The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-10-27
Pensions.
COMMISSIONER puDLEY's REPORT.

WASHINGTON, oct l9-Ihe port Of the
commissioner OF pens ous for the fiscal ar
ending June 80, 1888, shows that there we're
303, G5S penso crs on the 10 ls at the end of
the hscal year Daring the y ar the names OF
40 whose pensous had been DR. pped pre-
vons were restored to the roll making
3s, 95S PENSIONS aided during the year an
excess Of lO,6iJ over the preceding year.
The average annual value of each pensou is
SlI8, aud the fggrtg.te ANIMAL value
ut al pensions Was 49,, ,2i5, 1872, all il
crease Of S29O,4,9 ine amount pad
for p n-ious aas SGo 0Gi. .OOV, exc ed ng
The annual value by sverat millions =
dollars. TIE bulk OF I IL excess wa. on se-
cou Z Of arrears OF pe,.lous COVERING the
p rod pr 10 the allowance of claims. Tue
Appropriation for sa ari, = a al fe To lensloa
a eats was exhausted, aud there l. balauce
due agcus Tue lie lumber II Gains
flied eince 1861 was $50 1877. OF which Jl.-
93s W re allowed Dur.n- ths sam tine
49,, lu7, 237 were AID out Tor pensions aud
| cos OF usOur- ments. ihe perc mage al
low d OF arm, c!a m al Il has d, creased tr' IN
1G7 per cut ia 1897 to 80 4 per cent in
1850 The teport mex dwcIls UPON the q I'll
cult e, exp ri need Ia dl-cip ini x tue large
additional clerical force al owed by congress 10
settle riears of peusion cases. SO large an
addition 10 tbe iurce Of tue office consumed
| time and altent on OF more Experienced ex-
am uers and clerks. Yet. 40 well was the work
Of us rue IN. new cleiks push forworI, that
they wer 30 III Efficient. NOT ony wee oil
ella ms involving Arrears ,xamIned and prul er
cal, made fer eyl .cnce, bu. 1t was uune o
rapidly tia Ike examinations AID calls foi
ties imOny of one cha acier or smother were
ma te III upwards OF l00,UUO clali&s fird
slnce the arrears. ILose emitted to arrears
nave been shown 10 defaul Ia M eting Of
fers (, r he pr, m II settlement o. tAcip claims
III 1 Il IA b,.s
wiz 80 claims wera I'll Il GniHg three
years sub equ'n nj 10 he arrears act have not
b en yer, & netally Afford Id even opp uu-
t. = t. rove tItir cam, unai The past year;
yet tney have SO respuudc that but 40 per
cent of The claimants OF lhi- a-s ar In de-
faul upon caiIs mad up II tuem fer cvI . nee,
while ~. 80 of The Other class ,nutlei . ar
rear a 6 III default for -ums cause. Ia 50 per
cent II ne humber petdln-. hi staemeul Is
made III tNp ana loh OF he TACT that u4at 80
many aims have been allowed wnich Nere
tled cubs, Quenily TO Ehe alrcars period While
30 large numbcr tile 1 - MI earlier period re-
mai ed uns"ttl,d when they were presumably
eut.ted 10 precedence
CAUSES OF DELAY.
An eSaminaiIoi shoA"i 2ul -33 cases were
DELAYED by claimants, 1885 by the adjutaut
gen r.l'- Office, 29U2 by tie surgeon gen
e al ofiic aud 23, 523 by he peu.ion flee;
Tut large pcrcen a - OF ,he G se- delayed IN
The pe nson otfc are in the iauLs o SPECIAL
examiners or boar. 3 OF rev. ". A large part
Of HE rporI s"evt d TO a renewal Ut recum-
me, daious mad last year touching the amend
mrnt OF the pension laws lac comm.ssioAer
Gays:
lhe law recently enacted making Il a misde-
meanor bon on the part Of the pledger aud Ilrdgee
10 h, po,hecate prnsou certificate tor debt, Is all
rpaIv bearing fruit by putting stop to thus prac-
tice IN large cities and itsseuing the demand Tor
the dup lcre certificates aud permits Ano let
year Of aggressive enforcement Of that law viii Il
fec'ut.iy END the evils cUmpiained Of Attention
is ,al ed to the fidelity ami aulily with which the
Unprecedented disbursements Of the bureau have
been IN lde by apeuts tur the payment Of pensions,
an average Of S33JT,33l having been disturstd
flom each OF the tig"'een agencies at an annual
expense Of : lB,0U-, and wi hou the loss of doll
lar TO he povrru,nent or complaint u driay from
ben fc>ares.
OF the spec al examination system he com
missiun speak, in CommendatOrv l. rm-. aud
say he Will be ds,p olu'ed II tie savi, & TO
the &, vcrnment eff CT ii by this d vriun viii
not be sufficient def av the costs If / main
tenancr. ii" does nui tank II lncumb mt upon
the gov RIM ut g. be a. fur ntr cxp'use
in en Ieavoring 10 settle lndan pen-ion aims
WIN n the re"ul, OF the special commlss o. set
our To the Indian TIE ritury arr cousdr ii The
res lut,on Of tie ren,te ca linz fer net of all
pen IoneIs necessttt d the mp oyment o. tne
whole ciei lcal iorco ri soy raj pension ageuc -
in It's pr, p"rsto", and he rep I Was
handed III ju.t he ore the adjourn
III ut OI col kIosH, Dut uu-
touch d at he government pIinung Office.
unnl recent date When complete the report
will conri-' of = ven octave y, lumcs about 900
PAGES each, clos 'iy p IN e mater, aud 1t is
urged that 60 Igre-s pr vide for the Wide-t pos
ribe circulation Of the report The secretary
r asked 10 r. commeud that I, G >aarles OF tho
chei review b, atu ot special eX mutation dvI-
zion, eastern, mldGle, western, southt r. and
old wtr and navy divisions b each advanced
10 -, 900, aud tuo-e OF their a-sistauts 10
81 900 each. aud that Of the chiefs Of other
divl IONS tn -, 100 per auuum. Of The cier-
zeal iorce the roinuls-ionrr says II Claimants
will do I cir part by iespo dug TO the call- for
evidence, pres mt force eau easily se tie cash
enough to,Xt cnd, during the incoming t-csl
yea, the iul amount of the svalisbi aplIo-
pratiou BE- xpr, saas be ief that claims
now outstanding will be di-pos of nv July l.
1854, and trusts evidence may BE- f. rthcom ng
{ enabl" the Office TO accomplish his much
t'-be desired I'd. 50 that the "h gh-wa or
marx" ~ annual expenditure for pen,i ns may
be speedily kn wn. TIE rel oItc H. ulcs with
,racefu comp imenrary rei ereuce ~ the
effective labors Of sub iluates