The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1893-09-28
THE PENSION BUREAU.
ComrIissioner Lochren's Report on Its
Dealings With Old soldie.s.

DeAl1nQs WIN Ol0 q.
Pension Commissioner Lochren submit
ted his annual report TO the secretary Of the
interior at Washington. The number OF
pensioners on the rolls of the bureau is
U6,0l2, with net increase of g,9A during
the past year. Durng the year "a. 715 claims
Tor increase OF pension and 81 go for nddi-
tional pension under the act Of June 81 1880
were allowed. In the same time IFS 22l
claims for pensions and for increase we're
rejected. The claims pending consideration
on July Numbered Ill. $50. The amount
OF money paid for pensions during the year
was si5G, 74O 4G7 and he balance at the close
of The year was $2, 437 81. The arpropria-
lions for the next fiscal year. Commissioner
Lochren states. will be ample, and the esti-
mates for the fiscal year iSDj amount to
Sl62 G3i $40.
The commissioner devotes considerab BILE
space to cases under the act of June y, ls9O,
ia which he says: Under this act aside
from he requisite service and honorable
discharge there is one condition that can
gave any right 10 pens.on-viZ., "A mental or
physical disability of permanent charact-
or, not The result Of their own vicious
habits, which incapacitates them from the
performance OF manual labor in such "A de.
gree as to render them unable TO earn a
SUPPORT But by order lDI issued October
70, 1880. tie commissioner. with the ap.
proval Of the assistant secretary, directed
That specific disabilities should he rated. in
HIUiChiluIt unItf tnlS act, as tlcv would
have been rated under the schedules then IN
force. II ofservice origin, up to $l2 per
month. IL ls perfectly clear that under this
order lbI. in granting pensions under this
act ui June =, l>0J. the act iUelf was set
hside aud disrcgarHed. with the result of
granting pensions not authorized by any
law. Ibis was shown In the Bennett case
which called your attention to this order
and 10 the practice under IT, There the
claimant applying under this act of June -,
1850, was pensioned nt tl2 per month tor
slight deafness. not of service origin. This
slight deatuess. could not therefore. interfere
win DIS capacity To periOr ~ manual labor.
And such Il pension has no warrant TO
sustain u in any law IL is absolutely void.
The statement Of the medical referee
made It appear probable thSt under order l6I
many pensions were iliernllygranted and per
suent To- your order of Mnv -, 1893 a board
OF revision was formed, II the ab.est and
most experienced men of the bureau. 10
examine the cases allowed under that act,
out with instructions to disturb no case
where by The most liberal construction of
the evidence the right tO the pension could
be sustained under any law In cases where
u was believed that the pension could not
be sustained and another medical cxamina-
lon was thought necessary. the payment Of
the pension vas ordered to he suspended
lending investigation. according to the rrac-
tcc OF the bureau ON the besinning. Upon
your suggtBllun HAT even this temporary
Withholding might work hardship where.
upon :he face oi the papers. 1t appears the
peHEoucr Is entitled to some less pension
the prnCiiCc has been modified and changed
as io the cases under this act 30 far that sus'
pension Of payment pending the sixty DAYS
are only ordered when on the lfa,e Of the
papers II appears urima iacie iha, the pen
sioner is not entitled to any pension. II IL
certain that there are many Ca.cs like the
Bennett c'se. where persons are not entitled
20 anv pension will be removed from the
rolls, but the work has not vet proceeded
Tar enough tu enable me to forecast the re-
result. Undoubtedly under the system of
adjudication which followed the promul-
CATION oi order lGi many persons perfectly
able to perform manual lnrbDr. under the
persuasion OF claim agents familiar With the
tnect OF that order. applied for and received
pensions for specific disabilities not of serv.
ice origin and not proper reasonable under
The act of June 1850. This also accounts for
the large proportion of late ciaiiu, tpndcr
that act, comprising the afternathA "a the
..Wprk otcgalQ24agents which are nC,ss.Seing
prope, iy re tcfed. The sixty-dav notice in
susprncng onsi ,ners, the report saws. was
not Withdrawing the pension. 'but tempor.
arily withho ding IT, wncre II appeared to
be unlawful. pending INQUIRY.
The comm sioner recommends codih
cation OF pension laws, wih IA lew changes.
that prom o'ions be made with regard To
m rit alone and in utter disregard OF in
nuence, and rep al Of the act uf congress
providing that no pcnsi, n shall be paid To
uon.resident who is not a citizen Of the
United states except for actual disabilities
incurred IN the service. lie concludes as
follows III recognize 10 he fullest extent
that my sole duty Is To execute and admins.
Ter the laws as they are cnacied-fairly and
lIuestly iufArt,rafaI