Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-01-22

&<<4cS-1% INA. NAE nV4.4
suppese that by disposing Of claims 81
The rate OF 500 900 year. that after
while the work OF the bureau would be
considerably decreased. but seemingly
t.se end Is - tar on As ever.
The hundreds OF Thousands oi
claims flied under the act
u 1890 are not yet all indsxed aud
J1cksted. One of the most iaborious
OF the many thinEs which it falls TO tae
LOT OF senator or member 20 do 10 10
look after pension claims OF eonstitu-
ents- The constituent generally has
an sstoruey who IS paid Zee 10 secure
the pension. This attorney prepares
tie application, and makes out pri-
ma facie case. After this Is done he
advises The claimant 10 enlist the aid OF
his senator or congressman. They do
all the subsequent work, and when the
claim is allowed. the attorney pockets
his fee. Nobody has any disposition TO
refuse aid 10 any pension Claimant. put
u IS a little irritating at times TO do the
work for graeping pension attorney
when it is known that he will take out
of the amount allowed the very last
fsrtning permitted under the law.
A wcii-Estabtished Business.
Going into the committee room OF
Senator Stockbridge the other day, 1
asked him II he received many letters
from claimants asking him To call up
and expedite the allowance OF ciai ms.
In reply TO my question tho senator
handed me a package OF over thirty
letters relating to pensions just received
and asked me To look them over, which
proceeded TO do. In the tirst place,
noticed that every letter called for a
reply of some kind. also that over half
of the letters failed to give the data to
enable the pension bureau to ind the
clam. One letter from John Smith,
say, simply informed the senator that
he had . claim pending and wanted to
know without delay why 1t was not al
lowed. There was an entire omission
to give the number of the claim and
the company and regiment IN which
claimant served. At least one-ha!f OF
the letters found would have to be
sent back for the data. l next examined
| q large book in which record Is kept
of every claim called up. Here found
claims entered numbering thousands,
with entries showing data of receipt of
letters, the replies and every step taken.
| confess, was surprised at the magni-
tude of the work, but more than all,
at the method displayed, and when | go
expressed myself. the senator, with a
shrug of the shoulder, merely said:
"Well, ! am doing qunc'a business 1T
seems to be pretty well established so
| that the fluctuations OF the markets do
not disturb il III the least"
Alarmed at the Increase.
Considerable CONSERVATION has re-
suited throughout the country by rea-
son of the organization In this city of "a
society IN this city known as the $50
ciety of Loyal Volunteers" the object
of which is to bring about some reform
in the methods of granting pensions
and secure a reduction of the annual
| expenditures III this direction from
$13S, 100000 to SSS, ,00e. 900 or at most
$50. .O00, 900. The movement will not be
inaugnrated by the members of con-
grces, but will be the work of an or
ganized body of loyal soldiers who be-
lieye that reform is necessary, and
that millions are being expended annu-
ally fer pensions to men VINO nave no
right to the :noney. The cardinal
principle of tins organization Is q com
potency to those permanently disabled
or unable to earn their living, and
nothing to the men who can either 10y
! their hands or their brains support
Themselves and their families.
| Without doubt tue question OF the
payment of the enormous sums re-
| quiried to meet the estimates OF the
| pension bureau is becoming matter
of serious consideration, and none are
considering it more seriously than the
worthy soldiers themselves. No one
grrdgcs the deserving soldier all he
can get under the law, but the condi.
ton which confronts the government
is that those not deserving are the most
rapacious claimants. The feeling IL,
that the payments to disabled soldiers
ought to be increased and searching
investigation be made all along the
line, with view to striking from the
roll those not fairly entitled TO the
money they arc now drawing. l be.
lieve the day is not far Off when some
such course will be taken.
| McGREGoR.