The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-11-21
Pension Office.


N1o Mr.. Bentley, The Commissioner OF PEN
sions, has completed his report for the year
| ending June 30, 1913. E....,fy..... II .-.
The number of new claims of all classes
! filed during the year was 81 800. OF these
! Is, Ste Mere Eorigtrisl Invalid claims, being
more than double-the- number Of the same
4 class filed in either q, the four years from
ISL = 1874 ANY rs, 1920 Were for
ssyies u sr els one IN Z SIX only
beingtRese Of Widows. sClainsste the num-
Der of 43, I64 were settled at an average cost
for Salaries OF Sl0.15 per ease. The average
cost in lS77 was So 81, and in 1876, SILL.
q The saving, through the increased efficien-
/ cy or the office, including the reduction in
! the salary appropriation, of S33.5J0 in 1877
over 1876, was ESQ, andin 1873 over 1876,
including the reduction Of the salary fund OF
S@3S5, 100, was $3.50, IT. The number Of cases
settled in 1877 was ~ la per cent. greater
than IN 1s.S, and in 1873 5G per cent. greater
I 07Atthb beginning of the year the number
of pension agencies was reduced from SO to
/ 1S,saviDg in salaries for the year $4,000,
making an aggregate saving in the bureau
! for the year Of sS4S3,l72. Since the coBsoli-
\ dRtion the pensions have been paid more
I promptly than before. The paY,serYice has
4 i,dvanced to a high degree Of efficiency.
I. The Co1nmissi oner is of the opinion ithatthe
reduction in the rate of the agents eOmpenr
sation made in, the AppropTfationbi bill for the
current YEN can not be maintained without
injury to the serYice,- and some further al
lowance sheuldsse smasesf9E their expenses,
On the 50th OF June, 1865. There were 223, :
i99s pensioners on the .Tolls, 4 reduction of
, 2,e43- during the yep. II is expected that
the humber Will increase considerably dur
bfne the current year OH account Of the 1872
/ pensions. - 7S'fWEA IEArf--a4sl Tf-,
IEba amount nail FOR narsions DURING N n
year was 5000, .93. 10. OF this amount,
S240, 901.36 was retained from the pensioners
and paid TO claim agents for their fees.
. Thespecial Investigation Of fraud under
Section 4,74f Revised Statutes. cost $685.
$3.50, and resulted a IN saving Of S4e2, G9695,
besides he discovery that many claim agents
and other persons were guilty OF violations
OF. the Pension law. x considerable num-
Tier OF these persons have been Convicted
and punished by The courts, AMI many
others BY suspension or permanent prohibit
tion from practice in the SDepartrnt Z . OF the
Interior. bTs sG9l9sa1 .r0ftoT rD8T
Considerable space is devoted IL he, re-
port to che claim agency system, :. IL to an
explanation of the act OF Congress af June
20, 1876, REDUCING The. cIaim-agent'r &c from
SO to SO, and changing the plan q collec-
ton so as to have agents collect taeir own
fees instead ofhAving them collected by the
GorernmeDt through the pension agencies.
The Commission approves of thelaet, and is
OF opinion that 1t will greatly benefit both
hon est claimants and the Governnent.li z
., The Commissioner reviews his recon-
nendation OF last year and the year before
fs1san entire change in the system of settling
claims by dividing the country into dis
tIicts, and sending into each, district sur
geon and skilled clerk, to examine the
claimsnts, and TO esifect-tre testimony in
support of tlIs Ulaifns He also renews sew
erak other minor rpQommpndatfOnS@af his