The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1899-06-17
THE PENSION BUREAU.
Interesting Information About the
Most Abused Of Governmental
Departments.

more unpopular than the pension bn-
reauand no officials more systematical-
ly maligned than its head. the commits
sioner of pensions. The first condition
Is the result of liberal congress and
tooliberal Interpretation Of laws, which
threw down the gates and opened the
treasury to the undeserying. The other
is due to the fact that either the com
missioner is too liberal in his interpre-
tation of the laws, which brings criti-
cism from the people, or he is strict in
his Interpretation and thereby excites
the ill will of the pension claimant
Year after year the roll of pensioners
has grown until to-day there are 9o2,-
604 wards of Uncle Sam, who require
an annual appropriation of upwards of
Sl50,000,o00. When il is realized, as
every well-informed man does, that
much of this money is unjustly distrib-
uted the odium which attaches to the
pension Office cannot be wondered at.
The people expect a wise and honest
Interpretation OF the laws relating to
pensions, while many OF the claimants
not only expect, but demand that the
commissioner violate the law in their
particular interest. This is by no
means an exaggeration, for the files of
the pension office are crowded with
claims that have absolutely no merit,
and from each one of these claimants
there goes forth n complaint that the
commissioner of pensions is unfriendly
TO the interests of the old soldier, and
that he should be removed. 1t is the
same experience with every commits
sioner of pensions, democrat or repub-
lican. Some commissioners have made
themselves popular with the claimants
by granting pensions broadcast, but
the wrath of the people was not slow in
making itself felt.
The provisions Of the general pen
sion laws and the rules and regula-
tons established by the secretary of
the interior form the basis of the ac-
ton of the pension bureau in the adj
Indication of claims for pension.
The law places the commissioner Of
pensions under the direction of the sec
rotary of the interior, and therefore the
action of the pension bureau is subject
TO the regulations prescribed by the
secretary. In constituting the pension
laws the decisions of the department,
which are contained in nine volumes
published by the department, are bind
ing upon the pension bureau, and as
nearly all material questions relating
TO the granting of pensions have been
considered and decided by the interior
department from time TO time very lit
tie discretion resides in the commits
sioner as TO the meaning of the acts of
congress relating 10 the subject.
The act of June 81, 1890, as construed
by the secretary of the interior creates
conditions which are not applicable to
claims under the general law, and much
Of the misapprehension and dissatisfac-
ton with the operations of the pension
bureau arise from want OF under
standing MS TO these conditions.
Thus, for example, n soldier is en-
titled TO n pension of SO month un-
der the general law for n single hernia,
while the same disability entities him
to only six dollars n month under the
net of June %, 1890. The loss of one eye
is rated under the general law at ST.
a month, while under the act OF 1870
only six dollars is allowed. a degree
of deafness, which would entitle sol
der TO $50 a month under the general
law, is not ratable under the act OF June
27, 1890.
A widow under the general law is
pensioned regardless of her possessions,
while under the act of June ~, ls0O, the
enjoyment of an income in excess OF
800 per annum is n bar TO pension un-
der that act.
Now, when these different conditions
arise in the same neighborhood people
seldom stop TO inquire as TO the law UNI
der which application is made, and
when claim is allowed under the gen.
eral law nj high rate for degree OF
deafness which does not entitlc to
rating under the new law IL necessarily
results in criticism OF the commission
er. And when widow who is in afiluent
circumstances is granted a pension UNI
der the general law, while claimant
not nearly so well off is denied PEN
sion under the other law because she
Is not without other means of support
than her daily labor, IL seems 20 the
public to be an unjust discrimination
on the part of this bureau.
Yet the law creates these conditions,
and IL Is not within the power of the
commissioner 10 do otherwise than exc
cute the law, and in nearly all of these
cases the pension Office Is blamed in
stead OF congress, which alone has the
power 20 legislate.
When the present commissioners
took charge of the bureau he found
pending many thousands Of claims of
persons who had never received any
pension. and TO this number many thou
sands of similar claims have been added
since that time. He also found n still
larger number of claims pending for
increase, and this class OF claims has
also received large accessions.
AS il was found impossible TO give all
these claims immediate consideration,
,-,.to ..,n .Ic.4nJ .tuxy,ttafy fha ffmp IF