The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-11-14
Pension Commissioner pudley,s Report

WASHINGTON, d. c., November 49,
Commissioner of Pensions Dudley, in
his annual report for the last fiscal
years, says that at the close of the
year there were 322,75G pensioners on
the rolls classified as follows; 2ls,95G
army invalds; 1886 army widows,
minor children and dependent relatives;
| 2,Gl6 navy inyalids; 1888 navy widows,
minor children and dependent rela-
tives; 3,S9S survivors of the war of
1872, and 1852 widows of those who
served in that war. During the year
the names of 35,4l3 pensioners were
added to the roll and 1856 were
dropped for various causes, leaving a
net Increase TO the number on the roll
of l9,O9S. The amount paid for pen4
sions during the year was S5G,90S ,597.
Since 1861 52G,324 disability claims and
323,462 death claims have been filed.
OF the invalid claims 272, G24, and of the
death claims 2l3, 0S2 have been allowed
At the rate claims have been fled for the
past few years the close of the year 1886
will undoubtedly show 100000 claims
amount which has been disburscd to pen
soners since 1861 is G7S,3iG,S34
So general had been the complaint
from applicants for pension Of inability
to ascertain the whereabouts Of company,
officers and comrades, often defeating the
allowance OF claim for want of testi-
mony from these witnesses, and the COM
paratiye limited resources of the special
examination service to supply the want In
the large number of cases Of this charac-
ter that the Commissioner deemed II nee
cssary to lnaugurate some method where
by the Post-otllce addresses of us large q
number aS possible of the surviving
soldiers of the late war be procured and
compiled into a permanent record con-
venient for reference. With this object
in view, suitably prepared printed slips
Tor name, rank, company, regiment and
Post-ollice address were accordingly
sent out to Grand Army Republic
Posts, and as early as April last sufficient
number had been completed and received
SO that their arrangement, according 10
military service, could be commenced.
In addition TO this the examiners in the
Pension ONCE were required to note the
names of all witnesses who had been in
the service which they met with in the
examination of claims, so that from this
source alone some 1906 names were Sc
cured. Ii Is expected that by January
next there will be arranged and ready for
Immediate reference record OF
between 100000 and 100000 names
The practical use OF this rec
ORD became Immediately apparent
~ soon as reference could be made to 1t,
ana the Information furnished by 1t has
proved OF material service In the adjudi-
cation OF claims, both as to eXpediting
the work and the ascertainmCnt OF the
necessary facts. Many instances arise
which could be cited, II necessary, show
ing the inability OF claimants 10 procure
material testimony for want Of knowledge
OF their comrades whereabouts, which
the information afforded by this record
relieves, aud often Is the means of not
only establishing the right TO u pension,
but OF opening the way to defeat an un-
Just claim.
The Commissioner observes TINT the
system OF settlement OF pension claims
has properly claimed The serious consid-
Grafton OF Congress for the past two scs-
sions. II has not thus far been deemed
wise TO change this system, imperfect AS
1t may seem In It's operations In some
cases, and remedial legislation has been
proposed which should take from the
claimant some of the burdens which In
their operations amount 10 practical
denial of his claim, On the subject of
remedial degradation the Commissioner
contents himself by briefly referring to
and recommending the passage Of the bill
embracing hie recommendations reported
to the Senate, and placed on the calendar
In May last, where II stu remains.