The National tribune., 1885-12-03
TIE PENSION BUREAU.
Report Of Its Operations for the
Year 1885,.

and Importance. 1t richly deserves printing in
full in THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE, but as our
space absolutely precludes this, we must be con-
tent with quoting few of the salient passages
and statistics.
STATISTICS, ETC.
There were at the close Of the year 345, ,125
pensioners, classified as follows: 2i1, ,456 army
inyalids, 1854 army widows, minor children,
and dependent relatives 2,745 navy invalids;
1926 navy widows, minor children, and de-
pendent relatives: 2,945 survivors of the war
of 1912, and 17,2I2 widows of those. who served
in that war.
Thare were added to the roll during the year
the names Of 35767 new pensioners, and the
names of 1885 whose pensions had been pre-
viously dropped were restored to the roll, max
ing an aggregate OF 81, ,602 pensioners added
during the year. During the same period the
names of 15 233 pensioners were dropped from
the roll for various causes, leaving net III
crease to the roll Of %. 1853.
The average annual value of each pension at
the close of the year is shown to be S11O.36,
and the aggregate annual value of all pensions
| is SIS, 600 9S5.26; an increase over like value
for the previous year of 1864, ,3sl.93.
The amount paid for pensions during the
year is S6497S, ,435 63; an increase in amount
| over the previous year of SS,069.S3S03. 1t will
be observed that the amount actually paid ex-
| ceeds that of the annual value of pensions sew
eral millions of dollars, and this excess repre-
| sents the first payments of pension known as
| accrued in new pensions.
| In this statement it is shown that 300, ,03S
| claims have been filed on account of disability,
and $50, ,2296 on account of death alleged to be
due to causes originating in the service, claims
| for this latter class having been filed by the
| widow, minor children, or dependent relative
| of the soldier.
| Of the invalid claims 800, ,204 and the wild
ows and dependent relatives 22O,S25, total of
| 521 ,029 claims on account of disability and
death have been allowed.
In the aggregate, since 1861 96S, $40 claims
have been filed, and 5SO,S have been allowed
| For the corresponding periods shown III this
| table, the number of pensioners on the roll at
| the close of each year is stated, together with
the amount paid for pensions which, in their
aggregate since 1861, amount to S744, ,OiO,54l.O
| OLD WARS COMPARED.
Table No "a exhibits, according to the best
| attainable information, the number of men in
the service of the Nation from the opening of
the War of the Revolution to the present day.
| The number, in some wars" as shown by the
pension and bounty land law records seem
| ludicrously great. He was soldier entitled to
pension or bounty who served" Ia days or
| participated in an engagement, and the par
| ticipaton often consisted in watching hos
| tile ship sail along an all but inaccessible coast
|
or in holiday marches to jolly rendezvous. By
! this system of laws the list of soldiery was
swelled to incredible numbers SO that the pro-
| portion of pensioners to those in service
seems, when contrasted with the figures of the
| great war, rather small. But three things must
| be considered:
a Many of those who were subsequently
| legislated into service in former wars, were
| never out of sight of their homes, while the
| almost entire array of the National armies was
actually in the theater of war. The greatest
| army ever under the command of Gen. Wash
ington did not equal Federal army corps of
| 1864.
~ The greater destructiveness Of modern
! arms.
| (3) The enormous masses OF modern war,
| whether crowdng each other in camp or crush
ing each other in battle, add vastly to the ratio
of waste and destruction, and in view of these
| things and of the 1000 actual conflicts between
resolute combatants, the proportion of pension
ers for the war,of 1S61-'65 to those of the ear
| lier wars, as compared with the actual combat
ants is not believed to be excessive.
By reference to Table %, compiled from
| Treasury sources land varying again from the
| figures shown in Table 5, and which variance
the Commissioner does not pretend to explain
it will be that the sum of 50 205, ,019 419. 10
| has been paid from 1862 to 1885 on the interest
of the public debt, whilst that paid for pensions
| during the same period amounts only to the
sum of $765 092, ,640.18, showing an excess of the
former over the latter of 81 439 926, 1891. Tho
citizens may well be proud of both sides of the
| showing and alarmed at neither.
1t is well to think that the great wealth of
the land is in close league with its patriotism,
and that as the former volunteers now gladly
contribute to the national resources, the
Nation ungrudgingly bestows its pledged sup
| port to its former defenders who are now dis
| abled.
| SUGGESTIONS.
The new Pension Building is just being COM
pleted, and the expenditures which will be
necessary to fit structure of such proportions
| for the comfortable habitation of the inmates
and the safety of the public records relating to
pensions and bounty lands will seem very
great. But the building is here, the workers,
and the work to be done.
respectfully suggest that appropriations be
made for fre-proof shelving and floors. The
records are the receipts to the Government for
| hundreds Of millions of dollars, and they should
be safe from all contingencies of destruction by
the elements 1t does not seem prudent tc
| have from two to three acres of eombustible
material in ire-prOof building, and the floors
should be tiled, as are those of other public
buildings.
| DEAFNESS.
1 respectfully suggest that an increase PEN
| sion, to date from the passage of the law allow
| III, DC gwen III OI tOtsii uedIHeSS
and in those cases which in lesser degrees ap-
proximate total deafness. Men who have wholly
! lost their hearing, or whose hearing is so i'm
paired as to substantially destroy this mode of
communication with the outer world, are greatly
hindered and delayed in the ordinary avOca-
tons of life, and l recommend rating of $50
| for total deafness, and prOportionate ratings
| for lesser degrees of this trouble, when con-
| tracted in service and line Of duty.
AMPUTATIoN CASES.
| respectfully suggest that the benefits of the
act Of March 3, 1885, being chapter 352 of vol
be extended to soldiers and sailors who, while
in the line of duty, lost an arm above the elbow
joint or a leg above the knee-joint and who in
consequence thereof have been substantially
disabled TO the same degree as though amputa-
ton had been performed at the shoulder, joint
or hip.joint.
1t seems TO me that it is the degree of disability
and not the precise point of amputation, which
| should control in cases Of this kind.
ARREARS ACT, MARCH 3, 1879.
The Commissioner respectfully calls atten-
ton to the widespread feeling that the limita-
tion imposed by section 2 of the act of March
3, 1879, is unjust in its operation. If soldier
was entitled to pension at any time prior to
the first day of July. 1880, no good reason is
known to exist why he should not now be al
| lowed to make proof thereof and establish his
title thereto under such restrictions and condi-
| tions as the wisdom of Congress may direct.