The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-09-14

WASHINGTON, ID. ", sept 4o'-Neil'
800, rnocbs, Member Of Congrcss-elect
t,,, ,,,n ,be Twelfth Ohio District, came to
Wn.bipg,on I,' for the purpose of a con.
citation with the Commissioner of
per.iops as to the seeming delay in the
,o,,lement Of pension claims, and
especially as to the Pension Bureau on
r,ir. "a, made by the General as to status
nj claims, some OF his calls being an
.rercd promptly and others not for
months, il at all. General Enochs was
s.yiou, to know why there was not a
Sajiormity in the answers to his calls
"a, tbe status of pension claims. In
o,srar Commissioner Raum has writ
,an .r,T General Enochs the following in
,o,o.,inr ,en and instructive letter upon
,ortieTs pertaining to the settlement OF
rIsims in the Bureau OF Pensions:
WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. Il.
10, " H. Eroeh,. EroHtoH, o.
DEAR GESERAL:-In compliance with
vopr request OF this date in regard to
:s,,ain matters connected with the
ST.inc,, Of the Pension Office, l beg to
sjyise YOU that have been and am
now doing all l can to secure the
prompt adjudication OF all claims
sending in this bureau.
On he first day OF July there were
54S7sT claimants prosecuting claims
before the bureau who have never
brrD pensioned, and there were S05, $50
claims pending in the shape Of claims
ior increase Of pension and duplicate
claims under different laws, making o
grond total of 929,426 pending
saims 1t will be obvious
irom this statement Of the volume
Of business here that it is practically
impossible to bring all these cases to
immediate settlement, and they cannot
all be taken up at once. l have adopt:
ed certain rules for the government OF
,hc business Of the office whereby
Claims which are complete shall have n
right OF way and be hurried to the
earliest possible settlement. l have
ir,, too, that where claimants are
already receiving a considerable pension
they arc not entitled to as great q pro-
portion OF the official force working
upon their claims for increase OF pen
.ions as those claimants, old soldiers
and widows, who are not drawing PEN
sions.
Now, in addition to letters OF members
Of congress, the office last year received
l,liO,G6O communications, from claim
ants, their friends and attorneys, max
nginqury as tothe conditions OF those
claims.
You ask why is one congressional call
answered sooner than another when
they are both fled at the same time.
YOur calls arc answered when the
claims are reached in their turn.
BY directing the energies OF the Office
10 tho adjudication OF claims and keep
ing the force steadily at work upon that
business, | have ut last brought the Of
ice up to the adjudication Of thirty
thousand claims per month. l believe
that this can be kept up during the
present fiscal year.
In TACT, have set the office the task
Of issuing $4,000 certificates during tho
present fiscal year, which will DO an In
crease. During the past fiscal year
there were received in the office 154 ,S17
communications from members OF Con-
gEess in regard to pension claims.
Nearly all the members of both Houses
aEe in correspondence with many
claimants, and you will observe that an
average Of more than 800 applications
ler day for status were received during
The past fiscal year.
To draw the claims to which these
letters relate and have the examiners
i'om day to day give the status OF claims
Is requested by members would be such
an Interference with the other business
o. the bureau that it would be u denial
o. oilustiCe to probably $4,000 or 100000
pensioners per annum who would other
wise receive certificates upon adjudica-
oSn Of their claims.
Wherea member of Congress is cog
hlzaat OF the feet from knowledge or &C.
saraie information that an old soldier
: IN such condition physically or
financially as to render it important
'hat his claims should have immediate
attention, aud that fact Is brought to
@ tAe notice OF the Office, do not hesitate
% nave the case called up, examined
anu l6e status given, and in such cases
would be glad to respond to your
ltseems to me that when the veter-
ans Of the war who are your constitu-
q yALs understand the condition OF things
! " NE bureau and the efforts that are
osins made 10 dispose Of their business
4sy will counsel patience on all
silss I' The important thing for every
G;al93nt ;3nt to do is to obtain and
.Iitiish the necessary evidence to com
R.vie their claims. When this is done
,ley must give notice OF the fact Of
.,.ompIeiion y. and the claim will be taken
up Promptly and disposed Of as soon as
possible. Very truly yours,
GREEN B. RGuM,
Commissioner,