The National tribune., 1893-01-26
A NEW PENSION BILLING.
Instructions as to the Adjudication of Claims
Under the Act OF June q. 1890.


Instructions as to the Adjudication of Claims
Under the Act OF June 20. 1890.
Since the passage Of the act of June "a. 1890,
there he's been. according TO n new ruling
made by Assistant Secretary of the Interior
Bussey, quite serious misinterpretation of this
act. aud the Board OF Examiners have been
somewhat uncertain as to the proper methods
of adjudicating claims. In presenting the or
der to the Medical Referee, Gen. Bussey says !:
"The following order was, with the sanction
of the Department, issued by you Oct. Is, 1890:
"'That all claimants under the act of June
81, 1890, showing a mental or physical disabi-
ity or disabilities OF permanent character not
the result of their own vicious habits, and
which incapacitate from the performance of
manual labor rendering them unable to earn
a support in such degree as would be rated
under former laws at or above So and less
than $l2 shall be rated the same as like
disabilities Of service origin and that all
cases showing pensonable disability which, it
of service origin, would be rated at or above
$12 per month shall be rated at $12 per month";
1.-The foregoing order has governed the prac-
tice of your Bureau in the matter of rates under
tbs act of June II, 1890, since the date Of its
ISSUE 1t appears however, that the purpose of
said order, as intended by the Department in
approving it. has been misconstrued by your
Bureau so far as it has been your practice to add
the separate nominal and schedule rates al
lowed for several disabilities in making rate
under this act. This has resulted by reason of
the fact that it has been your practice under
the old law to combine these rates where the
total does not exceed SIT. The question RS to
the correctness of that practice is not now be-
fore the Department for decision. 1t is deemed
proper to state that the Department in ap-
proving said order did not intend that small
rates shall he added together, as. for example,
II oc arIa 70 .tya q
rate under the provisions of said act. man
may have two or more separate Affections,
either one of which, considered singly, entities
him to SO rate under tho old law, and yet in
the aggregate, they may not disable him for the
performance of manual labor to much greater
degree than either of them existing alone. Or
he may have one serious disability and one or
more slight disabilities. the latter of which do
not have any apprecahle effect upon the degree
of incapacity for manual labor 9ccasioned by
the former.
THE basis of rates under the act of June 81
1890, is inability to earn support by reason oil
incapacty for manual labor, due to per-
manent mental or physical disability not the
result of vicious habits. In determining
whether an applicant is entitled to rate under
said act for the character of disability afore'
mentioned the only question is, is he from the
cause or causes involved-be they one or
many-disabled for the performance of manual
labor to the extent represented by the rate oil
$67 If go, he is entitled to the minimum rate
of &c. And SO on until the maximum rate OF
$l2 is reached.
cit is directed that the views herein ex-
pressed be observed in future adjudications OF
claims under the act of June 81, $780,"
MR.. HoLMAN's ECONOMY.
Wanted to Sell the Animals Belonging to
the National Zoo.
That Mr. Holman, of Indiana, is very much
in earnest in his ideas of economy cannot be
doubted. His latest suggestion in this direc-
ton is embodied in report which he made as
Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee
On the sundry civil appropriation bill, in which
he proposed an auction sale of all the animals
now corraled in what is known as the Ma
tional Geological Park at Washington. Mr.
Dockery, Of Missouri, approved of Mr.. Hol-
mans suggestion, and together they made the
following recommendations:
"That the Commission for the establishment
OF Geological Park authorized by the District
of Column a appropriation act, approved March
g. 1889, are hereby required to cause to be sold
for cash, and delivered to the highest bidders
therefor, on or before June 30, 1893, all living
animals, birds, and reptiles belonging to the To-
illogical Park in the District of Columbia
together with all vehicles, tools, and nipple.
ments belonging to said Park, the proceeds oi
such sale to be covered into the Treasury, te
the credit of the United States and the District
of Columbia in equal parts and so much OF the
unexpended balance of the appropriation fol-
the maintenan Of the Park for the fiscal yea,
1893 as may be necessary is hereby made avail
able for defraying the necessary expenses at
tending said sale"
This Park, which was established by act Of
Congress two years ago, already contains col.
lection Of elephants. monkeys, sea lions, foxes
and other animals and reptiles and birds, and
it appears that the Indiana statesman thought
they might as well be turned into cold cash
But the full committee, however, failed to view
the matter in the sordd and unsentimental
light in which Messrs. Holman and DOckery
did, and promptly voted down the recon-
mendation, and the country will have Ma
tonal Geological Park for at least another
year.