The National tribune., 1900-09-06

Washington City, Nov. %, and continued
IN session four days, to examine into tht
general pension laws. The Grand ArmJ
was ably represented by Past Department
Commander Patrick at the request of the
National Committee on Pensions. An elab
crate report was submitted to the Senate
Dec. IL, and 1000 copies printed for dis
tribution. The subcommittee said in its
report. ut was evid Ant that, while the
laws are broad and generous, much diff
iIculty has arisen in their administration
because Of obscure phraseOlogy of some
of their provisions and the necessity fol
certain amendments was appIrent.' Or
the matter of administration we quote this
general question by the Chairman and thu
answer:
The Chairman: The ether point, as
understand it, that the Grand Army In:
pressed upon the attention of the presi
dent and this Department is that, in cs
timatinp the amount of pension to be al
lowed. the Bureau shall take cogniZancs
of the several disabilities that the soldier
may have, and aggregate them, so as tC
reach a conclusion as to the amount oi
pension that should be allowed. There
has been Il great deal of contention or
that point, / have noticed, at the meet
ings Of the Grand Army of the Republic
covering Il period of 10 or ~ years. Have
that is the practice in the Bureau at the
present time, or whether the complaint
made by the Grand Army is well found
ed?'
The Honorable Secretary Of the In
terior's reply was in these words:
Il should not like to give a positive
answer, because the details OF the prac
tice are properly left with the Commits
siOner, who can best answer your Ques-
ton"
The Honorable Assistant Secretary re
sponded:
THAT depends largely on individual
cases. There is no general rule Of tha,
sort. Each case stands upon its own
merits. There is no general rule that
could cover the multitude of cases"
The Honorable Commissioner Of Pen.
sions said:
1.-The Bureau does not combine disabili
ties, and an estimate is put upon the com
bined disabilities as shown by the medi
cal examination as to the diSguaiifying OF
the claimant from the performance OF
manual labor as the result Of the com
bined disabilities
I'm other words, we are complying with
the decision of Jan. Z, 1893, and subse.
quent decisions by the Department along
that line.
I'VE are combining disabilities. We are
not combining ratings as given by the
Medical Examiners. But we estimate the
disabilities as shown by the diagnosis OF
the Medical Examiners of the disability
A disease Of the heart might mean con,
siderable under one description and but
little under another. rheumatism might
be considerable factor in disqualifying
one man from the performance of manual
labor, while in the case of another man
it might only be evidence of rheumatism. .
The precise meaning of the Honorable
Commissioners reply is found in these
words from his testimony. He said, in
referring to the activity of claim agents
and attorneys under the act of June II
1890, in explanation of complaints
made:
For instance. in the years 1891, 1885,
and 1893 there were over half million
new names added to the pension rolls"
The Chairman: WAS that largely un
der the operation Of the act Of June n
1SgOY' &c
Commissioner: "Very largely under that
act There were, think. 377,000 invalids
under the act of June 81, 1890, besides
the widows, added to the rolls during the
| three years mentioned. Most Of the com
plaint, | think. comes from the practice
under the act of June, 1890. The very
generous liberality with which it was in
augurated under Order No. 164 stimulated
many men who were pensioned under the
act of July IA. 1862, to transfer their pen
sions under the general law to the aci
of June, 1890, as the law of 1890 was
much more generous under the practice
of Order No. 164 up to $12 per month
than the general laws for persiOning the
soldier that received his disability in the
service line of duty. Order No. 1854 was
issued Oct. 10, 1890. 1t was revoked Jan
| Z, 1S33"-
The Chairman: by the issuance OF
| Order No. 225?
Commissioner: mo; by a decision in
| what is known as the Henry III. Weike
| Case"
The Honorable Commissioner said to
this committee, of the requirement by the
Congress that Medical Boards shall rate
the disabilities of the claimant:
THAT legislation that we have to com.
ply with is not statutory legislation, not
legislation found in the general laws gov
erning the granting of pensions, but it is
legislation placed in the annual appropria-
| ton bills. 1t is the most vicious class
of legislation, 30 far as concerns the work