Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-02
SOME PENSION EVILS
Urgent Recommendations by the
Commissioner.
TEE IRREGULAR ISSUE OF VOUCHERS
Repeal of Law Giving Arrears to
Widows Urged.
WHY CLAIMS Ar. DELAYED

The completed annual report of the COM
missioner of pensions was submitted today.
From time to time The Star has printed
interesting features of the report.
Commissioner Evans says the probabli-
ties are that the roll will not only increase
in amount, but in numbers, for the fiscal
year 1900 by reason of the war with Spain.
Pending Claims.
ION June 30, 1898, there were 635, $50
claims pending. In this number there was
included a large number of claims filed
many years ago, and which were awaiting
testimony called for by the bureau at diff
ferent times.
mo testimony having been furnished in
such cases and no inquiry having been
made by the claimants it is presumed that
the claimants are deceased or have aban-
doned the prosecution of their claims, and
as many new claims are being received
daily it was deemed eXpedient to establish
a separate file for these abandoned cases,
and thus make room for the new claims in
the pending files These abandoned claims
have therefore been transferred from the
pending files, and they are not included in
the number of pending claims in this table.
Attention is invited to the 305,O42 claims
in which pensions have heretofore been
granted long since for wounds and disease
shown as of service origin In this connec-
ton he says:
MANY of these men filed applications
soon after discharge, and alleged disabili
ties which were shown due to service, and
pensions We're allowed for the same. APP
plications for increase followed from time
to time. which have been duly settled.
'In the course of advancing age other
disa bilities developed, and the claimant has
been induced to make application for
pension on their account, in most cases al
leging that they We're the result of service.
Usually the official records of the War De-
partment afford no evidence of said disabili-
ties in service, and in most cases the many
different medical examinations have failed
to disclose their existence. Yet, under the
rule, all such applicants are entitled to
medical examination, although such exam
nations fail to find any evidence of the
disabilities alleged. and, as a result, several
hundred thousand dollars are yearly ex-
pended in holding medical examinations in
cases where a disability, even If found.
cannot be established as being in any way
due to the service, having developed many
years after the discharge of claimant.
These claims take up the time and
labor of many efficient examiners, fire.
quently to the detriment of worthy claims
in which no pension has yet been granted
and the pressure for early action in that
class of cases is, as a rule. the most per-
SiStent
Complaints of Delay.
THE mails filed with complaints of
delay, which upon investigation are found
to pertain to claims of this description. and
1t frequently happens that pensioners
ceiving a high rate of pension complain
very bitterly If their cases do not receive
immediate consideration.
Included in this number are many claims
for increase in which pension has been
granted for permanent disabilities not la
BILE to change for the worse. But notwith-
standing this fact, pensioners are induced
to apply for increase year after year, thus
cat sing the expenditure of a large amount
M nv n p1yT,nf fnY
which show that no change has occurred in
the degree of the pensioners disability.
1T is shown by the report of the medical
referee that adverse action was taken in
his division in 81 $50 claims of this charac-
ter during the year
1T may not be out of place to state that
have given the right of way to original
claims in which no pension has ever been
be eminently Just and proper in the dis
position of the work of the bureau.
The Issuance of Vouchers.
Section AGA, Revised Statutes, as
amended by the second section of the act
of March 8, 1891, provides that within f1f-
teen days Immediately preceding the fourth
day of the month in which payments be-
come due. the several agents for the pay
ment of pensions shall prepare quarterly
voucher for every person whose pension is
payable at his agency. and transmit the
This law is not respected, and has not
been tor years. Instead of sending out the
vouchers to pensioners within fifteen days
Immediately preceding pay day, the
vouchers for the current quarter go to
the pensioner with the check for the past
quarter.
1.-The law is right and this practice Is
wrong.
1.-The practice makes an endless chain,
and in of the death of pensoner
leaves not only a certificate. which is prima
facie evidence of title to pension, but a
voucher for the current quarter in the
possession of some 1t is tempta-
ton and has caused crime; the temptation
would be less If the voucher was not sent,
except provided by law. While the
proper observance of the law would create
additional work in the agencies, it would
be protection against the illegal pre-
sentation of vouchers to the pension agents
and the payment of pension money to I'M
euthJriZed persons after the death of pen
sioners.'
Arrears to Widows.
Concerning the granting of arrears Of
pensions to widows Commissioner Evans
says:
1T appears to me that it is not just to
grant arrears of pensions to widows, while
the soldier sailor who rendered the serv-
ice is held down to the date of filing his
application. The result of the above act
IL to grant. in many cases, large amounts
of pension money to former widows of SOL
dIers who have long since remarked and
whose husbands are practically receiving
the benefit of the pension, although they
may never have rendered any service.
This act also results in the filing of
many fraudulent claims, account of the
death of soldiers in the service leaving no
one who is entitled to pension. It will be
noted that the first payments In this class
of cases involve several thousand dollars
and constitute a strong incentive for I'M
scrupulous persons to perpetrate a fraud
upon the government.
The records of national cemeteries have
been brought into use for the purpose of
determining the names and service of those
buried there Women are then hunted up
who are induced to execute applications
for pension on account of the service and
death of these soldiers
These women become plant tools in the
hands of the operators. A prima facie case
is made out by means of stock witnesses
and the originator of the fraud pockets the
amount of the first payment, leaving the
fraudulent claimant to reap the benefit of
the future payments Great difficulty is
often experienced by this bureau in dis
proving a marriage or marriage relations
alleged to have occurred thirty or forty
years ago.
Law Should Be Repealed.
1.-The law should be repealed. 1t is bad
law, and 1t holds out inducements and
practically offers premium to the vicious