The Rock Island Argus., 1883-07-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent. ]

WASHINGTON, D. c., June 80, 1888,
The commissioner of pensions in his
last report presents mass of interesting
statistics, and he also indulges in some
curious estimates, After presenting sew
eral tabular statements, he adds: "As
near as ! can ascertain there are about
$4,000 representatives of deceased sol
diers who have not yet applied for pen
sion" And again: The general propO-
sition, however, is presented, with the
best available information at hand, that
there is a surviving soldier population of
little over 100000, out of which
claims for pension in the future may be
made by those who incurred pensionable
disabilities"
1t is evident that the restless spirit OF
Mr. Dudley will never be at ease uatil he
shall have granted pension to every
surviving soldier of the civil war, and to
the relatives of those who are dead.
Alexander wept for more kingdoms to
conquer and Mr.. Dudley weeps for more
pensions to bestow Unfortunately as
the law now stands there is no authority
for the commissioner to grant pension
until an application is made. The vol
ume of business of the Office could be
greatly increased by making it obligatory
upon persons to receive pensions,
The present system of drumming up
business, after the manner of commercial
houses, by means of several hundred
special examiners is working admirably,
but the scheme is deficient in several par
ticulars and hardly comprehensive enough
in its scope. Some claims, through the
unsympathetic natures of special exam
iners, are unavoidably rejected
and it occasionally transpires thai
no individuals can be found
and witnesses, in which case the pension
lapses and the money remains unex-
pended.
On the whole, it is an undisputed fac
that there is q vast amount of money in
the treasury that cannot under the pres
ent laws be circulated among pensioners
or disbursed in the expenses of the pen
sion office Though there are still owe
100000 persons who may be induced b,
proper canvass of the country to fill
claims for pension, yet the cash in tn
treasury is constantly accumulating ant
more than supplies the demand. Here
grand opportunity for timely legislation
A bill to facilitate the granting of pen.
sions to these who will not apply TO
them, ought to receive the earnest sup
port of every true patriot in the present
congress. "There's millions in it."
Pensioners are proverbially long
lived class, but the last report of the Com
missioner of Pensions shows death rat
among them so low that it hardly seem
credible. 1t appears that on June &c
1882, there were on the rolls IT'S, ,499 in
valid pensioners, and during the year end
ing on that date the names of 1,935 inva
lid pensioners were dropped by reason @
death. This shows an annual death rat
of 11.2 per thousand. In ordinary health
communities the annual death rate
about % per thousand, or IN other word
impartial fate" is about twice as apt t
knock at some other persons gate than a
the gate of an invalid pensioner.
Among the pensioners of the war {
1912, we find that, with total of 81, ,79
pensioners, there were during the yes
1,450 deaths, an annual death rate of 4
per thousand, or about twice as great
death rate as among the entire popula
tjon. Yet the former class of pensioner