The National tribune., 1891-09-17
PENSION CLAIMS.
Commissioner Eaum Explains His Method Of Dis
posing OF Applications.

posing or Applications
Gen. Green 3. Raum has written the follow
ing letter to Gen. W. III. EnOchs. Representa-
tive from the Twelfth Ohio Distret:
DEAR GENERAL. IN compliance with your re-
quest Il this date u regard 20 certain matters con-
uected with the business Of the Pension Office.
Big 10 inform you that have been aud am now
doing Ull can to secure the prompt adjudication
az al claims pending la this bureau. On the Let
day % July there were J@i.1II claimants prO-ecut-
iug cases before the bureau who have never been
peu-inued. and there were co G-J claims pending
ia the shape 81 claims for increase OF pension aud
duplicate claims under different laws, making -
grand total Of 90, 10 pending claims.
IL will be obvious from this statement Of te vol
uule pl business here shat - practc ImpoSs bic
To bsIag aii these eases 20 immediate settlement
they cannot an be taken up ~ once Ihuve adopted
certain rules for tle government Of the Business Of
the Office whereby claims which are complete shall
have the rI-ht of way and hurried 10 tie earliest
possible settlement. / have felt, too, that sal here
claimants are already receiving - considerable
pension they not entitled 90 great % proper
ton Of the official force working upon their claims
Tor On increase 81 pensions n those claimants Old
soldiers and widows, who are not drawing pen
sIous
The Office fore Is So divided that both classes OF
work steadily going on but the larger proper
ton of the official force & upDf, original work
Row the objective point Of AL labor of thg office 10
Tie adjudication OF pension claims and thc issuing
81 celthcuic-- Any interference with this - au
impeachment which should be avoided u possible.
During the past fiscal year there were received
IN tie Office lJi .l7 communicate from the Mem
beers Of CuuErcs. la regard To- pension claims
Nearly al thc Members O! both Houses are u cor
Te~pund-ucc wish many claimants AMI Won will
observe that an average OF more than 500 applics-
lions per day for status were received during the
pas. h-C.tl year
To draw the claims 10 which these letters relate
and have the Examiners from day 10 day give the
status Of Chains Hs requested ny Members would be
such IN Interference with the other business 81 the
bureau that 10 would be- adcuisl of Justice to prob
ably 1000 or 10000 pensioners per HuUuru IS ho
would olncrwi-" receive certificates upon adIucl-
ton uf their claims.
Where a Member Of Congress il cozuizpnt Of the
iati nom knowledge or accurate Information, tLHt
an old soldier - ia such "a condition physically or
financially rs 10 render q important that his ctai
should receive immediate attention. aud that fact
j. brought To- the notice 81 the Office do not Ec-i-
tate 10 have the case called up, examined and the
status given, and boa such cases would be glad to
respond 10 Your letters.
Now. in addition to letters 81 Members of Con-
grr--, the Office last year received II1uCGp Cpm-
municaiion- from claimants. their friends ami Mt
i0Tuey1, making inquiries us 20 the condition Of
these claims. These communication poured in 40
the rate ~ more than 3-U0 per day. TheIr receipt
was ACKNOWLEDGED, aud the letters sent to the
claims. but II physically impossible 10 draw
the cases o. which they related and give the con-
dillon 81 the SINE.
You ask why il ono Congressional cal an
sWere@ sooner lIHU another when they are both
He'd at the same ulscH'' Your calls are answered
when tAH claims aT. reached iH their turn. Con-
sCqueutly If you o. 20 calls for status to-day they
viii be sent tn ti.r claims. Some Of them may re
celye immediate attention because tie eases are
ready. while others may may not be taken up for
rs directing the energies 81 the Office 90 the all
Ju1leIOn Of claims aud Keeping tHr force steadily
at work upon that business, I nave so last brought
tbe Ciicc mp Co tc audc,tion Of 90 500 claims per
month believe tEat this can be kept up dur 90 (
the present fiscal year ~ lHcs. have set the Office
tire tack 81 issuing $1,000 certificates during the
pre-"at fiscal year. which will be gI increase
81 100000 over tine work 81 the last fiscal wear,
and ihc work 81 the fiscal year just closed June
80 showed ara increase Of nearly 10000 ceTtil-
Gates over any previous year
As a Member Ol t1ugTe-- you will n course, be
interested o. know shat this great increase iu the
TD!F proposed blythe issuance 90 JtGoD cert dcate+
during tul, cti year Will not create deficiency
% Tire appropriation. The appropriation for tHIs
year. made Ey the last Congress, - Sl33lI3O-J.
uru fully satisfied. after careful examination oil
the subject, that the work which will be done by
ic office during the fiscal wear will not cause de-
hcirucy upon that appropriation.
10 seems a. me that when the veterans 81 the
war. who are your constituents, understand the
condition 81 things at the bureau. anti the efforts
that are being made 90 dispose 81 their business,
they VIII counsel patience 0u HU sides. The inn
polanl thing ipT every claimant To do j. 10 obtain
and furnish the necessary evidence TO complete
their claims. When this is done they must give
notice OF te fact 81 com petion, and the claim Will
be taken up promptly and disposed Of rs soon a.
possible.