The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-11-18
THE NATIONS WARDS.
Thirty Millions Year Paid to Soldiers,
Widows and Orphans.

Thirty Millions a Year Paid to Soldiers,
Widows and Orphans.
Fl. M. Atkinson, Commissioner of Pen
sions. has completed his annual report to
the Secretary of the Interior. 1t shows
hat the number of pensioners added to
the rolls during the Last fiscal year was
II, 557, and the number dropped by rea-
son of death, re-enlistment, remarriage,
expiration of minors pensions, failure to
apply within three years, or the discov-
ery of fraud, was II, GIT, making. net
decrease of 400. The number of pen
sions increased was 1861. The total
number of pensioners borne upon the
rolls June 80, 1875, was 234,821, by
classes as follows:
Army invalids. .105, ATS
ARMY widows and dependent relatives - 104, 1886
Services of the War of 1872. ........... 1875
Widows Of soldiers of the War of 1S12...... 5,163
Navy widows and dependent relatives. LEA
TOTAL. .Z04, ozl
Of the widows of Revolutionary sol
diers, Is who were married prior to the
year 1900 and $3.50 married subsequent to
that date are still on. the rolls. They,
with 1909 half-pay widow pensioners,
are embraced in the class, "Army widows
and dependent relatives" The invalid
roll continues to increase, and, notwith-
standing its losses, numbered 3,021 more
on the seth of June, 1876, than at the
close OF the preceding year. and for the
first time since 1863 exceeded the roll of
widows and dependent relatives. It's in
crease largely counterbaances the losses
L.. al
of the aggregate roll comparatively small.
It's annual rates are also steadily increas-
ing. In 1871, the average rate of pen
sion paid to the army invalid pensioners
annually was $89. 18; in 1872, 800. 26; in
1873, $96. 49, In 1874, sos. IA; and 1875,
$1O3.91, or 1866 per month. The rates
vary from 81 to $50 per month. The in
crease in these rates increased the aggre-
gate annual amount of the whole roll
during. the year $44, 733. Is, although it
had lessened In number, and the rates
of the widows roll had been largely re-
duced by the expiration of minors pen
sions. - .aitf
The total disbursements of the Pension
Bureau during the last fiscal year werc
sos, 683, 49, 3, leaving balance from
the appropriations of 1871, 1881, which
has been covered into the Treasury.
The appropriations for the current
fiscal year were. For army pensions,
500, 500 900; for navy pensions, $500, 600;
total, $50, ZOO, 600.
During the past fiscal year IL, 236 orig
inal applications for army and navy in
valid pensions and Till claims for in
crease of the same class were received,
and 933 claims have been withdrawn
from the rejected files and reopened upon
additional evidence. At the close of the
year there remained upon the pending
files 80, 228 original and 6,722 increase
claims of this class. 1t is estimated that
by the fourth day of December. next
there will be fled in this office IL, SOC
applications for increase of pension,
based upon the biennial examinations OF
Sept. last.
OF the soldiers who served sixty DAYS
in the war of 1872, II per cent. have beer
pensioned under the act of Feb. IA. 1871
Including the widows of such soldiers
pensioned, the proportion is 81 per cent
Of the number of claims fled under this
act, 19I per cent. have been rejected be
cause the period of service did not equa
the number of days (sixty) prescribed BY
the act. The number of soldiers who
served sixty days or more during the wal
of 1872 was 296, 916; the number who
served less than that time was 232, 1913
During the fiscal year ], $50 claims were
investigated by the special agents of the
Bureau. The amount of saving to bt
credited to this service during the pas
year was as follows:
Saved per annum by dropping names from
roll. Observation-Disclosures. $15928.9
Recoveries in cash. 16398.N
Reflections. 112 225.1
L