The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-10-19
Report Of the Commissioner OF PEN

The annual report of w. W. Dudley, COM
missioner of pensions, shows that at the
close of the fiscal year ended June 80, 1889,
285,695 pensioners had been classified, as
follows:
Army invalids. acknowledgements. 1913
Army widows, minor children and
dependent relatives ves...,............ 16,44S
Navy invalids. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 2,3Gl
Navy widows, minor children and
dependent relatives ves................ l,S53
Survivors of the war of 1872. ....... 7,l4
Widows of those who served in the
war OF 1917. ......... A,OOl
The names of p, ,G64 new pensioners were
added to the rolls during the year, and the
names of 649 whose pensions had previously
been dropped were restored making an ag-
gregate increase to the rolls of 28,3l3. The
names of II, ,446 pensioners were dropped
from the rolls for various causes, leaving
net increase for the year of lG,o67 pension
ers. At the close of the year the pension
paid to each pensioner averaged Sl02.1O, and
the aggregate annual value of the whole roll
was $29, ,341, ,101.62. The report says
''The annual payment of pensions exceeds
the annual value by several millions of dol
lars-that is to say, the total amount paid for
pensions during the year, exclusive OF the
arrears due in such pensions as were allowed
prior to January 25, 1879, was S53, ,924, ,5G6 20;
the difference between this sum and the an
nual value being the arrears due in new PEN
sions computed from the date of discharge
in the case of an invalid soldier, and from
the death of the soldier where pension was
allowed to the widow or Others"
The amount paid during the year upon
first payments to new pensioners was S26,-
421,6 ,669. This amount was paid to 21,7O3 pen
sioners.
The report gives in detail the operations
of the bureau covering the period since 1861,
the tables being arranged by years for the
purpose of ready comparison. A table has
also been prepared which shows the number
of pension claims filed and allowed since 1861
and the disbursements on account of PEN
sions since 1862. This table shows that the
total number of claims filed during the Pc
riod mentioned was 837, 1851; the total num-
Der allowed, 472, 2,776, and the aggregate dis
bursements made, $500, GAL ,32475. Included
in this amount is the sum of $25, ,23f 1886
paid to pensioners for and ON account of
service rendered during the war of 1872.
Another table shows that there are 290,966
claims for pensions now pending, and 75,268
on the rejected files of the office. This ex-
hibit also shows that there were 75,087 claims
filed during the last fiscal year. The special
examination system substituted by Congress
at the suggestion of the commissioner for
the Especial service" is said to be giving
great satisfaction. On this subject the com
missioner says:
This new system does away with the ex
parte evidence formerly in use, SO that the
claimant is now afforded the opportunity to
face the witnesses and to appear in person or
by counsel in the examination of his case.
Inc expenses incurred in this service dur
ing the year amounted to $88,275.23, while
the gross saving TO the government resulting
from the adoption Of this system was about
&645.18a