The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-11-20
PENSIONS ANp cRoPs.

Reports of CommIssiOner of Pensions
dudley and Agricultural Department
Ffgures-The Number and Cost of the
Nations PensiOners-The Cotton, Corn
and Potato Crops.
WASHINGTON, D. c., November Is.
Commissioner of Pensions Dudley, in
his annual report for the last fiscal
years, says that at the close of the
year there were 322, ,756 pensioners on
the rolls classified as follows: 2lS,956
army invalids; 1886 army widows,
minor children and dependent relatives;
2,6l6 navy invalids; 1888 navy widows,
minor children and dependent rela-
tives; 3,S9s survivors of the war of
1912, and 1852 widows of those who
the names of 35,413 pensioners were
added to the roll and I6,3l5 were
dropped for various causes, leaving a
net increase to the number on the roll
of 19,098. The amount paid for PEN
siOns during the year was $50, ,90S, ,597.
Since 1861 526, 324 disability claims and
323, 462 death claims have been filed.
OF the invalid claims PIP, ,624, and of the
death claims 2l3, ,OS2 have been allowed.
At the rate claims have been fled for the
past few years the close of the year 1886
win undoubtedly show 100000 claims
filed for pensions since 1861. The total
amount which has been diSbursed to pen
sioners since 1861 is $67s, ,346,834.
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 a claim for want of testi-
mony from these witnesses, and the COM
parative 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 it nee
essary TO inaugurate some method where
by the PoSt-oflice addresses Of as large a
number as possible of the surviving
soldiers of the late war be procured and
compiled into permanent record con-
venient for reference. With this object
in view, suitably prepared printed slips
for name, rank, company, regiment and
Post-office 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 to
military service, could be commenced.
In addition to this the examiners in the
Pension Office 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 $50, 600 names were Sc
cured. It is expected that by January
next there will be arranged and ready for
immediate reference a record of
between 100000 and 10000 names.
The practical use of this rec
ord became Immediately apparent
as soon as reference could be made to it,
and the information furnished by it has
proved of material service in the adjudi-
cation of claims, both as to expediting
the work and the ascertainment of the
necessary facts. Many instances arise
which could be cited, if necessary, show
ing the inability of claimants to procure
material testimony for want of knowledge
of their comrades whereabouts, which
the information afforded by this record
relieves, and often is the means of not
only establishing the right to a pension,
but of opening the way to defeat an un-
Just claim.
The Commissioner observes that the
system of settlement of pension claims
has properly claimed the serious consid
Grafton of Congress for the past two scs-
sions. 1t has not thus far been deemed
wise to change this system, imperfect as
it may seem in its 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 to practical
denial of his claim. On the subject OF
remedial legislation the Commissioner
contents himself by briefly referring to
and recommending the passage of the bill
embracing his recommendations reported
to the Senate, and placed on the calendar
In May last, where it still remains.