The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-04-15
IMPoKTANr 10 PENsIONEIss.


Z
WAsHsS6roN. ID. =. April z, 1892 {
Nv DEAR DoAxs: 7 inciose you u
letter and order from Sec'y Interior 90
Com. o. Pensions. Of importance 10 me
and 10 the soldiers OF my district. which
I gill ak you "a do me the kindness 90
publish. aud request other papers IN thr
district 10 copy. A great deal Of COM
plant bss been coming 20 me from the
soldiers OF nv district. who have written
me "a call up their pensions recently.
about the DELAY or neglect 10 get any re.
-ponse from the Pension Department.
have never tailed 70 give their elaine
prompt attention. and IN order that 81
hIame for these delays NAV b. fixed
here il belongs. aud that may stand
i'm the proper light IN this matter with
the pensioners. l have taken the paine
u obtain : copy Of the letter and order,
v hich iu effect. orders that cslIs Nv men,
hers % Congress shall not have the effect
~ fastening the adjustment Of claims,
aud that they will be hereafter subslsntI'
ally disregArdeJ. Very truly.
JOHN L BRsrz.
DEPARTMENT or THE lSrERI"K.(
WAsHl>GroN. ID Z. April s. Is93.S
Honorable John L. Bretz, House Of Rep.
resen,stives.
SIR In compliance With your request
|of the Alb mat, I have the honor 10 en-
close cop, OF the letter Of the Secretary
to the Commissioner Of Pensions Of date
March Z. 1892, relating 10 calls Tor status
u pension claims.
Very respectfully,
john w. NOBLE. Sec'y.
DEPARTMENT OF THE lNrsRIoR
WAsHI~Gr0~. ID. q, March 4, 1882 8
The Commissioner Of Pensions.
SIR Referring 10 your letter ct the lsl
inst. srknow iedging Department letter
OF the 25th. calling attention to the tact
that complaints were coming in Of parti.
alitv in the examination and.finai disp0-
sltion OF claims. you say:
\ I'm drswipg cases from the files fos
adjudication. in each class OF cases the
rule is TO draw those which were first
completed. Tnis rule, however, 10 con.
.tsntly broken into through the courtesy
4 which j. extended by the Office to mem.
bers OF Congress who call for the statue
OF cases. aud THE has become matter OIL
90 much serious concern @ TO require %
Immediate remedy.
1T has long been . rule Of the Office
II that whenever . claim was sent to %
n Examiners desk and upon examination
Vas found to be complete. IL Was i'm
medistely approved and proper action
taken TO submit IL to the Board u Re
view for fiuaI action. This rule Wa n6
doubt adopted 10 save the work OF hand
ling the case second time. Under thiI
practice when . case hss been called uE
10y : member Of Congress and placed ID
the hands Of an Examiner, and found t.
Ne complete, the necessary action ha'
been taken for the admission Of th'
lciaim.
II From December eth. 1891. 10 the IS
inst, inclusive. 50lsl calls have beer
. made by members OF Congress for sh
lstssus Of pension claims These Gala 10
the status Of cases BY congressmen wer'
made without reference 10 the time o
filing OF The claims, and 20 il constantly
happens that elaine recently filed sr'
called up upon congressional slips. tske'
from the flies and placed upon the TX
sminers desk, where they ere found 4
|be complete and are Immediately a.
lowed; thus giving them precedence
Iover claims filed st an earlier date whici
!. have not been allowed In their order
VI IL have made careful examination
into this subject and 6nd thss elaine IN
der the Act Of June 9th. 1890 filed A
,IIate q October 10Th, 1891. have beef
!, called up in this manner and having beef
found complete have oeen allowed
which obviously works great injusttc'
Ito claimants whose applications wer
filed Il an earlier date and whose claim
! lare now complete and ready 70 be 81
, lowed when taken up 10 their turn"
d This action obviously works great In
: Justice 10 earlier filed claims which Or
| thus passed over and deferred. and ~
the very danger feared It the time th
lcomplet.d fles system WAS adopted. An'
: against which my order Of the 26sh Q
: September. 1890 Vas aimed. That orde
vas - follows:
Dl DEPARTMENT or THE ISTERvoR.l
WASHINGTON, d. G., Sept. 10. ls9OS
III i hereby ordered, that under n
:, rules already in force, and these this d
: Improved. for the purpose OF securing
sIprompt adjudication OF elaine unde
! lformer Acts Of Congress and that q
, June "a. 1880. such action shall be take
'Iby I'll officers and employees In the Pen
zion Bureau as will prevent any undu
\ preference Of any claim In time OF eithe
\ hearing or adjustment; and any sger
I or attorney who shall have or attempt I
a have any claim put upon the Iist a
!. docket. of. or among the completed 6Ie
4 that IL obviously or clearly not complete
: Tor otherwise defeat the just operation
: OF the laws aud regulations, shall be di'
:, barred from practice In the Depar
n mentr JvHS w. NOBLE, Sec'y.
u The evi! which you point out does us
arise from allowing examination OF th
status OF cases. but 10 permitting ID
\ Examiner TO approve completed case
out Of their order when thus called mp
III You say the action IL taken 10 save
! second handling Of the papers. tn
! reason given - utterly insufficient