cases arc now
to BIO taken up the additional claims they havc
filed under the new DISABILITY pension law so that
these may be first adudicatcd under the latter act
leaving for future action any question OF increased
amount to which claimants may DO entitled unoer the
general pension laws.
Now this may appear at first glance to be . wise
and judicous arrangement Tor the claimants as well
as for the Government and yet 1t Is exactly the re-
verse. II the only effect would be an ofcial " boom
for the Commissioner perhaps nobody would offer
serious objection. That will be one Of the results for
Il will enable him TO make dazzling record But
the chief result will be to line the nests OF favored
claim agents with softer feathers than were ever before
so easily plucked from the purses Of pension claimants
So allurlng and at the time certain. Is the pros
pect Of great and sudden gain from this source that
certain claim agents have already made arrangements
to increase their business by taking In new partners.
hiring more clerks and more commodious onices, etc.
Probably there Is not Of the big claim agents who
is on the "inside" and who know beforehand OF the
new scheme OF REFORM" who would pay dollar to
have insured to him profit OF 800, 900 within the
coming twelve months. This princeiy income, which
viii como In fees which are paid % certainly and
promptly as the interest Government bonds, will
come from the pockets Of the pensonet-men, who, as
rule In moderate or less than moderate circum'
stances These will get two fees under the re-
form scheme Just adopted first, fee for obtaining
the allowance o claims under the new awan easy fec
offer allowed under the general laws the original
amount. So we'll Is the "hocus pocus" OF this new
plan understood that certain attorneys who have the
real interests Of their clients at heart havc already,
formed many Of them that they won better decline TO
have their claims ad1udicatcd under the new act until
after an adjudication 10 hal under tho general laws
This course does these attorneys much honor as they
thus retard the payment OF their fees, but they
have taken 1t because they fear thtt many OF their
clients would get but small rting under the now low
with the prospect Of long and tedious delays In their
order, moreover will be peculiarly fatal t. the great
Of soldiers whose cases are In the hands OF those
attorneys who do business upon gigantic scale because
the temptation to secure u promptly PAID Zee with
little work and neglect the later fee which Involves
much labor and long waiting, Will prove almost tn-
superable. Tho hig claim agents are bound to make
hay while the sun shines, and tho genial eiulgent
OF most abundant harvest Will they reap it At the
expense II needy veteransf or will Commissioner
Raums official superors degn to look into this matter
and ind out whether the reform" scheme Is de-
signed or at least calculated chiefly TO benefit certain
favored claim agents and their Official friends, and
secondarly To ennbc the Commissioner OF Pensions to
make deceptive record or whether the design Is and