Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1891-04-11
wAsH1NoroN CLAIM AGENTS.
The San Francisco Examiner" Establish-
e \ Claim Agency in Washington.

The San Francisco Examiner is frequent
" in receipt of complaints from its subscribe
ers in all parts of the Coast States and Ter
ritories that legitimate claims against the
Government for Indian depreddtions, and
land, postal aud pension CLAIMS iDtrusted to
the care of various attorneys and claim
agents have not been properly prosecuted, or
if so, that the charges of the agents or attor-
news for fees and alleged expenses have been
so great as to leave little or nothing for the
claimants. We have been frequently urged
to make war upon these rapaclous attorneys,
but for many reasons 1t Is almost impossible
to do so in such manner as to benefit our
subscribers. We might speedily succeed IN
driving dishonest or over-g greedy attorney
out of the field, but his place would be I'M
mediately taken by another, and the tight
would be endless and practically useless.
We have therefore decideu, as the best means
OF curing the evil, to establish IN Washing
ton Bureau of claims, which Will take
care of all such matters and push them to
speedy and, In all cases where 1t Is possible,
successful issue. AIR. John Wedderburn, our
Washington correspondent, and up to the
time OF his death Secretary TO the late Sena-
tor Hearst, in which position he has had
much experience in presenting and push
ing such claims, will have charge of this
bureau and will employ all necessary le-
making only such charge for their ser
vices as will cover the actual cost and
pay him a reasonable price for the time
devoted to the work. Mr.. Wedderburn is
known to every member of the Pacific Coast
congressional delegation, to whom inquiries
as to his standing and reliability can be ad-
dressed. The necessity Tor the establishment
of such q bureau is well shown by the fol-
lowing petition, which has been extensively
circulated in northern California:
To the Hon. the Senate of the United States,
in Congress- acknowledgements The
undersigned petitioners would most respect
fully represent that we are claimants against
the government for losses sustained by In
dian depredations committed in Humboldt
county, California, at different times since
1850; that we were induced to employ an at
torney here to properly prepare said claims,
and another at Washington by power OF at
torney to prosecute them there; that we have
paid our attorneys here for making out all
papers in said claims, besides being at
considerable expense in attending With
witnesses the Government commission here
that examined our claims; that now our
attorneys at. Washington (Messrs. y are
asking US to sign a contract giving them
one-third of whatever may be recovered
from the Government as their fee, be-
sides requiring US to pay all accruing costs
tor prosecuting said claims. This we conSld-
er an extravaganza an unreasonable charge.
Therefore we pray your honorable body to
so amend the bill now pending before you
for settling these claims that it will embody
a clause allowing attorneys such fees and
commissions for attending to said claims as
shall be deemed just and equitable, and your
petitioners will ever be most thankful.
Parties having claims of any kind against
the Government, will address all letters to
the Examiner Bureau of Claims, 79 Corcoran
Building, Washington, d. c., where Mr..
Nedderburn may also be consulted in per-
son.