The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1878-11-02


Hon. ]. A, Bentley, Commi ,sioner of
Pensions, has completed his annual report
to the Secretary of the Interior, showing the
operations of the pension service during the
fiscal year ended June 30, and making sun
dry recommendations for the future. The
number of new claims of all classes filed
during the year was G7 ,jOg. Ofthcse 1S,sl2
were original claims for invalid pensions,
being more than double the number Of the.
class filed in either Of the four years 1871 to
1874; 1920 We're for war of 1912 service,
under the act of March ., 1873. About one
sixth of these claims were in behalf of sur
vivors, the balance were widows claims 49,
764 claims were settled, at an average cost
to the government of SlO.15 per case. The
average cost in 1877 was $l2.Sl and in 1876
Sill. The saving through the increased
efficiency of the office, including the reduc-
tion in the salary appropriation of S83,55O,
in 1877 over 1915, was $lS3, ,O5O, and in 1878
over 1876, including the reduction in the
salary fund of S37,SO0, was S34O,l72. The
number of cases settled in 1877 was %! per
cent greater than in 1876, and in 1878 fifty
six per cent greater than in 1876. At the
beginning of the year the number Of agcn-
cies for paying pensions was, by order of the
President, reduced from fifty-eight to eigh-
teen, saving in salaries for the year $l42,-
600. The aggregate saving in the bureau
| for the year in reduced payments for salar-
les Of all descriptions and reductions in the
number of agencies was $4S2,172; adding
$lS0,O50 for 1877, the aggregate saving for
the two years in these items alone has been
| $GG2, ,222. Commissioner Bentley reports
that since the consolidation the pensions
have been paid more promptly than before,
and the pay service has advanced to a high
/ degree Of efficiency. He is of opinion, how
ever, that the reduction in the rate of the
agents compensation made by the act of last
session cannot be maintained entire without
injury to the service, and that some further
allowances should be made for their eXpens-
es. On the 30th of June, 1878, there were
223,993 pensioners on the rolls, reduction
of 2,645 during the year. 1t is expected
that the number ofpensioners will consider
ably increase during the current year on
account of the 1912 pensioners. Exclusive
of the fees of examining surgeons and the
fees and salaries of pension agents, the
amount paid for pensions during the year
was $2G, ,53O,792. OF this amount $24O,9 ,9O1
was retained from the pensioners and paid
to claim agents for their fees. The special
investigations of frauds perpetrated or at
tempted under the pension laws costs $685.
235, and resulted in saving of $402,O95,
besides the discovery of many claim agents
and other persons guilty of violations of the
pension laws,a considerable number of whom
have been convicted and punished by the
courts, and many others by suspension or
permanent prohibition from practice in the
Department of the Interior. Considerable
space is devoted to the claim agency system
and to an explanation Of the act of Congress
of June 90, 1878, reducing the claim agents
fee from $2j to $40, and changing the plan
of collecting so as to leave them to collect
their own fees instead of having them col
lected for them by the government through
the pension agencies. The Commissioner
approves of the act and is of the opinion that
it will greatly benefit both honest claimants
and the government lie rencws his recon-
mendation of the last year and the year be.
fore for an entire change in the system OF
settling claims by the dividing of the coun.
ty into districts and sending into each dis
trict a surgeon and skilled clerk to examine
the claimants and to collect the testimony il
support ofthe claims. lie also renews sever
al minor suggestions of his last report anc
makes a new recommendation to dispense
with the biennial examinations which he
thinks are no longer necessary.