The National tribune., 1897-07-08
TO CLEAR THE WAY.
Changes Expected in Rules Of
Pension Practice.

Hopes OF Important Notifications that VIII
Remove Obstacles from the Path Of just
Claimauts-Pension Bills I'm the Senate.
Pension ONCE Doings.
II Ia understood that the Secretary of In
terror has under consideration more or less
extensive revision of the rules applying to pen
siou practice that have been followed during
the late Administration. In the formulation
Of these rules 1t would seem that every pre-
text by which the applicant for pension might
be retarded in his progress towards the allow
ance of claim has been seized and made much
of. Money has been saved to the Government,
but more money has been necessarily spent 10y
applicants in the prosecution of claims than
would have been the case otherwise Now 1T
is believed there will soon be practical change
in these prejudical rules, and obstacles re-
moved from the path of just claimants. As
sistant Secretary Davis has taken step or two
already in his decisions in this direction.
1t is said that the principle existing In the
T. J. Durkee case and others will be considered,
and the decision of the former Assistant Secre-
fary may be reversed or considerably modified.
"A number of appeals are before the Department
involving this question. The question in
brief is as TO what may be properly considered
valid application. A prominent attorney
speaking of this matter said yesterday:
Instead of applying the liberal or just
rules regarding the amendatory applications
that have uniformly prevailed with respect to
claims under the general law successful effort
was made to unnecessarily barass applicants
under the act of June 81, 1890, by declaring
invalid applications which, while they may
have lacked certain non-esseptal averments
vet did contain all the real requisites OF q
valid application for pension. In many in
stances claimants have been obliged TO hie three
or four declarations for pension under the act
mentioned, when the informality. il indeed
such can be said to have existed could have
been easily corrected by merely an affidavit Of
the claimant. Not only that, but instead OF
SLOWING pension from the date Of the fling of
the frst declaration, as has been customary,
nnder the general law, as a rule invalid pen
sions allowed under the act OF June %. 1890,
have dated only from the filing of the last ap-
plcaton subsequent TO rejection. And this
notwithstanding the act of March 6, 1896,
which has proved to be practically dead
letter"
The pension certificates which were held mp
by order after it was discovered that def
cheney in the 1897 appropriation was imminent
were all mailed on June 80. The payments
will be against the new appropriation. Be-
tween 1900 and $4,000 of these certificates
accumulated after the order took effect, and all
those dated up to June "a have been mailed.
The suspension included every class of pension
certificates. but the regular daily issuance and
mailing of them has been resumed.
The beginning of the new fiscal year was
marked in the Pension Office by the announce
ment of large number of clerical promotions
aud reductions and the removal of more than
30 Special Examiners. These last mentioned
officials are appointed for year at a time, and
their terms having expired, they were not re-
appointed, bat in place Of them were . lumber
OF reiuststements in many cases, it 10 stated, OF
veterans. Commissioner Evans has been max
ing constant changes in his efice ever since he
took it, with view to betterirg the service
and securing more work with the force he has
q his command.
very important piece of work now being
done is the Encouragement of the files. This
is an elaborate enterprise. Commissioner
Lochren had an idea that the files ought to be
re-arranged according 10 . plan of special
titles. So he put clerks to work, and after
some weeks of arduous labor they managed to
get the files re-distributed under the heads Of
abandoned, rejected and appended claims 1t
did net take Commissioners Evans long to find
cut that looking up the papers in Q case under
this arrangement involved much unnecessary
loss of time and waste of energy. Clerks woHld
have TO look first at the main 6les, then often
through the others in succession before find ing
q case wanted. As result, the clerks say the
ordered a return to the former syetem, and
soon the files will be in . condition in which
one may find q desired case with something
like dispatch.
Commissioner Evans has put stop to the
habit of extra leave-taking among his clerks.
After making an investigation he found that
the privilege Of annual and sick leaves was
being abused. Some had been away two OF
three months in the year. And physicians
certificates seemed to have been secured with
perfect ease many times when. as a matter OF
fact the clerks were not really i'll at all. So
the Commissioner has decided that leaves
must amount to only 80 days with pay, and
those who take excess of sick-leave will
have their cases investigated. The clerks who
have been at fault will now help 20 adjudiosts
pension cases instead Of seeking pleasure.
Apropos of the great number Of calls as to
ehe status of cases made by Congressman Capt
J.. M. Kelley, Deputy Commissioner. ha.
opened set Of books in which he registers the
calls made, who makes them, and the details Of
the cases. It is said that Representative Curtis
OF Kansas and Steele and Overstreet, of In.
diana, who live where the veterans are very
thick indeed. are already filling up many page.
in the Deputy's book.
The Senate Committee on Pensions held
its first meeting on June 29, and as Mr. Gal
linger stated to the Senate, decided to report
back favorably ali bills that had had affirms-
i've actlon either Dy the com m1ttee one
or both OF the houses of Congress at some
former session, but which had not become laws
Mr.. Gallinger said that the committee had de-
eided not to take up at the present session any
new bills, bat 10 allow them to 20 over until
she regular session in December.
The private bills then reported numbered
several hundred. How they did flow in. The
clerk wearied of reading the names, SO long
was the List. Every member of the com 10 iitee
took bis turn at firing them in, and the clerk {
desk was piled so high one could not see that
o1beial, but has usually stentorian voice was
nuiled. 1t took about three quarters of an
hour to dispose of them. Then Senator Nor.
gan said there seemed TO be a g food of pen.
sion bills this morning." At which every
body smiled. Il have no doubt" continued
the Senator. that they are all meritorious and
abe beneiciaries must be in need Of what Tho
Government owes them for services rendered
d The country in great extremity. We ar.
here engaged" said he, in trying to prepar,
bill that the gentlemen On the other side O
the chamber say is going TO make large re
onnoaney Of money, so that We pay them
OF. We shall have money IN the Treasury
and money TO burn. for that matter. would b,
perfectly willing TO stay here aud pass these bills
but Congress Is not in a condition to pass them
and these men must go without these rewari
until somebody consents that Congress ma,
proceed in regular order" The Senator moved
that the consideration OF the bills be postpon ed
until the Wednesday after the first Monday il
December, and that they be made special ordei
FOR that day, in view OF the fact that they
could not possibly get any action before thai
Slime. Dir. Gsilnger said il was desirable tha
thew 60 ON tho calendar M Soma Tina .na ~.