St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-14
MIR. RAUM EXPLAINS
Why Congressmen's Letters Are
Not Always Promptly Answered.

Not Always Promptly Answered
WASHINGTON, Sept 13.-Gen. w. II.
Enochs, member of cOngress-elec from
the Twelfth Ohio district, came to
Washington for the purpose of a con-
sultation with the commissioner of pen
sions as to the seeming delay in pension
claims, and especially as TO the answers
of the pension bureau on calls made by
the general as TO the status of claims.
some of his calls being answered
promptly and others not for months. if
at all. Gen. Enochs was anxious to
know why there was not a uniformity
in the answers to his calls for the status
OF pension claims. In answer to which
Commissioner Raum has written Gen.
EnochS the following interesting and
instructive letter upon matters pertain
ing to the settlement of claims in the
bureau of pensions:
beg to inform you that on July there
were 53.72S claimants prosecuting cases be.
fore the bure0u who have never been pen
stoned. and there were 39,539 claims pending
in the shape of claims for increase of pen.
sion and duplicate pensions under different
laws. making total of 90 92G pending claims.
1t will be obvious from this statement OF the
volume of business here that il is practically
impossible TO bring all these cases to imme.
diate settlement-they cannot be all taken
up at once. l have adopted certain rules for
the government whereby claims that are
complete shall have the right of
way and be hurried TO the earli-
est possible settlement | have felt
that where claimants are already receiy-
ing a considerable pension they are not emit
tied to as great proportion of the Official
force working upon their claims for increase
of their pensions as those claimants old sol.
diers and widows, who are not drawing peu-
sions. The Office force is so divided that
both classes of work are steadily going on. but
the larger proportion of the official force is
upon original work. Now, the objective
Indication of pension claims and the issuing
of certificates. Now. in addition to let
tiers of members of congress, the office last
year received |. no, G60 communications from
claimants, their friends and a;rorneys MAX
ing inquiry as 10 the condition Of these claims
These communications poured in at the rate
of more than $500 per day. Their recent
was acknowledged and the letters sent TO the
claims department, but II was impossible to
draw the cases to which they related and
give the condition of the same You ask
why is one claim answered sooner when
they are both filed at the same time Your
calls are answered when your claim i
reached in your turn Consequently, if Won
file twenty calls for status to-day they will be
sent to claims. Some of them NAV
receive immediate attention because
the cases are ready, while others
may not be taken up for some time 10 come
By directing the energies OF the office to the
adjudication OF claims. and keeping the
force steadily al work upon that business, |
have at last brought the offices up 10 the ad-
Indication of 10000 claims per month. I be-
lieve this can be kept up during the present
fiscal year. In fact. have set the Office the
task of Issuing 3j0,050 certificates during the
present fiscal year, which will be an increase.
During the last fiscal yearthere were received
in the Office l54, 1874 communications from
members of congress in regard TO pension
claims. Nearly all the members Of both
houses are in correspondence with many
claimants, and you will observe that
an average of more than 500 appli.
cations per day for status were received
during the past fiscal year. TO draw The
claims to which these letters relate, and have
the examiners give from day to day the status
or claims would be such an Interference win
the other business of the bureau thatit would
sioners per anGaIn, who would otherwise