The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-11-27
COMMISSIONER OF PENSIONS RE-
PORT.

WAsHfSGToN, Nov. ,21.-Hon. J. A. Bent
ley, Commissioner Of Pensions, has completed
his annual report to the Secretary of the IN
terror. 1t shows that on the 3oth of JUNE last
there were 242,755 persons in the United
States receiving pensions from the government.
Thu pension list is now larger than at any pre-
vious time. The present list is composed of
l25,l50 army invalid pensioners lila army
widows, children, and dependent relatives /;
1,844 navy invalids, 1,772 navy widows, etc. I;
1881 surviving soldiers Of the war of 1872,
and Fl ,194 widows of deceased soldiers of that
war. During the year 81 ,346 new names were
added to the list, and 908 names which had
previously been dropped from the rolls, mainly
from q failure for three years to claim their
pensions, were restored, and l3,497 were for
various reasons dropped. The aggregate
amount of one years pension to all pensioners
on the rolls is $25, 493 ,742. Is, but the actual
annual payment exceeds that snm by several
million dollars. This arises from the fact that
nearly all the newly admitted army and navy
cadets have several years accrued pensions due
at the time of admission, which is paid at the
first payment s5ess
During the year the first payments to new
pensioners amounted to So, 763, 1853 of which
$4,375,l47 were paid to army and navy nvalids,
widows, ETC., and 81, 1888, 611 to survivors and
widows or the war Of 1872. The.irst payment
of pensioners of the war of 1872 viii rapidly
fall off, while a material increase may be ex-
pected in the army and navy cases for several
years, owing to the removal of limitation upon
the commencement of pensions by the acts Of
January 20 and March 8. 1879.
The above named acts were passed after the
estimates for the pensions for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1880 was submitted, and were
not, therefore, taken into account when the APP
preparation was mads, and there will be q def
cheney in the pension appropriation for the cur
rent year, as nearly as can now be estimated, as
followsi Five million dollars army PENSIONS
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 30 Of June. 136,645 I'M
settled claims, exclusive of claims for arrears
an increase over last year, of Is 1928. To them
are to be added about 40, 900 old claims which
were revived by the arrears act OF January rs
1879, or called up from the rejected files since
that date for further consideration, and those,
with the new claims filed since the close of the
year, in excess of the number settled, added TIC
the number shown by record, will aggregate
fully 200 600.
Since the passage of the arrears act, new in
valid, widows, minor children's and depend.
emit relatives claims have been filed at an un'
piOcoucHpcu IHIo, INC iuthiiu cldiinn Dclne
more than double the rate of receipts at any
previous period, except in 1865 and the wild
ows' exceeds any year since 1867, and twice a.
numerous as any since 1871. 1t is esti-
mated that the close of the year there will no
be less than 258,000 unsettled cases before tn,
Office.
An examination into the papers in the case.
Of 500 pensioners, whose names have beer
dropped from the rolls within the past three
years and four months because the pension,
have been obtained by fraud, shows the fol.
lowing: 229 invalids established their cases BY
producing 1851 afidavits and certificates, O
which ,233 were false. 0fthe latter, POI wer'
made by officers, 179 by comrades, and 1853 BY
other persons. Two hundred and seventy on,
pensions of widows minor children, and de-
pendent relatives were established and allowed
upon 2,SI6 certificates and afidayits, of which
1851 were false. Ninety-fve of the latte
were made by officers, sixty-nine by comrades
and 1,6S7 by other persons. It is also ascer-
tanned that at least ninety-six forgeries wer'
committed in the 500 cases. There had beef
paid to these pensioners, before the discovery o
their frauds, s547 ,225.