The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-07
EVANS CUTS LOOSE
COMMISSIONER Of PENSIONS DE-
RECTs ATTENTION TO FLA
GRANT ABUSES
PRESENT LAW LEADS TO FRAUD
Government Has=No Chance in Ger
tain sWidoys' :. Cases-Stratling 2
Discoveries In GGard-
ianship Cases

WASHINGTON, Nov. Gin his annual
report the commissioner of pensions dis
cusses at length the faults of the present
system of 5pensioning and the difficulties
in the way of determining the merits of
claims for pensions and increase. Atten-
tion Is directed to the friction and I'M
kind feeling that attends the administra--
ton of the act of Aug. Z, 1882, which pro-
vides that the open and notorious adulter-
Gus cohabitation of a widow pensioner
shall operate to terminate her pension;
but the absence of such a law, it is,
stated, would encourage and permit pen
sieners to live in adultery and dishonor
the memory of their soldier husbands
while still enjoying the bounty of the
government, and on the other hand the
widow who respects theta and honorS
society by legally entering into the mar
rage relation loses her pension. For
the purpose of carrying out the pro-
visions of this law, instructions were is
sued in 1856 to special examiners in the
field to take dispositions from widow
claimants showing whether they have Cos
habited with any man as his wife since
the death of the soldier. These instruc-
tions were in force until September, 1897
shortly after-the; present commissioner
took charge of the bureau when he modi-
aminers must never question the claim
ants whether she has violated the act of
Aug. Z, 1882 unless the evidence pro-
cured shall show that she has been liv-
ing in adultery, and then the investiga-
ton must be made carefully and discreet
ly, so as not to cause unnecessary neigh
Eorhood gossip or scandal. The commits
sioner says that while the law is most
delicate and difficult one to administer,
yet he cannot recommend its repeal.
Standing Invitation to Tricksters.
3 Attention is invited again to the neees-
sity of repeating the act of June z, 1883,
which swept away all limitations as to
the fling of widows claims under the
general, law and brought about conditions
which are stated to be a, standing invita-
ton to file fraudulent claims, the arrear-
ages being so large and the chances OF
detection so small. 1t is stated that
widows claims are usually filed within
thirty days after the death of the soldier.
but since the passing of the law of 1883
many claims have been filed by alleged
widows of soldiers that died or were
killed during the Civil war.
Referring to Slave marriages the
commissioners say that with shrewd
and competent attorney, backed by will
ing witnesses, the government has no
chance and if the special examiners of
the bureau endeavor to ascertain the
facts the interested parties at once: cry
aloud that 1.-The spies of the bureau are
prosecuting the poor widows. A number
of .'simple cases. are cited in the report
to show the vicious effect of the law.
The commissioner declares that the law
is an open invitation to fraud, perjury
and Misrepresentation; that the soldiers
themselves get no arrearages and that
the claims of their widows should be
governed by the same rule.
Startling Disclosures.
In January, 1900, a rule was adopted re-
During guardians of pensioners to render
annual accounts of their receipts and eX-
penditures of pension money. The rule
was followed by disclosures. which, in
some instances were of a startling nature.
Guardians We're found to be drawing
pensions long after the death of their
wards. Many cases were found where in.
sane pensioners had been placed in
asyums and other public institutions as
INDECENT persons, while the guardians had
drawn the pension during the whole
period, and either diverted it for other
purposes or allowed it to accumulateife for
the benefit of the pensioners legal rep
resentatiyes. Improper, exorbitant and
e&travagant items of expense have been
authorized and approved by the local
courts. Other cases were revealed in
which the guardians were appropriating
the pensions to their own use, while the
wards were being maintained at public
expense. In many cases pension moneys
were shown to have accumulated in the
hands of guardians in sums ranging from
s., 600 to over $4,000, while the intended
beneficiaries Of the bounty of the gov
eminent were being cared for at public
expense.
The commissioner called the attention
of the secretary of the interior to these
abuses, and in an opinion dated May %,
1901, the secretary decided that the
guardian of a pensioner is the agent of
the United States for the proper eX--
penditure Of pension money in his hands,
ard that guardians holding pension funds
are subject to the direction of the COM
missioner of pensions both before and
after the death of their wards. 1t was
decided also that all pension moneys in
the hands of a guardian at the date of
pensioners death is in the nature of
accrued pension and therefore subject to
the provisions of the act of March g 1895,
with regard to the disposition of such
funds.
Younger Pensioners in Luck.
The report presents number of inter-
esting features connected with the filing
Of claims for pension on account of the
war with Spain and the insurrection in
the Philippine islands. 1t is, shown that
the soldiers of these wars enjoy mucn
greater benefits than were accorded to
the soldiers of the Civil war, in the
amount of pensions granted for the same
degree of disability. In 1895 the mini
mum pension was established at S. per
month Nearly 100000 soldiers of the
Civil war received from ST to 81 PEI
month from 1865 to 1885, and a disability
from loss of arm or leg, which now en-
titles the soldier to s45 per month, gave
him only IS per month in 1866.
While the Civil war lasted for four
years and the casualties were enormous,
and the Spanish american war lasted
only four months, with comparative few
casualties, it is shown that three years
after the close of the Spanish-Am erican
war claims for pension amounting to
about 20 per cent of the number of sol
diers engaged in that war had been
fled while in 1872, or seven years after
the close of the Civil war, only about
per cent of the soldiers engaged in that
war had filed claims.
The report presents some interesting
details regarding the operations of PEN
sion solicitors at San Francisco when the
volunteers returned from the Philippine