Evening star., 1923-06-23
U. S. Employees Commission
to Proceed Regardless
of McCarI's Ruling.
POL is WITHIN LAW,
DECISION BY DAUGHERTY
Some of 300 Claims Rejected by
Controller Sure to Be AL.
lowed Now.

Following conference with Presi-
dent Harding just before his depar-
ture for Alaska, Mrs. Bessie p. Brueg-
geman, chairman of the United States
employees compensation commission,
today announced the commission had
decided to pay cases dealing with
occupational diseases as formerly"
and again would take UP for consid-
Grafton about 800 pending cases
which had been set aside because of
an adverse decision of Controller
General McCarl. who held the COM
mission was unauthorized to make
such payment
Disagrees with McCnrI.
This announcement means that the
commission, standing upon the recent
opinion Of the attorney general, who
held there was authority In the law
for payment of such cases, and the
unanimous endorsement of this policy
by the House shortly before adjourn
ment, Will continue to interpret the
FEDERAL compensation law to benefit
government employees suffering from
tuberculosis, lead poisoning and other
diseases contracted during duty in
the federal service. Under the deci-
sion of Controller General McCarl. the
commission could not so interpret the
law.
The Commissioners feel" said Mrs.
Brueggeman. after giving thorough
consideration to all OF the elements
entering into the recent discussion
of the act which they administer. and
particularly after an exhaustive study
of the Attorney Generals opinion.
given at request Of the President Of
the United States, that they should
continue to pay cases dealing with
occupational diseases as formerly.
100000 Benefit Under Act.
I'm so doing they wish to empha-
size the fact that they intend to be
as careful and economical. as 1t is
Of retrenchment of undue expendi.
lures of the administration without
impairing the rights, of the 100000
people for whose benefit this act was
created.
president Harding" said Mrs.
Breuggeman. "is In sympathy with
the compensation eommission's point
of view and Is heartily in sympathy
with their acceptance Of the Attorney
Generals decision that they have in
terpreted the act within the original
intent of Congress.
The commissions feels" she added,
that when the House of Representa-
tives last March unanimously passed
an amendment stating the commis-
sion's Interpretation Of the act as
correct, when the Attorney General.
In his decision just issued, states,
after an exhaustive study of all con-
ferences taking place during creation
of the act, that the commission Is cor
rect. and when the President gives his
approval to this they feel they are
Justified In their present procedure"
Some Of 400 to Re Allowed.
The chairman of the commission
further emphasized the fact that the
commission intends to "be most care
full and judicious in handling all cases
dealing with occupational disease"
OF the 500 cases now pending, which
had been filed, but set aside because
OF the adverse decision of the con-
troller general, Mrs. Brueggeman
said, no doubt there would be many
which would not be allowable" but
that some could be allowed.
A large number OF occupational
disease cases. which were on the
beneficiary list OF the commission,
have been kept there since the con-
troller decided against payment. un-
der an emergency act of Congress
during the closing days Of the
session to authorize payment to such
persons for the period Of one year.
All new cases Of occupational dis
eases, 1t is understood, will be taken
under consideration by the commits
sion in the light of it's new policy
today by the chairman.