The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-05
THE PENSION OFFICE.

Commissioner Bentley's Annual Report.
Hon. J. A Bentley, Commissioner OF Pen
sions, has completed his annual report to the
Secretary Of the Interior. 1t shows that on the
Soth Of June last there were 242, 755 persons In
the United States receiving pensions from the
Government The pension-list is now larger
than at any previous time. The present list lie
composed Of l25. $50 army invalid pensioners,
8, TIA army widows, children, and dependent
relatives, 1,S44 navy invalids, 1,772 navy
widows, ETC., ,62l surviving soldiers of the
war Of 1872, and 81 ,19i widows of deceased
soldiers Of that war. During the year 81 ,346
new names were added TO the list, and sos
names which had previously been dropped
from the rolls, mainly from failure for three
years to claim their pension, were restored,
and Ia, 4H were, for various reasons, dropped.
The aggregate amount Of one years pension
to all pensioners on the rolls Is $25 493 7i2 Is,
but the actual annual payments exceed that
sum by several million dollars. This arises
from the fact that nearly all the newly admitted
army and navy cases have several years' &C
crued pension due at the time of admission,
which Ia paid at the first payment
During the year the first payments to new
pensioners amounted to IS, 763, 75S, Of which
$4,37b, LAT was paid 10 army and navy inyalids,
widows, etc, and s7,3Ss, GIL to survivors and
widows Of the war of 1912. The fret payment
70 pensioners Of the war OF 1872 will rapidly
fall on, while material increase may be ex-
pected in the army and navy cases for several
years, owing TO the removal of the limitation
upon the commencement Of pensions by the
acts Of Jan. Is and March 8, 1879.
The aboye-named acts were passed after the
estimates for the pensions for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1880, were submitted, and
were not, therefore, taken into account when
the appropriation. was made, and there will be
. deficiency In The pension appropriation for
the current fiscal year az nearly as can now
be estimated as follows: IS 0OO, coo army PEN
SONS and $4,000 navy pensions, which should
be provided for, In order that the pensions for
the June quarter may be promptly paid
There were on the 30th Of June l36,,645 unset
tied Claims for arrears, an increase over last
year OF IL, 26S. To them are TO be added about
1900 old claims which were revived by the
Arrears act Of Jan. Is, 1879, or called up from
the rejected files since that date, for further
consideration, and these, with the new claims
Med since the close Of the year In excess OF
the number settled, added 10 the number shown
by tho record, will aggregate fully 100000.
Since the passage Of the Arrears act new in
valid, widows, minor children, and dependent
relatives claims have been fled ut an unprece-
dented rate, the invalid claims being more than
double the rate OF the receipts at any previous
period except In 1866, and the wldows' GLASS ex-
seeded any year since 1857, and twice Is numer.
Gus 90 any year since 1871.
1t is estimated that ut the close of the wear
there will be not less than 900 unsettled
cases before the ofico.