The evening times., 1900-06-12

Henry Clay Evars. Commissioner Of Pen
sions, said today that the number of claims
filed Up TO date under the recent Grand
Army Pension law is not as great as had
been believed 1t would be. The law indi-
Gated is an amendment OF sections and 3
Of the "act grating pensions to soldiers
and sailors who are .1capacitated for the
performance Of manual labor and providing
for pensions to widows, minor children and
dependent parents" which was approved
June q, 1880. The act amending the act
recited was passed during the closing
weeks of the late session of Congress, and
was approved by President Mckinley on
May 8.
Ii is the understanding at the Pension
Bureau that the number Of widows claims
to be filed under the new law will ap-
proximate 35.OO0 There are on the files
OF the bureau that number OF rejected
cases, which may be again called up by Iea-
son OF the provisions OF the law CT 1890.
Not all will be, however; as many of
the claimants have died, remarked, or
risen above the pensioBable status. On the
other hand, new claims will be filed in con-
able status. and il is believed that these
will eiIset the old claims that will not be
renewed Many OF the rejected cases have
been lying in the Pension Bureau since
1880. Mr.. Evans believes that Gains of the
character provided for will be fled faster
within the next few months. as the Law
comes TO be better understood.
The law in question is OF great interest
II is said, to the Grand Army OF the Re
public At the National Encampment OF
that organization At Philadelphia, in Ccto-
Der, 1888, resolutions were adopted setting
forth that rule Z25, promulgated by VII
liam Lochren, Commissioner OF Pensions.
and approved by Secretary Smith. on June
=, 1898, works grave tnJustfc--,,,- -rfI,.-
worthy ex-soldier and ex-sailor," and the
encampment further resolved that the
practice IN the Pension Bureau OF barring
NldoW claimants who have an income OF
Sso year be discontinued, and We warmly
endorse the recommendation Of the Com
missioner OF Pensions that the limitation
be increased TO $50 a year"
one OF the material changes made in the
act OF June p. 1890 is that inserting the
words 'or disabilities after the words
physical disability and further inert
ing the following;
snail be entitled 10 receive a pension
not exceeding Si2 a month and not less
than Sc month proportiored 10 the de-
gree OF inability 10 earn a support; and in
determining such inability. each and very
inhrmity shall be duly considered and the
aggregate OF the disabilities shown shall
be rated"
The pension authorities make no esti-
mate OF the number Of new claims that
may be nled under this extension Of the
rules Of rating. But most OF those pen
sioneTs who were dropped from the rolls
IN consequence OF the order OF Mr.. Loeb
ren VIII be restored either In their own
names or those of their legal representa-
uves- Under Green p. Raum's ruling IS
10 ratings. large NUM- Der Of pensions were
granted. and under the subsequent change
made in the rates by Mr Loehren. a re-
vision or pensions formerly granted was
made, and the result OF such revision was
the dropping OF the names of many pen
sioners from the rolls on the ground that
they were not disabled within the mean
Ing OF the act Of June q. 1890. from earn
ing a support by manual labor; and the
d nsions OF many pensioners were reduced
on the ground that the disabilities upon
which the former ratings were based we're
rot such as 10 eat..fe them 10 the rating
then received.
Since Mr.. I1ochren's famous order. many
cases Of soldiers have been rejected for the
reason that while admittedly they were
suffering from disabilities which disabled
Them from the performance OF manual "a
Dor. such disabilities we're not OF a degree
amounting 10 inability 10 earn a supper:
That revision OF rates. though, il is SAID
was not complete and there are many SOL
clers living today undisturbed in their en-
3oyment Of the ratings allowed during the
Raum administration while others are not
The present officials Of the Pension Bu-
reau expect some difficulty in eaualiziug
the rates Of pc sions