Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-11-27
Annual Report of the Commissioner of
Pensions.

Pensions.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 16.
GEN. J. H. BAKER, Commissioner OF
Pensions, under date of Oct. IS, 1874,
has submitted his annual report to the
Secretary of the Interior During the
year 5,75S applications for army invalid
| pensions were allowed at an aggregate
annual rate of $39,332.50; the pensions
of S,063 pensioners of this class were in
creased at an aggregate annual rate of
| $416,2 80; the losses in this roll from
death and other causes were 6,105,
whose pensions with the amount of re-
duction of the rates of other invalid pen
sions aggregated $377, 1926 annually
On the 30th of June, 1874, there were
102, ,457 army invalid pensioners on the
roll The aggregate annual pay of this
class was 0,058, ,377.54. The increase in
the number of this class was 1858, and
the aggregate increase of4pensions was
| $431 ,137.45. During the year 3,051 new
pensions for army widows and dependent
relatives were allowed, at an aggregate
annual rate of $116,4 ,433, and the pensions
of 1882 pensioners of this class were
| increased at an aggregate annual rate of
| $403, 111.22. There were stricken from
the roll of this class of pensioners 1893
| names, whose pensions aggregated ST.
| 250, 1906. On the 30th of June, 1874,
| there were,on the roll of army widows
and dependent relatives 1O7,516 names,
at an aggregate annual rate of $13, 537,-
1876. .56, the decrease for the year being
4,572 names, and the decrease of pen
sions of this class being $424 56803.
On the Both Of June there were l ,551
navy invalid pensioners, at an aggregate
annual rate of $3.50, ,492, an increase in
the year of 121 in the number of pen
sioners, and Sis, ,954.25 in the annual rate
of pensions of this class On the Both
of June there were 1,785 pensioners on
the navy roll of widows and dependent
relatives, at total rate of $685., ,534, an
increase for the year of Is in the number
of names, and $G,984 in the rate of pen
sions.
The names of 571 new pensioners were
added to the roll of survivors of the war
of 1912, and / ,217 of this class were lost
by death, leaving on the 30th of June
1880 pensioners of this class at a total
annual rate of 81 ,691 $50 a decrease for
the year of GAG in the number of pension
ers and $62,061 in the rate of pensions
of this class. The names of 813 widows
of soldiers of the war of 1912 were added
to the roll, and 554 were lost by death
during that period, leaving on the Both
of June 5,312 pensioners of this class
an increase for the year of 259 in the
number of pensioners and $24, 1854 in the
rate of pensions.
The total number Of pensioners of all
classes on the Both of June, 1874, was
236, ,241, a decrease of 2,17O during the
year; the aggregate annual rate of pen
49, Ill IL Inn VNrnc
254, OH 10, a decrease from the preceding
year of S5,64513 The roll contains the
names of 410 widows of soldiers in the
Revolutionary war.
Certain specific increases allowed to
invalid pensioners by laws passed at the
last session of Congress, and the steady
increase of the number on the invalid
pension roll, will probably bring the
disbursements to invalids for the present
fiscal year up to those of last year; but
in the payments to widows, minors, etc,
a reduction may reasonably be expected.
During the year 234 claims for bounty
land warrants were allowed, the war
rants calling for 35,640 acres of land.
The number of applications for bounty
lands received during the year was 529.
There are now upon the suspended files
of the office nearly 100000 applications
for bounty lands. Of this number $50
cases were prosecuted during the year.
| The existence of suspended claims is a
temptation to unscrupulous agents to
fabricate testimony with view to OBJ
| tanning the allowance of claims not ad-
missible upon existing known evidence.
The last act of Congress granting boun-
ty lands has been in force ortwenty
years, a sufficient time for all those who
are entitled to the benefits to avail them
| selves of its provisions. 1t would, there
fore, in the opinion of the Commissioner,
lie consistent with justice, and for the
interest of the Government, that a limit
should be put by Congress to the period
during which the various acts granting
bounty lands shall continue in force.
During the last fiscal year the Special
Service Division has performed impor.
tant service in the detection and preven-
tion of fraud in the prosecution of claims
| for pensions. Claims were investigated
/ by this division numbering 1868, and
during the year thirteen persons were
| convicted of violation of the law relative
to the prosecution of claims, and five
/ awaited trial at the close ofsthe year.
The amount of appropriation that will
be required for the pension service dur
ing the fiscal year ending June so, 1876,
will be $50, SOC, 900.
8 TEST Of honesty-When an employer
|