Evening star., 1915-02-07

bursement of disbursng officers for
United States funds lost without negll-
gence.
The government now permits suit to
be brought against it for goverlI-
mental use of patented inventions. one
set of cases now pending involves the
use by the government of certain wire
less apparatus which the claimants as
sert are covered by United States pat
ents.
"A typical recent case of suit brought
by an individual directly against the
government is that of property own
er near Annapolis, Nd. He alleges
that in firing practice, proJectlles IRE
quentIy ricrochet over his land, max
ing it dangerous to work there, ana
this. he asserts, Is techhical TAKING
of his land for public purpose
you will observe that here. as in
MANY of the cases against the govern
ment, the action is based on the nith
amendment to the CONSTITUTIONS "hlch
forbids the taking of private property
for public purposes without due com
pensation being made.
ITO give some idea of the magnitude
of this class of business in which the
Court of Claims stands as Uncle sam
conscience, / may state that the amount
claimed in pending suits under con-
tracts of the navy for the building OF
war vessels is about s10.000.000; the
dry dock litigation approximates 81
400. 900; patent suits in the nelghbor-
hood of ss,50O,O00; suits growing out
of the improvement OF rivers ana mar
bors involve several million dollars.
"One set of claims, known as the dl-
visor cases, involves $30.000.0o0. They
arose from an order made ny tne foSt-
master General in 1907 chaneins the
method of computing the weighing OF
the mails carried by the railroads. 1t
reduced the amount paid to those roads
by one-seventh. Seven hundred ana
seventy-hve railroads have hied cialms
for the recovery of this additional one
seventh over the amounts paid accru-
ing during the life of the contracts:
Certain of the cases were seiected as
test cases. The Court or Cialhs rem
dered Judgment in favor of the claim
ants The government obtained re-
hearing, the cases were again trled on
their merits and were decided III 1avor
of the government. Ihereupon ,ne
Court. where the cases are now dock
eted.
Another classification of cases pend
ing before the court is known as ae.
partmental cases, involving questions
referred by the heads of the various
executive departments where the opln-
ion of the court is desired for 1nforma-
tion and guidance. About n1ty SUCH
cases are now pending.
Congress annually refers 10 the
court about $500 cases for findings as
to what, if any, amount of damages Is
due the claimants. Many of these cases
are those where the claimant is bar
red under the statute of limitations
from bringing his suit direct. The
court certifies it's findings to Congress
and Congress pays or declines TO pay
as 1t sees fit About s15,000,000 of these
cases are now pending.
Then there are the Indian depreda-
ton cases, in which claims are made
of
stroyed by Indians belonging to any
band or tribe which are wards of the
government More than 500 of these
cases, involving more than 100000
are now pending.
But of far more general interest to
the public is the historical side of the
court AS ] told YOU at the start, the
history of the country could very well