Evening star., 1902-02-22

ance companies. OF the claims now pend
ing ing over tnresfifths are owned by insnr
claims properly payable by the government
amount to upward Of $500,00O.
The Selfridge Board.
Claims under the Selfridge board findings
are for accounts against the government Of
builders Of naval vessels during the civil
war. Changes in contracts on the part Of
the government, the rapid rise in cost of
material and rates Of labor during the war
caused many contractors to lose heavily in
carrying out their contracts with the gov
ernment In constructing war vessels. Under
act of March 8, 1865, Congress created the
Selfridge board. consisting of Thomas O.
Seifridge. chief engineer, United States
navy, and other officers, with power to
investigate the claims OF the contractors
and determine the amounts, If any, prop
erly due them. The findings of this board,
still unsettled by Congress, aggregate
$9OO,OOO
The personal injury claims are few in
number and amount to but SIS. 900. These
claims arose from injury and death Of per-
sons In the government employ where death
or injury was caused by the carelessness
OF other employees.
The miscellaneous claims against the gov
ernment aggregate 81 100000 and are for
every variety of cause imaginable. They
include large number Of claims for rev.
enue taxes Illegally collected from owners
claims aggregating S153. 526.37 A large
claim included In this classification is that
Of Smthmeyer & Pelz. the architects of
the Library of Congress building, the
amount being $11k2O0.
Slow in Settling.
1t will be noticed that the greater part
of the claims against the United States
are Of long standing. Many date back to
the earlier wars Of the country and many
are the inheritance Of the civil war. The
Individual claims also are most of them
ancient That the government is slow in
settling these claims is not the fault of
the claims committees Of the House and
Senate, but the fault must be laid at the
doors of Congress itself. Every session the
claims committees pass upon the hundreds of
bills referred to them only to have their
labors unheeded by Congress. During
President Cleveland's administration Con-
gress included several million dollars In the
general deficiency bill for the payment of
claims, but the President vetoed the bill.
Since that time the procedure has been to
include neritOrious claims In a general
measure called an omnibus BILL" and
under this method a large number of claims
have been adjusted and paid. The first om
nibus bill was passed by the Fifty-fifth
Congress and carried appropriations aggre-
eating 81, 146, 1897. In the Fifty-sixth
Congress the House passed an omnibus bill
carrying an appropriation Of s2.9S9, OOS.6 .63.
The bill was amended by the Senate, but
failed to pass that body, being shut out
by the time given to the consideration Of
the river and harbor bill, which failed to
pass after a memorable all-night speech
against it on the closing day of the session
delivered by Senator Carter of Montana.
The claims committees OF the Senate and
House are now engaged in framing an om-
ni5us bill which will include all the meri-
torious claims before Congress, which have
been adjudicated by the Court of Claims
and the various boards created with power
to pass upon claims. If Congress will view
with favor the efforts of the committees
to clear up the Indebtedness Of the gov
ernment In these particulars the govern
ment will stand better in the estimation of
a large number of it's creditors than at
present
1t Is the intention, 1t is stated, Of the
claims committees of the present Congress
to eliminate all Of the bills which are with
out merit and to include in the omnibus bill
being prepared all claims which should be
paid by Congress. 1t is thought this pro-
cedure will result in reporting bill carry
ing an appropriation Of about S0OO,OOO,
leaving the big state claims for subse-
quent legislation, and If the bill thus franz
ed is passed the books Of the government
will be cleared up and a new set can be
opened for consideration of subsequent
claims.