The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-09-02

mendatiou by the Secretary of the Navy, and
| a certificate thereof to the Commissioner of
Pensions, the amount shall be paid in the same
manner as is provided in the preceding section
for the payment to persons disabled by long
service in the Navy. but no allowance SO made
shall exceed the rate OF a pension for full diSa-
bility corresponding to the grade of the appl-
cant, nor if i'll addition to pension exceed
one-fourth the rate of such pension"
1t is held by the Judge Advocate that the
laid or relief" or allowance" granted
under the above section, and which ia paid out
of the surplus income of the naval fund.-"
and not from any money in the Treasury not
otherwise appropriated, as in the case of ordi-
nary pensions. do not constitute pension with
IN the meaning of the pension laws; and hence
when the Congress on March 2, 1895. enacted a
law authorizing and directing the Commits
sioner of Pensions to increase to SIS per month
the pension of all those then on the pension
roll at a less rate than Sc per month, it did
not include within its provisions those persons
who at that time were in receipt of " aid " or
relief" or allowance" from the Surplus
income of the naval fund" Under this hold
ing the Com missioner of Pensions, it is claimed,
erred in applying the act of March 2, 1893, to
those persons who on that date were in re-
ceipt of the benefits of section 47o7 Revised
Statues, U. s. The error it is understood. will
be corrected by reducing the rate of those who
were improperly increased under the act of
March 2, 1895
A statement was made last week. in local
publication to the effect that new disability
cases. where pensioner is now receiving a
pension for one disability and wants another,
had been ordered referred to Special Field
Examiner to corroborate the evidence of tho
applicant and to look up the credbility of his
comrades or neigbbors who have acted as wit
nesses." 1t was declared that the veterans
were being insulted and their honesty chal-
lenged Chief Clerk Bayly, of the Pension
Office, when asked about it, said that the action
taken was simply in line with the policy to
thoroughly sift all cases in which the office was
not perfectly satisfied with the evidence SUBJ
mitted aud that in doing so no insult was in
tended or implied to the veterans who apply
for increase of pensions The instruction, Mr..
Bayly said, in no way abridged the right of vet
eran to an increase Of pension, but on the other
hand really operated to expedite final action
OIL those cases which the office not in
formed sufficiently to allow the passage of
claim.
Mr. Bayly gave out this statement for publ
cation:
Chiefs of Divisions were instructed to
occupy four days in week-Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday-in examination of
original claims under the old and new laws,
until the same should be brought up to date,
and Friday and Saturday in the examination
these instructions not affecting the examina-
ton OF widows claims in any particular.
1t having come to the attention of the
Commissioners of Pensions that certain classes
oil increase claims were being worked over
time and time again TO the disad vantage aud
delay OF original claims in which no final
action had been taken, he was specially desr-
Gus OF giving the benefit of the pension laws to
the class OF claimants who had not yet become
participants in the bounty of the Government.
in the same connection it was developed
that no class OF claims was SO hard to adjudi-
cate, with justice. TO the soldier and the people,
rs those involving claim for new disability.
The long time that has elapsed since the close
of the war necessarily tends to discredit the
testimony of any individual or class of indi-
viduals undertaking to prove the existence of
such disabilities as rheumatism, heart disease,
lung disease, etc, in service. All claims sent
to the field for special examination, where the
merits Of the claim are simply in question,
must be shown to have merit before they are
sent to the field. This class of claims are
prima facie cases, and it issimply to protect the
Government and help out the individual THAT
Is the soldier, in his efforts to pension,)
that these instructions were issued.
1.-The Commissioner of Pensions occupies a
dual position. His duties are to protect the
Government from imposition resulting from
the filing of illegal claims, and at the same
time to give every worthy claimant the OPP
portunity OF proving his claim. He stands
between the people who furnish the money and
the claimant who is asking for the bounty He
simply asks, in the instance in question, that
in the absence of proper record or medical evil
dence the claimant furnish a Special Examiner,
detailed Tor that purpose, with full know ledge
of the law and requirements in the case such
data as will enable him to determine the
merits OF his claim, and aid in a speedy adjudi-
cation.
The proposition is pie one, one that
should commend itself to every good soldier
and loyal citizen, and one that certainly can
not be twisted distorted for partisan pur-
poses into any form or shape of unfrendliness
to the soldier. Surely there has been no in
tenton to place difficulties in the way of SOL
diers proving their claims, but merely desire
to have them adjudicated promptly and cor
rectly."
Too often in the past cases have been hung
up on technicality when some such order
the one referred to would have prevented their
being pigeon-holed.
The report of certificates issued for the week
ending Ang. % shows
Army invalid: Original. 81; increase and
additional, 249; reissue, 60; restoration and
renewal, So; duplicate 2; accrued, Sd; total,
500.
Army invalid (act June 81 1890: Original,
523; increase. 1893; additional, III: reissue, 13;
restoration, 80; renewal. 8; suppIementals, 8;
duplicate, g. accrued, 1903; total, LOLA
Army widow, ETC.: Original, II; reissue, 8;
supplementals, 1; duplicate. 2; accrued, 8;
total, Sc.
Army widow, etc. (act June 81, 1s90): Origi.
nal, 1873; increase and additional, 1 reissue, 2;
renewal 9; supplementary, 2; duplicate, 2;
total, 1872.
Navy invalid: Original, L increase and ad.
ditional 10; restoration aud renewal, 9; &C.
crued, g; total, q.
Navy invalid (act June 81. 1900 Original,
%; increase and additional, ID reissue, /;
restoration, / renewal, l; accrued, 5; total,
81.
Navy widow (act june 27, 1S90): Original, 5.
Indian Wars-Survivors: Accrued 4.
Indian Wars-Widows: Original, L.
Mexican War survivors: Increase and addi-
tional, 9; accrued 8; total. II. Mexican War
widows: Original, 8.
Totals: Original, 924; increase and addi-
tiona, sol +; reissue. 49, restoration and renew
al, 80; snppiementals. IL; duplicate, IL; &C
crued, 100. Grand total, 1,906.
Children TeethinS."
MRS. WINsLow's SOOTHING SYRUP should aiwav.
Iaah for 0l natl. n