The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-11-19
,ERMS $500 PER ANNUM IN ADVANCE.
Pensions.
Report Of Commis.leuer RaLer.

Report of Commissiener Baker.
uen' y. ID. Baker, Commissioner of Pen.
sions, under date of October Is, 1874, has sub
mitted his annual report to the Secretary of
the Interior During the year. 5,75S new ap-
piicatlons for army invalid pensions were al
-oweu' at an aggregate annual rate of $50, 332.-
oo; the pensions of SO63 pensioners of this
class We're increased at an aggregate animal
rate of S416,257.5O; the losses to this roll from
death and other causes were 3l05. whose man.
sons. with amount of reduction of the rates
OF other Invalid pensions, aggregated S377,-
452.5 .55 annually
THE ARMY PENSION ROLL
On the Both of June, 1874, there were IO2.-
457 army invalid pensioners on the roll. Tbe
aggregate annual pay of this class was S1O,-
O5o, o,3I753 The increase in the number of this
class was 1858, and the aggregate increase Of
pensions was S43l ,l37.4s. During the wear
3O5l new pensions for army widows and de-
pendent relatives were allowed, at an aggre-
gate annual rate OF SIG I433, and the pensions
OF I2,932 pensioners of this class were increased
at an aggregate annual rate of S4O8, III .22.
There were stricken from the roll of this class
of pensioners, 1923 names whose pensions ao-
g6egated 81 ,25O11305 Cn the 36th Of June.
1873, there were on the roll of army widows and
dependent relatives, 1O7 516 names, at an ag-
gregste annual rate of S'3,537, 1856 the de-
crease for the pear being 4572 names. and the
decrease OF pensions of this class being S424.-
$500
THE NAVY PENSION ROLL.
On the 3Oth of June there were 1851 navy in
valid pensioners, at an aggregate annual rate
of $780, 492, an increase in the wear of 12I in the
nun Der of pensioners, and S1S,954 25 in the an
nuai rate OF pensions of this class. On the
3oth OF June there were 1885 pensioners on the
tne navy roll OF widows and dependent rela-
tives at total rate of S287, ,534 an increase for
the year of Is in the number of names. and
S6,9S in the rate of PENSIONS.
THE VETERANS OF 1872.
The names of 571 new pensioners were adj
ded to the roll of survivors of the war of 1872.
and l2l7 OF this class were lost by death, leay-
ing on the Both of June 1880 pc nsoners of
lnls class at total annual rate of 81, ,69l ,52-a
decrease TOR the year of GAG in the nnmbe. of
pensioners an 62 ,0l6 in the rate of pensions of
TINS class The names of 813 widows of SOL
dlers OF the war of 1872 were added to the roll
ana 554 were lost by death during that period,
leaving, on the 30th of June, 5312 pensioners
OF this class, an increase for the year of 259 i'm
the number OF pensioners, and S24, 1854 in the
rate of pensions
WIDOWS OF REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS.
The total number of pensioners of all classes
on the Both of June 30, 1874, was 236, ,241. de-.
crease OF 2l7O during the year; the aggregate
80, was $26, ,254,O71 10, decrease from the pre.
cedlng yea, OF S5645 13. The roll contains the
names of 40 widows of soldiers in the reyolu-
tionary war.
Certain specific increases allowed to invalid
pensioners, by laws passed at the last session
OF Congress, and the steady increase in the
number on the invalid pension roll, will proba-
o'y Dring the disbursements to invalds for the
present hscal year up to those of last year; but
IN the payments to widows, minors, &C., re-
ductIon may reasonably be expected.
BOUNTY LAND WARRANTS AND CLAIMS.
. f..av
warrants were allowed, the warrants calling
for 30. $40 acres of land. The number of APP
p!icatioos for bounty land received during the
year was 529. There are now upon the suspend
et files OF the Office nearly 100000 applications
for bounty lands. OF this number $50 cases
were prose cuted during the year. The exist
ence OF suspended claims is temptation to
INSCRIPTIONS agents to fabricate testimony
with view to obtaining the allowance of
CLAIMS not admissible upon existing known ev-
ldence. The last act of Congress granting
bounty lands has been in force for twert ty years
sufficIent time for all those who are entitled
10 It's benefits to avail themselves of its proyis-
ions. 1t would, therefore, in the opinion of
the Commissioner be consistent with Justice,
and for the in crest of the government that a
limit should be put by Congress to the period
during whichstho various acts granting bounty
lands shall continue in force.
PENSION FRAUDS.
During the last fiscal year the Secret Service
Division has performed important service in
the detection and prevention of fraud in the
prosecution OF claims for pensions Claims
were investigated by this division numbering
1853, and during the year thirteen persons were
convicted CT violation of the law relative to the
prosecution of claims, and five awaited trial at
the close of the year.