Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-14
COMMISSIONER RAuM-s crRcULAa.
Pension Attorneys Must submit Copsss .
All Circular, 60 the D~parsm~ns.

Pension Attorneys Must submit Copsss e
All Circulars 60 the Department..
Commissioner Of Pensions RAum has issued
the following circular addressed 20 ATTORNEYS
and agents practicing before the pension ofsce;
The attention Of this Office Is constantly
being called 30 circular letters and printed doc
uments Of various kinds sent out hy attorney.
and agents for the purpose Of securing pension
business.
Great numbers of the.s document. h.v.
been forwarded 30 this Office and sl.o 10 ,h., az
the department for consideration. The. cir
culars have not been submitted 70 the offoe for
approval and their character 10 such A "a
render il necessary TO call attention 10 rule
XVIII Of the rules Of practice Of the Interior De-
partment. which Is as follows,
Every attorney, agent or other person re-
cognized by this department a. entitled 20
practice before IL OF before the commissioner
OF pensions in prosecuting claims for pensions
shall cause 10 be filed with the commissioner Of
pensions. not less than ten no. DAYS before
the same are issued for general circulA-
ton. copies OF ali circular lettsrr
intended and framed 10 solicit business before
the commissioner OF pensions. And IL ~ the
end Of ten DAYS from hling the same such cir
cular letters are not disproyed. and notice
thereof furnished the person filing the sane.
they shall be held prima facie TO be in manner
and form approved.
THE RULE MUST IN OBSERVED.
All persons practicing before this Office are
required to comply with the foregoing rule.
Many Of the circulars before me contain state
ments and claims which are entirely unvar-
ranted by the facts and are calculated 20 create
discomfort and suspicion in the minds Of pen
sioners and applicants for pensions.
The public should understand that no sftor-
ney or agent has right 10 examine the papers
In a pension claim in this Office IN which he h.
not an attorney. Any one making such q claim
does so 20 deceive the person 20 whom he sends
this circular. Any attorney or agent who
claims that he has special I'D Vantage over others
prosecuting claims in this Office makes q
statement that Is without foundation and
IL made simply for the purpose Of
securing business. The only advantage that
one attorney can have over another is greater
ability, intelligence and diligence in the per-
formance Of his work Any representation
made by an attorney agent that he can se-
cure the allowance Of an original claim Tor pen
sion or claim for increase within . specified
time Is entirely unwarranted.
Heretofore the public press has been fur
nished from week 10 week with q list Of the
names and addresses NJ she claimants % whom
pensions have been allowed. These lists
are published in the .ewspapers and
s sSese 'iS sis s,,orSs,. ana r..n, Prom
week food the country WV their cir
culars 90 these newly made pensioner. urging
them to Immediately apply for incre,-e 81
pension. Some of these circulars state thst
from the record in the possession Of the attor-
ney, he finds that q pension has been granted
10 the man 10 whom he sends his circular. and
that he is satisfied that he 10 not
getting much money as he 10 entitled Co
and therefore he advises him 10 immedi-
ately apply for an increase OF pension; this too.
when the agent is not the attorney Of the man
to whom he forwards his circular has never
seen his papers in the pension ONCE and has no
knowledge whatever Of the except the fact
that IL is announced in the newspapers that the
man has been pensioned.
FORM OF THE crRcUrARs
In some cases the circulars, urging a man 10
apply for an increase Of his pension Just
granted, are in cases allowed under the act q
June q, 1880, for s12 per month, the maximum
rate authorized by law. have before me four
OF such circulars sent 20 one man in the month
OF January who received a pension Of Sl2 per
month under said aforementioned act
In forwarding me a large number Of the cir
culars Assistant Secretary Bussey uses the fol-
lowing language: These communications are
illustrations Of the unprofessional illegitimats
and disreputable methods whereby certain pen
sion attorneys or agents aim 90 delude the
soldiers with mendacious promises in order 10
procure compensation for worthless services.
Ii is the Judgment Of the department that these
methods should not he permitted among attor-
neys who are admitted TO practice before n.
10 tolerate them is almost equivalent 20 APP
proving them and no room should be left for
misconstruing the departments attitude BY
even the remotest implication"
Ii Is therefore ordered that all ATTORNEYS and
agents who desire TO send out circulars or let
tiers, either written or printed, intended and
framed TO solicit business before tins Office wall
at once forward them TO the commissions OF
pensions for his examination and approval
under said rule 49,