Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-11-07
Commissioner Evans Shows Faults
of the System in His
Report.
THE WIDOW QUESTION
Act OF June 7, 1893, Has Opened the
Door For Great d-Guardians OF
Pensioners Hold Large Sums
Pension Attorneys Too Ac-
tive For Young Veterans.


nual report the commissioner of pensions
discussed at length the faults of the pre-
sent system of pensioning and the diff
culties in the way of determining the mer-
its of claims for pensions and increase.
Attention is directed to the friction and
unkind feeling that attends the admins
tration of the act Of Aug. Z, 1892, which
provides that the open and notorious auul-
ferrous cohabitation of widow pension. r
shall operate to terminate her pension,
but the absence of such a law, 1t Is sta
ted. would encourage and permit such PEN
sioners to live in adultery and dishonor
the memory of their soldier hus Oands
while still enjoying the bounty of the "
eminent, and on the other hand the "id-
ow who respects the law and honors So
ciety by legally entering into the mar
riaEe relation loses her pension.
The commissioner says that while the
law is "A most delicate and difficult one
to administer, yet he cannot recommend
ITS repeal
Attention is invited again to the neces-
sity of repeating the act of June L. N9S,
which swept away all limitations as to
the filing of widows claims under the
general law and brought about cond ons
which are stated to be a standing invi-
tation to file fraudulent claims, the ar
rearages being so large. and the chances
of detection so small.
In January, 1900. d rule was adopted re
quiring guardians of pensioners to rem
der to the Bureau annual accounts OF
their receipts and expenditures of pension
money, The rule was followed by dis
closures which, in some instances, were
of a startling nature.
In many cases pension moneys were
shown to have accumulated in the hands
of guardians in sums ranging from 500
to over $4,000. while the intended Dene-
fciary of the bounty of the government
were being cared for in public instituti ons
at the expense again of the public.
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 guard
ian of a pensioner is the agent of the Uni
ted States for the proper expenditure of
pension money in his hands, and that
guardians holding pension funds are sub
ject to the direction of the commissioners
of pensions both before ard after the
death of their wards. 1t was decided also
| that all pension moneys in the hands OF a
guardian at the date of a pcnsoncr' $
death are in the nature of accrued pension
= and therefore, subject to the provision of
the act of March . 1875 with regard 10 the
disposition of such funds.
The report presents "A number of inter
estinE features connected with the fling
of claims for rensio On account OF the
war with Spain and the instruction in the
Philippine Islands. 1t is shown that the
soldiers of these wars enjoy much greater
BENEFITS than were accorded to the sol
diers of tho civil war, in the amount OF
tension granted for the same degree Of
disability. In 1895 the minimum pension
was established at 81 per month. Nearly
10000 soldiers of the civil war received
from 81 to 81 per onth from 1865 to 49,
and disability from loss Of arm or leg
which now entited the soldier to SIS per
month gave him only s. per ironth in 1861
The commissioner says that he Is not
. prepared to believe that those who en-
gagged in the war with Spain many of the IN
sons of veterans of the civil war were | s.
patriotic than their ancestors or NOR,
lCovetuus but in his opinion it is the fdul'
Of the system of pensionng with Its
tive army Of attorneys solicitors and drum
mers. who are practically licensed by tho
government with the promise OF so 'CI
each claim allowed
The commissioner calls attention to til.
unsatisfactory conditions attending the le'
gal and medical adjudicatiOns of claims
for pension.
As a remedy for the abuses which exist
in the present system the commissions
earnestly recommends the following meth
of ascertainng the facts in pension claims
That travelling medical examining
boards be constituted consisting of twf
skilled medical examiners. one attorncl
and one stenographer and typewriter
These boards would meet at the county
seat OF each county say twice year. ant
the claimants would receive notice in id
vance Of their coming.
The movements of the board would b,
directed from the bureau and the clair'
ants can appear before this board witt
:neir witnesses and the merits of thci
claims would be legally and medically dc
termined without any delay.
10, nrt Oh "a Nf
fcials Of the bureau are men who scfv'
in the Union army, that seventeen of th'
eighteen disbursing agents served In tn,
Union army, and that there are now o.
ex-t'nion soldiers and sailors, Ga widows %
eX-Cnon soldiers and sailors and MANY
sons and daughters OF eX-Union soldiers
and sailors employed in the bureau an'
bureau service. each and all desirlouS
says the report of doing promptly and g'n
,rously their duty under the law IN Civ rt
the full measure OF generosity of the gov
eminent to its lawful beneiiciaries'