Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-09-30
PENSION REPORT.

Annual Report of the Pension Commits
sioner-Matters of Interest to Pension
ers.
WASHINGTON, Sept. o&-Pension Com
missioner Lochren has submitted his
annual report to the secretary OF the
interior. The number Of pensioners ON
the rolls of the bureau is 966, 012, net
increase of SO, 944 during the past year.
During the year 24,71b claims for In
crease of pension and 1880 Tor
additional pension under the act
of June 81, 1890, were allowed.
In the same time 1921 claims
for pension and for increase were
rejected. The claims pending consid-
GRAFTON July numbered 7l1,150 The
amount of money paid for pensions
during the year was s156, 74o,447 The
balance Mt the close of the year was
g., 4S7,371. The appropriation for
the next fiscal year, Commits
sioner Lochren states, will be ample,
and the estimates for the fiscal year
1895 amount to s1Go, 631, $50. Referring
to cases under the act of June 81, 1890,
Commissioner Lochren says:
Recognizing the difficulty OF tracing disabili-
ties to service origin after long lapse OF time,
deserving soldiers. who. In their advancing
years, IRE mourning disabilities not OF service
origin. uniting them from earning q support
by manual labor, IRE proper objects OF national
bounty. The act OF June q, lS9, was passed.
providing that oil persons who had served In
tho military or naval service OF the United
States In the war ninety days or more and had
hoa hnu hiarhar0ad thprafrnyn md WIN
are suffering from mental or physical
disability OF q permanent character. but
not tho result OF their own vicious lab
It's, which inoapacitates them from earning u
support by manual labor shall be pensioned
ut not more than SIC nor less than % per
month. proportioned TO the degree Of inability
TO earn o support Under this act, aside from
tho requisite service and honorable discharge
there Is but one condition that can give any
right TO pension, viz: "A mental or physical
disability Of permanent character, not the
result OF their own vicious habits, which In.
capacitates them from the performance o'
labor In such o degree 40 TO render them IN
able to earn o support" But by Order lB4,
issued October IL. 1880. the commissioner.
with the approval Of the assistant secretary.
directed that specific disabilities should DO
rated in applica tons under this act, rs they
would have been rated under the schedules
then in force, II Of service origin, up to SIC per
month. The medical referee stated. in answer
TO inquiry, that under this order OF June "a,
1899, claim Of inability to perform manual Ia
Dor was no longer even considered in adjudcat.
Ing claim, but that disabilities were rated up
to Si2 per month, rs II the claim had been made
under prior laws for like disabilities OF service
origin.
II Is perfectly clear that under this Order 1914.
In granting pensions under this act OF June "a
1900, the act itself was set aside and disregard.
ed, with the result Of granting pensions no. au-
thorized by any law. This was shown in the
Bennett case which called your attention to
this order and to the practice under It There
the claimant applying under the act Of June ga
$780, was pensioned Ut sls per month for slight
deafness not OF service origin. This slight deaf
ness could not interfere with his capacity TO
perform manuel labor. And such O pension
has no warrant 10 sustain 1t in any law
1t Is absolutely void. The state
mont OF the medical referee above
mentioned made It appear probable that under
Order 1874 many pensions were illegally granted
and pursuant TO your order OF May 81, 1893 o
board OF revision was formed of the ablest and
most experienced men OF the bureau, to exam
Inc the cases allowed under that act and Gull
out such rs had no legal basis to rest upon. but
with instructions to disturb no case which bv
the most liberal construction OF the evidence Of
tho right TO the pension could be sustained un
der any law Iu cases where IL was believed
that pensions could be sustained, ana other
medical examination was thought necessary.
the payment Of the pension was ordered TO be
suspended. pending inves legation, according 10
the practice Of the bureau from the beginning.
and at the proper time the.usual sixty days no
tice was given TO the pensioner. within which
he could nss for q medical examination or sup.
ply further evidence OF his right TO his pension
This practice OF the bureau, always followed,
IL the correct practice. 1t is not the withdrawal
or taking away OF pension. hut the tenn
porary Withholding Of it's payment, where IL
appears 10 be unlawful, pending proper In.
Quiry.
Upon your suggestion that even this tempo
rary Withholding might work hardship where.
upon the face of the papir, II appears that the
pensloner Is entitled TO ut least some less
rating, the practice will be moderately changed
to cases under this act so far that suspensions
OF payment pending the sixty days are only or.
dered when on the face OF the papers 1t appears
prima facie that the pensloner Is not entitled
to any pension 1t Is certain that there are
many cases like the Bennett case where
persons not entitled TO any pension will
be removed from the rolls, but the work
has not yet proceeded far enough
70 enable me TO forecast the result Undoubt'
ediy, under the system OF adjudication which
followed the PRONUNCIATION Of Order 1874 many
pensioners perfectly able TO perform manual
labor under the persuasion OF claim agents
familiar with the effect OF that order, applied
for and received pensions for specific disabili-
ties not OF service origin and not properly pen.
sionable under the act OF June 81 lS9J. This
also accounts for the large proportion OF late
claims under that nct comprising the after
math in the work Of claim agents, which are
now being properly rejected
Wholesale frauds like those discovered at
Norfolk. Va, In New Mexico and Iowa have
been disclosed by special examiners The
work OF this division has greatly increased
and an additional appropriation for augment
ing the force In the service Is asked for. Con.
siderable work In connection with the frauds
has been done with the Law division. All cases
OF fraud brought 10 hyhs By special examiners
receive the personal attention Of those In
charge OF this division