The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-11-28
THE PENSION OFFICE.
Commissioner BentIey's Annual Repe

Commissioners BentIey'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
30th 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 is
composed of 1875. $50 army invalid pensioners,
81, ia army widows, children, and dependent
relatives, ,S44 navy invalids, LIE navy
widows, ETC., II ,62l surviving soldiers of the
war OF 1912, and 1894 widows Of deceased
soldiers of that war; During the year 81 $40
new names were added to the list. and 90S
names which had previously been dropped
from the rolls, mainly from failure for three
years to claim their pensions, we're restored,
and IL, 497 were for various reasons, cropped.
I he aggregate amount Of one years pension
to all pensioners the rolls Is S25 493, 742 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 ac-
crued pension due at the time of admission,
which is paid at the first payment
During the year the first payments TO new
pensioners amounted to $5,763, 75S, of which
1873, l47 was paid to army and navy invalids,
widows, etc. and S1,3SS, GIL to survivors and
widows of the war OF 1872. The fret payment
TO pensioners OF the war OF 1872 will rapidly
fall Off, 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 JAM % and March 8, 1879
The above-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
dehclency In the pension appropriation for
the current fiscal year az nearly as can now
be estimated as follows: $1,000, COO army pen
sions 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 1856, Gas unset
tied claims for arrears, an increase over last
year of IT, 25S To them are TO be added about
10000 old claims which were revived by the
Arrears act OF Jan. %, 1879, or called up from
the rejected files since that date, for further
consideration, and these, with the new claims
filed since the close of the year in excess of
the number settled added to the number shown
by the record, will aggregate fully 100000
Since the pass &c of the Arrears act new in
valid, widows MINOR children, and dependent
relatives claims have been filed at an unprece-
denied rate, the invalid claims being more than
double the rate Of the receipts at any previous
period except in 1866, and the widows class ex-
ceeded any year since 1867, ana twice as numer-
on. as any year since 1871.
IL is estimated that at the close of the year
there will be not less than 250, 600 unsettled
cases before the office.