Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-22
Pension. Statistics.
REPORT on, THE COMMISSIONERS.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2l.--Hon. J. A. Bentley,
commissioner of pensions, has completed his
annual report to the secretary Of the interior.
It shows that on the seth of June last there
were 242, Isl persons in the United States draw
ing pensions from the government. The pen.
sion list is now larger than at any previous
time. The present list il composed of $3.50
army invalid pensioners, 8l,lN army widows,
children and dependent relatives, 1874 navy
invalids, l,772 navy widows, and II ,621 surviv-
ing soldiers of the war of 1912, and a, 194 Wild
ows 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 failure
for three years to claim their PENSIONS were
restored. and 13,494 were kfor various reasons
dropped. $500. s.r.a-. : cs '.5ts
to all pensioners on the roll. il @25, 742. Is,
but the actual annual payment exceeds that
sum by several million dollars. This arises
from the fact that nearly all newly admitted
army and navy cases have several years &C.
crued pension due at the time of admisaion,
which IL paid at the first payment. During
the year the first payments to new pensioners
was paid to the army and navy invalids,
widows, ETC., and $l,3SS, GIL to survivors and
widows of the war of 1872 "a The
first payment to pensioners of the
war of 1912 will "a rapidly fall off
while q material increase may be expected in
army and navy cases for several years. owing
to the removal of limitation upon common
amount of pensions by tho acts of January
25th and March Sd, 1879. The above named
acts were passed after the estimates for the
pensions for the fiscal year enning June 3Oth,
1880, were submitted, and wero not, therefore,
taken into account when the appropriation was
made. and there will be deficiency in the pom
sion appropriation for the current year. az
nearly Is can be estimated, as follows: $4,000, :
600 army pensions and 930, 900 navy pensions,
which should be provided for in order that
pensions for the June quarter may be prompt
ly paid. .-, -. - IS 49,. .sln.' .
There were on the SOth of June ls6, Gas un-
settled claims excessive of claims for areas,
an increase over last year OF $l62, 008. To them
are to be added about 10000 old claims which
were revived by the arrears act of January 25th,
1879, or called up from rejected files since that
date for further consideration, and these, with
the new claims flee ssince 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 passage of arrears act new invalid
widows. minor children and dependent rela-
tives' claims have been filed at an unprece-
dented rate. The invalid claims more than
double the rate of receipts at any previous PEI
Rod except In 1865, and the widows class ex-
coed any year since 1867, and are twice a.
numerous as any year since 1871. 1t il esti-
mated that at the close of the year there will
be not less than 250, 900 unsettled cases before
the Office. s-s
An examination into the papers in the cases
of 500 pensioners whose names have been
dropped from the rolls within the last three
years and four months, because pensions have
been obtained by frauds, shows the following:
Two hundred and twenty.nine invalids
established their cases by producing
1851 afidavits and - Certificates, of
which 1888 were false. or the latter 29l we're
made by officers, 179 by comrades, and 763 by
other persons. Two hundred and seventy lone
pensions Of Widows minor children and de-
pendent relatives were established and allowed
upon 2,S16 certificates and afidavits. of which
1851 were false. Ninety-one of the latter were
made by officers, 1893 by comrades, and 1857 by
other persons. It ia also ascertained that at
least ninety-six forgeries we're committed in
the 500 cases that had been paid to these PEN
sioners before the discovery of their frauds,
@5,472.25. .-,fs. ~"