Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-07
y('N[ GHIN1EI2 NELED
Pension Commissioner Tells OF
Faults OF HE System IN
His Report.
Difficulties IN Way of Betsrmin.
Ing he Merits OF
Claims.
Spaaish-Am American Var Claims
Already 20 Per Cent Of
Number Engaged.

Washington, Nov. I'm his annual
report the commissioner of pensions
discusses at length the faults OF the
present system of pensioning and the
difficulties in the way of determining
the merits of claims for pensions and
increase.
Attention is invited again to the ne
| cessity of repeating the act of June Z.
1883, which swept away all limitations as
to the fling Of Widows claims under the
general law In January. 1900, rule
| was adopted requiring guardians OF
pensioners to render to the bureau an
nual expenditures of pension money.
The rule was followed by disclosures
which, in some instances, were of a
startling nature. Guardians were found
to be drawing pensions long after the
death of their wards. Many cases were
found where insane pensioners had been
placed in asylums and other public in
stitutions as INDECENT persons, while the
guardians had drawn the pension dur
ing the whole period, and either d.
verted it for other purposes or allowed
1t to accumulate for the benefit of the
pensioners legal representatives. Im-
proper. eXhorbitant and extravagant
items of expenditure were shown, which
had ben authorized and approved by the
local courts. Other cases were revealed
in which the guardians were appropri-
ating the persons to their own use,
while the wards were being maintained
at public expense.
The report presents a number OF inter-
esting features connected with the fling
of claims for pension on account OF the
war with Spain and the instruction In
the Philippines. 1t is shown that the
soldiers of these wars enjoy much
greater than were accorded to the SOL
diers of the civil war, in the amount of
pensions granted for the same degree of
disability. In 1895 the minimum pension
was established at So per month. Near
ly 100000 soldiers of the civil war re-
ceived from 81 to 81 per month. from
1865 to 1886, and a disability from loss of
arm or leg, which now entities the SOL
dier to s45 per month gave him only IS
per month in 1855.
While the civil war lasted for four
years and the casualties We're enormous
and the Spanish american war lasted
only about four months with co.npar-
atively few casualties. it Is shown that
three years after the close of the Span
ish- American war claims for pensions
amounting to about 20 per cent OF the
number Of soldiers engaged in that wal
had been filed. while in 1879, or seven
years after the close of the civil war.
only about per cent of the soldiers en-
gagged In that war had filed claims.
The commissioner does not question
the patriotism of the Spanish American
war veterans. but believes the fault is
in the system OF pensionins and the ac-
tivity and persistence OF pension at
torneys. The report shows that the
principal officials of the bureau are MGR
who served in the union army: that
seventeen OF the eighteen disbursing
agents served in the union army, and
that there are now COL ex-union soldiers
and sailors, sixty-four widows Of exc
union soldiers and sa and many
sons and daughters of eX-union SOL
diers and sailors employed in the bu-
reau and bureau service each and all
desirious says the report. of doing
promptly and generously heir duty un-
der the lawn giving the fa'l measur,
of generosity of the government to its
lawful benefciaries.