New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-05
ANIMAL PENSION REPORT.
LARGE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER W
NAMES on THE ROLLS
nrrrcrs N THE PRESENT SYSTEM. AND RECON-


will he issued later The Commissioner says 'n''
the roll has increased not only In nunpeiS o"'
also in value. II IS believed II VIII SUI" 'l''
from, the Civil War as there probably are '"o nun
dred thousand ex-Cnon soldiers living VIII nave
never mad pensions. , -.
tho YEAR on account Of pensions under the general
laws were SIS 275. }s3, and on account OF pe"So ,
under the act Of June q. 1s" sbo -o'''''' ~
number OF pensioners In foreign countries az w
close Of the fiscal year was i'3'l an Increase "
400 The total amount paid to pensioners hVihs
$500 nae seco e62 Commissioner Evans SAYS
there &c q lack Of ?vsem the established prfc"ce
NJ this DEPARTMENT in securing the necessary ih'o'
marion for dropping pensioners living IN iore'eh
countries as the Bureau has no supe''iSo" "
criminal jurisdiction over such pensioners.
Thcre werc seventeen survivors and I'll widows OF
the Indian wars. and forty-six SURVIVORS az" W
widows Of the Mexican War pensioned during 'n'
y.ar There are surviving Ave widows ana seven
d,ushters OF the American Revolution severn
,,,ou,s ~ the War OF 1872 we're pensoned IN 'he
year iu-t closed
RATINGS NOT UNIFORM
Pension claims pending June So ls''. nur"ei7u
s.;c5a The Commissioner Is comment 'ha' ."e''
are not over ~ CO OF these dnvaAds ana "iuo"s
that are genuine claims. The others are cars
ube,e tho claimants are already pensioned Inc
Special Examination Division has done good work
anr,ns the wear having endcavored to do Justice 10
all claimants and many Just claims have been al
ntted that would otherwise have neen relec'e'
There (. much complaint among pensioners says
the Commissioner. and Just cause for such ny
reason OF the lack Of uniformity OF ratings Tor the
same or Ike disabilities Of dlneren, claimants
This complaint has always existed ana always VIII
with the present system and established Pracu'e
he declares and II cannot he remeded without
radical change Of system. The report says:
The practice requires that medical examiners
shall make diagnosis and n complete ana ac-
curate pen picture Of the disability mr. disabilities
Of the claimant. They receive small fec for
each examination and detailed report. and such
examination is often. no doubt hurried and super
fetal Therefore. many OF the examinations ar"
not made AZ illustration IL Ia stated that the
Bureau found 1t necessary 10 caus. test examina-
ton TO be made Of a pensioner. He was sent before
four medical boards. three memhets each. all
present All OF these boards were within the
classified service Each examined the pensioner
under the same Instructions
PHYSICIANS DISAGREE WIDELY
Each board made n careful examination and re-
ported the results ~ their Investigations with the
usual care. describing the pensioners disabilities
from their standpoint Each board found unani-
rnousy no minority report The results. summed
I'd briefly were one board could md no ratahle
Stability: another found ratah" disability md
estimated II ut s. a month. another board found
disability, carefully described II. and rated ~ ~
81 month. while the other board made equally as
careful examination and estimated tho claimants
disabilities NJ third Frade-st month. same
man. sanA conditions sauna Instructions. and all
Wit hin forty-eight hours Thes" physicians arc.
each and all nm informed skilled IN their prac-
tice IN every way reputable practitioners
The Secretary Of the Interior sustained the action
OF Commissioner Evans in a225 appealed cases
acted upon. and only reversed his ac'ion In s."
cases and in thcs. reversas no presidents are set
"a ~
Each cnse according the Instructions Of The Sec
rotary ~ the Interior must he considered on It's In
divtdual merits and IN accordance with the estao'
lished practic.
A special examination shows that notar!es pubic.
magistrates and Others engaged IN tho business ~
taking Acknowledgement Of pensioners have not al
WAYS complied with NJ requirements ~ the law.
II has been shown TIM; many fail TO require neces-
ssry Identification 81 pensioners. 70 require pres
entation Of pension certificates by the pensioners
a. IN. time Of taking such acknoHledsments. ana
they have violated the law also I'm the use or pro
fessonal stock witnesses Warning has been given
to m. or1cials and II is hoped that IT viii not be
necessary 10 make them feel the penalty OF the
law.
ACT RELATING TO WIDOWS CLAIMS
Attention IS called - an extract from tho pension
laws providing that all pensions granted under inc
general laws regulating pensions 10 Widows In con-
sequence Of death. occurring from a cause which
originated
begin from the date Of death Of the husband. Up
~ the massage Of this act. June l. 1888 the widows
pensions dated from the time OF nling the claim II
the appncation was Aled after July l. 1880 No SOL
diers pension 60 back Of the cate or It's ming
from July l. 1850 The Commissioner says;
I: you'd seem that th"r" were ana are largs
number OF widows who had meyer been prnslonea
led claims for pens%n, M9ny OF men Hfor.
the passage OF this law had no pensonahic status
o. soldier husband for some reason
had not claimed d pension and the widow bad not
ne NEG cam an one 20 twenty Years or more Under
the act mentioned the widow becomes the ben
enclary OF The Government practically for the use
and benefit % the second husband
Commissioner Evans is of the opinion that the
operation Of this law !s contrary TO the spirit or
intent Of a Just and generous recognition ~ the
soldiers services. The widows pension. he says.
widow during her wildwood
SOME OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES
II is recommended that the payment OF pensions
be made to the wife some other suitable person
in the case Of pensioners who are likely to dissi-
pate their money.
A treatise has been prepared to facilitate the
settlement OF pending claims by placing before ex-
amIners the requirements OF the Bureau In the
different classes or claims. thus enabling claimants
and those who adjudlcate these claims to proceed
10 their settlement in a more expeditions ana IN
telligent manner.
II is recommended that additions he made TO the
law and medical libraries Of the Department. and
that a commission he appointed on the revision OF
the laws rules and regula tions governing fhe lssu
ance OF pensions a special division has been estah-
lished to adjudcate claims growing out or nc
SpanIsh war These will be paid under the general
laws Only about ono hundred claims of this class
have been filed mp 10 the close Of the fiscal ycar,
and none have been adjudicated. a recommendation
has been made that some change be made In the
pension Building to accommodate the large num-
Der OF papers on he there.
NEW SyNAGOGTE DEDICATED.