New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-11
PENSIONS AND THE GRAND ARMY.


The Grand Army Of the Republic has shown
Commenda bic Judgment In declining to be made
the cats paw Of certain diSgruntled claim agents
10 whom the methods Of administration IN
vogue in the Pension Bureau have been more or
less OF n stumbling block. These attorneys
seem to have spared no efforts during the last
eighteen months TO commit the Grand Army as
an organization to some definite disapproval or
the Bureaus present management. and 1t Is dis
tnctly to the credit Of the National Encamp-
uent that at its recent meeting at Philadelphia
10 set lis face unhestatlngy against any such
arbitrary i'll Judged expression Of censure. In
deed, for the Grand Army, in the role Of guard
ian Of the honest pensioners interests, 10 con-
denim the present Commissioner and his meth
DDS Of administration would have been the very
height Of paradox. Certainly under no previous
head has the business Of the Pension Office
been conducted with more zeal. efficiency and
intelligence while the liberality OF its recent
policy has contrastad srikngy with the re-
trenchmcnts and repressions practised during
Mr. Clcvelands Presidential term. Both in dis
continuing the reductions Of ratings begun I'M
der Commissioner Lochran and in expedlting
the adjustment of claims still on the files Com
missioner Evans has shown a sincere desire 10
10 the deserving pensioner or pension applicant
the fullest Justice possible under existing stat
utes: and only by curious perycrsiOn Of logic
could he b. put by real or pretended friends OF
the pension system in the attitude Of an un-
sympathetic or hostile administrator Of the pen
sion laws. Commissioner Evanss vigilance IN
disbarring attorneys who have been discovered
promoting bogus pension claims and his rulings
reducing certain classes Of agents fees may az
count for much of the abusive criticism recently
aimed his way But Il was. OF course beyond
the range Of probability that a serious and in
tcigent body like the Grand Army Of the Re
public could lend itself to an effort 10 discredt,
on wholly trivial and irrelevant grounds the
eminenly satisfactory record made in pension
administration during the first two years Of
President Mckinleys term.
The report on pensions adopted by the En-
campment on Thursday indicates two features
in which the Grand Army veterans seem to
think the present system OF administration
should be still further llbcrazed. One change
desired is an increase in the limit Of income eX-
Guiding a soldiers widow from the benefits Of
The Dependent act This limit. now 500 year.
il is proposed To have Increased 10 500 The
other change asked il revival of Order No.
lC4. issued by General Raum. under which de-
pendent applicant may receive cumulative rat
ingS for various single disabilities, though in
CURED in actual service. instead Of one general
average rating for relative disability estimated
by the medical examiners. order No. lG4 was
reScindcd by Secretary Noble. under the Harr
son Administration, and has been held To be in
valid by all succeeding Secretaries OF the In
terror Commissioner Evans has no power tc
rcinvOkc II now. nor can Secretary Hitchcock
We'll he expected TO set aside arbitrarily the re
peated decisions made in recent years reafiirm
ing the later construction Of the Dependent act
The changes in the pension system which III,
Grand Army desires are. In fact. not TO be &C
complished by administrative but by legislativ,
action. The Encampment itself had this inevi
table solution In view when IL authorized II.
Pension Committee not only TO present It's sug
gestions 10 the President. but 10 lay them sub
sequently before Congress. Both the amplfca
lions OF the present system noted above can D,
obtained from Congress. II that body thinks th
interests Of the pensioner have suffered from
antiquities IN the existing statutes or defectlv,
interpretations OF Congresses original intent
Moreover as at least one OF the Few consiruc
tons desired by the Grand Army committee
that allowing cumulative ratings involves
considerable increase in pension expenditures