Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-01-23
CAMPFIRE STORIES.
FoR PENsIoN CLAIMANTS.
How the Issue OF Certificates Can BE
fastened and Much Trouble Saved.


fastened and Much Trouble Saved.
The indianapolis Journals Washington
correspondent was speaking to Repre-
sentative Cheadle, the other day, in
reference TO the work Of the Pension
Office, when he said:
81 wish you would take down few
suggestions and print them for the BEN
eft of pension claimants and the PEN
sion Office. There are now pending in
the Office 400, 900 unadjudicated claims.
The law authorizes the employment of
1,542 persons in that Office. This num-
Der includes special examiners in the
field and employees here. Never before
in the history of the department has the
work been expedited like it is now.
Nearly 5000 claims are allowed weekly,
and an effort is being made to reach
900 day. To secure the best results is
the earnest wish Of the Commissioner,
and claimants and pension attorneys can
materially aid the Office IL they will.
To illustrate: suppose some claimant re-
quests Senator Voorhees, to call up his
claim and ascertain its status, and then
asks Senator Turpie, Congressman
Brown and myself to do the same thing,
and we each send in call, what is the
result? 1t is found by experience that
clerk can, on on average, examine
eight cases in day and report their
status. Thus by asking four members,
instead OF one, TO learn the status, the
claimant has taken the labor of one
clerk one-half day instead Of one
eighth of day, or he has kept three
others from learning the status Of their
claims. No soldier can, therefore, af-
ford TO ask more than one Senator or one
member to call up his claim. To ask
more than one to do this is an imposition
upon claimants, and upon the Pension
Office.
"a certain number Of claims are as
signed to each examiner, and as each
claim is examined, If the evidence is
complete, the claim is either admitted |
or rejected, and it then goes to the board |
of review, medical board and board of |
re-reyiew for final adjudication. If the |
claim is not made out the claimant is |
notified, or the attorney ascertains what
evidence is required TO complete the
claim. When notice is so given, until
the evidence called for is furnished, the
claim can not be admitted. Thus, over
and over again do the examiners look
into and make reports upon all pending
cases. ! should say, at rough guess,
that once in four months case is reach
ed for consideration in the ordinary
course of business. II, therefore, a
claimant has learned the status OF his
claim, say on December 1, he ought not
10 ask the department for its status
again inside of ninety days. 1t is true
that when claim is submitted to the
board of review it may be allowed in
less than that time; yet it is best not to
,xpect 1t in much less time.
Every claimant and attorney should
therefore adopt the rule Of not calling
Tor the status Of their claim oftener
han once in three months, and then
never, under the circumstances, ask
more than one person to do it. If the
knew just how much they
ould expedite business by adopting
his rule, there would not be another
me asked oftener than once in ninety
lays.
Q make claim special requires an 5
Ifidavit setting forth the fact that the Z
laimant is near unto death, is very old {
nd feeble, or is in destitute circum- I
tances and stands in absolute need of t
ssistance. 1t is idle to ask for any 1
lain to be made special, except upon a i
worn statement of facts which will au- l
horize immediate action" i
Mr.. Cheadle stated further that, in his O
pinion, soldiers who had not been pen O
Toned at all should have the preference C
n having their claims considered, in n
rider, If possible, to enable all who are d
ntitled under the laws to receive PEN s
ions to have at least partial relief af- d
,rded them. Mr.. Cheadle informed "
be correspondent that he has called up Il
S many as forty-six claims in one day. i
his will give an idea of the amount OF 7
Ibor involved in obtaining the status
claims, and the absolute necessity of
OF making any unnecessary calls upon
10 department. n