The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-12
FACTS FOR PENSIONERS
COMMISSIONER n. CLAY EyANS's RE-
PLY To CRITICISMS.
Instead of Ruling Against G. A. r..
Men, He Has Them-The
Law Strictly Executed.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal,

op-ttdi 70 ne inuidndp OilS journal.
WASHINGTON. June u.-So persistent
has been the fight made on Commissions
Of Pensions Evans by certain factions of the
Grand Army of the Republic that he has
replied to a letter from Senator Hayward
OF Nebraska, giving some interesting facts
touching the workings and management of
the great bureau of which he is the head.
Nebraska's junior senator was appealed to
by his Grand Army constituents TO find out
what truth there was In the reports that
Commissioner Evans had repeatedly and
persistently ruled against Grand Army men
In every way possible since he entered the
Pension Office. Senate Hayward wrote
the commissioner fully all the m
he desired, and Mr.. Evans replied a few
days ago. In his letter COMMISSIONS Evans
goes into details, and some of the facts pre-
scented for the consideration of Senator
Hayward's constituents make very interest,"
Ing reading In the very opening paragraph
OF his letter Commissioner Evans SAYS:
There aIe 1,747 employees in my depart
ment, Of whom $50 are ex-Union soldiers.
and OF this number 452 are drawing pensions
In addition to their salaries. The Board
of Review as now organized is comprised
of one chief, two assistant chiefs. five chiefs
Of sections and 110reviewers. The chief of the
board Is Col f. d. Stephenson, who served
during the entire war of the rebellion as
captain In the observation-disclosures fty-second
Illinois, and later as colonel in the One
Observation-Disclosures Illinois Infantry.
He was severely wounded and Is a pensioner
for that reason. OF the ITO REVIEWERS 20 are
x-Cnion soldiers. A large proportion of
the men employed on the Board of Review
have been connected with the Pension De-
partment In different capacities for from
4uanfu - mir Axn ~
division, whose work Is to settle all medical
questions, especially rates OF pension, con-
sists OF a medical referee. an assistant med
principal examiners and forty-three medical
examiners. The Board of Review. I'm con-
nection with the medical division. is charged
with the adjudication and settlement Of all
claims and their action is generally final
on all questions involved. The commission
er does not see one in a hundred of the
claims that receive the attention of the le-
gal and medical boards. During the first
nine months OF the present fiscal year $1,000
pension certificates have been issued, di-
vided as follows: Original under general
law. 1884. original under the act of 1890,
2,z29; increase and reissue. s.T4l; restoration
and renewal. 1,157: under the act of 1890. in
crease and reissue. 1o,6s5: restoration ana
renewal, 1855; accrued pensions. s,661: du-
plicates. 29R.
All OF the employees OF the Pension Depart
ment are under the protection of the civil
service law. A majority OF them are known
10 be Republicans. There are about 334
employees who are known to be Democrats.
POwERLESS TO GRANT RELIEF.
You are no doubt aware of the fact that
order No. 164. which was promulgated Oct.
ID 1Sc. was substantially revoked by As
sistant Secretary Bussey on Jan. Z. 1893. in
very positive terms. Under this order all
disabilities under the act of 1890 were rated
the same as those of service origin. Your
attention is also invited to the act of 1850,
with reference to claims of widows. which
grants pensions only to those who are
without other means Of support than their
manual labor In cases OF invalid claim
ants IL Is held by the department that dis
abilities under the act of 1880 are placed by
that act upon a different basis for rating
than those under the general law. Under
without regard 20 capacity To earn support
and are graded without reference 10 this
OF 1850 are only pensionable when incapacity
10 labor joins with incapacity 10 earn sup
port. and the grades of ratings are depend
ent upon these two conditions. The bureau
has been extensively criticised for adhering
To this rule, but as my functions are con-
fined strictly 10 the execution Of the law as
i ind II. i am pcwerless 10 grant relief in
cases that do not come within the rule.
1T Is very evident upon a careful ex-
animation OF the act of June. 1890. that it
creates conditions which are not applicable
to claims under the general law. and that
very much or the Misrepresentation and dis
satisfaction with the operations OF the bu-
reau arise from a want OF understanding as
10 these conditions. Thus. a soldier Is en-
titled under the general law 10 ST per month
for the loss OF an eye. but under the act
OF June q. 1890. he receives only SIS per
month, as II does not incapacitate him from
earning subsistence by manual labor. So In
case or deafness. A soldier who is suffer-
ing from a degree of deafness emitting him
under the general law TO SO or SIS per
month has no pensionable status under the
act or 1Sso, as the slight degree OF deafness
In question does not incapacitate him from
earning a support by manual labor. A widow
Is p~ensioned under the general law regard
less OF her possessions. while under the act
or 1880 the enjoyment of an income i'm ex-
cess OF the amount she would receive as
pension Is a bar 10 pension her under the
act. Now. when these different conditions
arise I'm the same nelghborhood people sell
dom stop to inquire as TO the law under
which application II made. and when a
claim Is allowed under the general law an a
high rate for a degree of deafness which
does not entitle 10 a rating under the new
law. IL necessarily results In criticism OF
the commissioners. And when a widow who
Is In ~afffuent circumstances is granted =
pension under the general law. while a
claimant not nearly so Vel OF Is denied a
pension under the new iaS-7ecausc she Is
not without other means o. support than
her daily labor. II seems TO the public to be
An unjust discrimination on the part OF this