The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1922-05-16

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experience have qualified themsel-
YES for obtaining, examining and
weighing the evidence on which pen
sion claims are based In due time
the Board Of Review gets the case.
No claim Is rejected unless Il has
been considered and disallowed By
an examiner, a reviewer and a final
reviewer, while every claim that is
allowed must have the concurrence
Many times 10 Is necessary 20
make an inquiry in the field, These
inquiries are made In the case Of
doubtful or difficult claims, or those
in which criminal features are in
volved Should a medical question
present itself for solution, !; Is
sent 20 the proper division, which
has the assistance Of about 1000
physicians throughout the United
States. II questions Of law are in
volved, too, these are sent % the
Law Division, which passes on ques-
tions relating 10 attorneyship, guar
dianship, marriage and divorce.
The Bureau Of Pensions under
these circumstances Is not a mere
administrative office. II Is called
upon 20 construe the law and 90
exercise judicial functions, detcrm-
ming the rights Of claimants and u
I the government under the law and
facts, and 10 this manner acts as q
I court The numerous pension laws
have required much consideration
and Interpretation. and there are
I 20 octave volumes containing thD
opinions of the Secretary of the IN
/ terror on questions thar have arisen
/ IN pension cases
OF course, the Pension Buroau
cannot undertake % determine, In
I advance of the filing Of a claim and
/ necessary evidence, whether "A pen
I sionahlc status exists, yet requests
/ for information Of this kind are
/ constantly being received from in
! dividun's who believe they have
/ claims, such as dependent parents,
/ invalids, minors and widows. Each
class, as wei a. each ease Of each
/ class, is governed by laws and reg
ulations, and as already pointed out,
every claim must be analysed by
I experts after It has been filed
Delay a Serious Matter
The speed with which the work is
/ handled depends, Of course, on the
number Of employees. In 1921 there
were s67. a decrease Of 81 from the
| previous year The claims last year
were disposed Of At a cost for sal
I aries and other expenses Of admin
/ istlation 81 SIPS per claim, while
/ the actual cost Of disbursement was
10 IA cents for every 500.
The available force Of employees
| Is not sufficient, however, 20 cope
with the great influx Of claims To
I be IN arrears in the consideration Of
/ claims for pension b. a serious mat
, ter. Comparatively few persons who
are entitled 90 pension are in
such financial condition that they
do not stand greatly In need Of the
money granted by n generous Con-
gress. All we can say Is that the
delay Is absolutely unavoidable and
that claimants must wait with pat
ionoc until their claims are reached
in their regular order. Congress
alone can remedy the conditions as
they exist by authorizing temp
ornry addition to the working force.
On the other hand, liberalization
Of practice has been effected lately,
for the sake Of efficiency. The
Bureau Of Pensions has been often
reproached for a policy and practice
thought 10 be too narrow, restricted
and technical This has been ac-
centuatcd when brought in contrast
with the liberal treatment accorded
the veterans Of the World War both
by Congress and by those charged
with the administration Of the laws
passed for their relief. In the be-
lief that like liberal treatment should
be accorded 20 those coming within
the purview % pension legislation,
the present administration has made
several notifications Of the practice
Of the bureau Whatever grounds
there may havs been for criticism,
the object now Is TO do justice 20
all by eliminating technicalities a.
far A. possible.
Hslplsss Helped First
An instance Of the new policy will
be cited. A provision Of the Act
Of May 4, 1920. grants sl2 a month
To Civil War veterans helpless or
blind. or no nearly helpless or blind
a. 10 require regular personal aid
ma Attendance" Under this pro-
vision ae,e3s Civil War veterans
snnlled Tor the s72 rate during the
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