Sunday morning globe., 1901-11-24

JeeutlSi SZt GlX-elEhteentns, 80 elbut-
ei~hteenths, IS; teu-eighteenths, SlOi
twelve eighteenths, Sl2; and so on.
All above SIS are grade rates; and
here also the degree OF disability Is
expressed by the same formula, thus,
twenty yfour.eighteenths (third grade),
s2A; thirty-eighte lsecond grade,
$50. There are other higher grade
rates. In both the law and the prac.
tice, the degree and the money rate
are equivalent terms used Interchange
ably,
Evans new medical order uses only
the money rate. He says that is all
the law uses; and he limits the local
medical boards TO the use Of only the
money rate; and he prohibits those
boards from expressing degrees Of dis.
ability mi any way or manner than by
the money rate used In the new law,
So to sl2. Congressman Curtis, Of
Kansas. has been showing up his IL
legal reflections by exhibiting the mcdi-
col reports Of the local medical boards
Evans, TO prevent that. issued this new
order to the local boards for conceal
ing the degree of disability in each
c0se.
All pension laws constitute a pension
code 10 be construed together in pari
materia.
Evans, In his report for 1899, pages
96-7, ridicules and tries to bring into
contempt local medical boards for rat.
ing nev-law claims in eighteenths, as
twenty-One-ei ghteenths degree i'm the
sum OF the several fractions used for
different disabilities where the money
rate can be only S12 by that law.
This ridicule was to intimidate the
boards. Since then he has issued that
order prohibiting medical boards from
using separate degrees and from using
eighteenths and using degrees at all,
and from rating disabilities higher
than Sl2 under the new law, and from
rating the separate disabilities sepa-
rately. See Ann. Report Of 1900
This is I'm plain violation OF the act Of
March g. 1895, which was passed to
head on the same practice devised by
Lochren to mistify the degrees and
reduce IT, It conceals the true disabili.
ties i'm many cases, and the full extent
of the veterans condition Judge
7
outgoing Commander in-Chief Of the
G. A. r., characterized this order
against degrees, as an order How not
to do IT, and said:
"I know il is astonishing to
make this charge, but it is
more astonishing, upon care
"ful investigation, to find the
charge we'll founded 30
The Judge claimed the order was
framed to give the medical referee in
the bureau a free lance In his same
address Judge Rasseur, on Evans ridi-
culing the local medical boards for Civ
ing different degrees Of different dis
abilities which added together gave
twenty-One-eighteent I'm aggregate
degree when the rate could be only Sl2,
said:
"The old form Of report
"was adopted many years ago,
"and enabled the examining
surgeons to indicate accru-
"rately and closely the degree
"of disability caused by each
disease He (EvansD also
knew that the casual reader
would be impressed. With
" the seeming imposibilIty Of
"the condition described by
"the examining surgeon, ap-
"parently showing twentyone
"eighteenths disability; and
thence this pulication (ridi-
"culing the local surgeons) for
"the purpose Of enlightening
the public upon the neces-
"sity for the arbitrary and
unnatural powers exercised
"by his medical division in
Washington
The Judge declared that the rating
Of separate disabilities separately, was
correct without regard to the money
rate. the latter not being a medical
question; and that the practice which
Evans ridiculed, was the correct prac.
tice: and that Evans stood in a bad
light. The money rate is a legal ques
tion 70 be fixed by the legal side OF
the Bureau upon the medical degrees
Of disability.
Evans blows hot and cold out OF each
corner Of his mouth While demand
ing a thirty-eighteenth degree OF dis
ability for a S12 rate. He prohibits
the use OF degrees Of disabilities by the
local medical boards.
It is similar on all questions which
he handles; and all he does goes to re
| duction Of law and the legal rights OF
the claimant. He should be in Con
gress, not as a judge in the adjudica
| ton of claims under the law