Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-24
BUSSEY ON PENSIONS,
He Shows in His Report Some Flaws
in the Law by Which Both
UNCLE SANS BOUNTY Is ABUSED,
Honest Pensioners often Left, While Specu-
lators Get the Cash.
THE CoUNTRrS PROMISE FULFILLED

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23-Ihe annual re-
port of General Cyrus Bussey, the Assist
ant Secretary of the Interior, has been re-
ceived by Secretary Noble. 1t deals exclu-
sively with the work of the Board of Pen
sion Appeals of which the Assistant
Secretary has direct charge, and with the
purchase of Indian supplies at the Govern
ment warehouse in New York.
The report shows that on July l, 1891,
there were 5000 appealed pension cases on
file with the Board, and that this number
on June 80, 1892, had been reduced to 4, 349
There were q, 25S appeals flied during the
year. OF the 4,939 cases acted upon during
the year, the decision of the Commissioner
was sustained in 1866. Action was re-
versed in 464 cases; 2O1 were dismissed, and
409 cases were reconsidered by the Commits
sioner pending appeal IL his discussion
of the pension laws General Bussey calls
attention 20 several defects in pension legis-
lation. He says:
For instance from an early date in the his
tory OF our pension system there have pre-
vailed, under different administrations,
conflicting opinions as to the power to en-
force the reimbursement of money paid in
excess for pensions, in conformity with
sued through mistakes, either of TACT or of
law. in the adjudication OF claims by the
Bureau of Pensions.
Serious Losses That Could BE Remedied.
Consequently, in the absence of a clear le-
gal provision on the subject, the Govern
ment, having no authority to plead past
oversight as an offset to current payments
OF pension, has been compelled to submit to
serious losses of money, which having once
been improperly paid, either to claimants or
pensioners, were irrecoverabie under any
established rule OF departmental practice.
A memorable illustration OF this fact was
given in a large number of applications Tor
re-rating and for increase that were filed in
the Bureau of Pensions during the years
1887, 1883 and 1889, upon which considerable
Gums OF money were paid improperly to
certain pensioners by the authority of the
Commissioner in violation of both law and
practice, but without either the knowledge
or the consent of the Secretary-losses Tor
which there should have been a reimburse
ment OF the Treasury, under the same law
In pursuance OF which the pension itself was
granted. The means employed, however.
by claimants or by attorneys, to procure
these excessive allowances, will not be here
discussed; but the evil itself confronts the
department, and the need for legal remedy
IS emphasized, not only by consideration OF
Justice to the great mass of honest pension
ers, but by the proper requirements OF the
pension system.
The Remedy He Proposes.
lO supply q iCuSOlb hC ACSOmihCu0s lHab
Congress be requested to enact a law that
shall expressly authorize the department to
treat all improper, illegal and excessive
pay ments of pensions, whether caused |
by fraud or mistake, as prepay
ments, to be charged against the current |
pension, with view to readjusting or |
equalizing current pension payments within |
the discretion of the Secretary.
In the list of applications for widows pen-
ct dsarc NFN = q
1699 my attention has been drawn in q num- |
Der of cases, where, according to the law, it |
has been necessary to deny pension because |
the soldier on whose death the claim was /
based, although serving go days." rs shown |
by the evidence, had not been ''honorably /
discharged" prior to death, but had died, |
while, for instance, on individual iurlough |
and absent from the technical line of duty |
in the service. 1t seems that both the spirit \
and the object of the act of June q. 1880,
would be emphasized and observed by an 4
amendments of this section that would be |
applicable TO such meritorious cases of de-
pendence and distress and l respectfully
urge that such an amendment be adopted by
Congress-
General Bussey renews his recommenda-
tion made in his annual report of 1890 as to
the third section OF the act of June q, 1890,
which provides pension for minor children
who are "insane, idiotic or otherwise per-
manentlv helpless This amendment
would be in keeping with the benefcent
purpose Of the act of June q, 1890. He
says:
All Helpless Children Pensioners
The experiences of the past year impel me
to further suggest that in cases of "insane,
fdiotic or otherwise helpless children" of
deceased pensioners. the pensionable age
limit be abolished so as to admit such chill
dren at any date to the pension roll. An
evil of serious magnitude has resulted from
the practice of pensioning a certain class of
insane inmates of the Government Hospital
located in the District of Columbia. This
admitted to the hospital for care and
treatment at the expense of the Govern
ment but having neither wife nor child nor
living parent dependent on them for sup |
port, ana having no other relative near |
enough to occupy in their account a pension |
able status, are. nevertheless, pensioned for |
insanity; the pension may be paid quarterly |
to q guardian. Thus, without either his |
knowledge or consent, the inmate of the |
hospital having no dependent relative |
legally entitled to pension, is made the un- |
whiting sub ject or means of a speculative |
claim, the benefits of which he can never
enjoy and the use of which he can never
control. The inmate at last dies, leaving in |
the hands OF the guardian large sum of
pension money, constituting a personal
estate, which goes, perhaps, to some heir of
the decedent for whom the pension system
was rot intended either directly or in
directly to provide.
The Governments Pledge Fulfilled.
In concluding this branch of his report,
General Bussey says:
am gratified to be able to saw that the /
pledge of the nation, expressed a century |
ago, that 'ff any person, whether officer or |
soldier, militln or regular, called into the |
service of the United states be wounded or |
disabled while in actual service, he shall be
taken care of and provided for at public ex-
pense," has been redeemed with fidelity. In |
with the provisions of the va |
rious pension laws on June 3d. 1892 there |
were borne on the pension rolls the names
OF s56 0s7 pensioners. T9,92S more pensioners |
than we're carried on THE same rolls at the |
end of the preceding fiscal year, and 457O5O
more than were on the rolls June So 1851
General Bussey calls attention to the fact
that the appropriation bill for the Indian
service is usually passed SO late in the year
that it seems impossible to let contracts for ]
supplies in time for delivery before winter
sets in, aud this, especially as to blankets
and winter clothing, has caused much suf-
tering. He recommends that the appropri-
alton for these supplies be made one year
ahead.
Pianos, Pianos, Organs, Organs.
4