Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-09-30
THE PENSION BUREAU.
Commissioner; Blacks Report Of the Opera
tions Of the Bureau During the Year.

Commissioners of Pensions Black has
filed with the secretary of the interior his
report OF the operations of the pension
bureau for the fiscal year ended June 30,
1886. From the report IL appears that on
June 30 last there were 365, 7e3 pensioners
on the rolls, composed of 285s54 army in
valids, 50, 1872 army widows, minor children
and dependent relatives; 1858 navy in
valids, 1877 widows, minor children, etc. |;
Lose survivors OF the war of 1872, showing
There were 1887 widows of soldiers of the
war OF 1912, showing loss during the year
In this class of ISIS. Twenty-four
original claims were fled in
i this class on during the year;
peared on the rolls; 40, $50 new pensioners
were added to the roll during the year; q
229 were restored to the rolls; 22,0S9 pen
sioners' names were dropped from the roll
on account of death, re-marriage, frauds,
etc, leaving net increase in the roll of
2o,6S5 names. The annual average value
OF each pension was Sl22.2 a gain OF
ell.SS over the average value of the pre-
ceding year. The aggregate annual value
$44, 1850 "A, being an increase in annual
value of $6,6l704l.5l. The amount paid
for pensions during the year was $63,797,-
S3l. 81; the difference in the amount paid
and the annual value representing the
accrued and arrearage pensions paid dur
ing the year. Since 1851, 59l, 102 invalid
claims have been filed, 34s, 100 claims of
widows and dependents, and 1854 for
pension on account of service. During
the same period there have been allowed
of the first class 332 al claims
and of the second class 229, ABS; and of all
other classes, COLTS; making total of
claims allowed since 1861, 62l,154 IL will
thus be seen that nearly one half of all the
pensioners whose names have been placed
upon the rolls have died or their pensions
have ceased by reason of arrival at age,
re marriage, etc. One hundred and sixty
one thousand, four hundred and sixteen
certificates of all kinds including 1889
increase certificates issued to widows and
dependents under act of March 10, 1885,
were issued during the past year, which,
the report says, shows vast increase in
the work of the office. This is especially
true of the special examination division
which, the commissioner says, has saved
the government over $3,0O0000 An at
tached table shows that there are in the
United States in the poor houses about
1900 soldiers, OF whom liz per
cent. are pensioners; SO per
cent. pensioners; the Oldest
soldier receiving public support is lob
years of age; the mean age is 81 years; 4S
per cent of all the soldiers receiving sup
port were native born, 81 per cent foreign
born, 45 per cent were married men, 81 per
cent unmarried men, 10 per cent blind or
insane. The act increasing the pensions Of
widows and dependents from IS to Sl2 was
approved on the 10th day of March, 1886;
on the 4th of June total payments had
been made to this class without expense
to the beneficiaries. Some 6,C01 of the
cases of increase under the amputation
act of Aug. 4, 1856, have had certificates
issued, and the remainder are being dis
posed of with great rapidity.
From Jan. /, 1861, until Dec 81, 1885, 1867
private pension acts have been approved.
Since that date GA such acts have been ap-
proved and certificates issued in nearly
every case. The commissioner renews his
suggestion as to legislation contained in
his report of the previous year. Concern
ing the Mexican war pensions, he says
that the subject of pensions to soldiers of
that war Is before congress and the people,
and that he need not add word In the
way of argument. During the year more
than 2, 100000 letters and packages were
received in the office, and il is believed
that nearly all of that number have been
properly replied to. The amount of ex-
penditures for stationery, printing and
binding has been diminished by Sl3,6S3 for
the past year.
OF the appropriations provided for the
expenses Of the Office, $305, 962 has been
covered into the treasury. The clerical
force during the year was diminished by
100. "A statement of the chief clerk is add
ed to the report of the commissioner which
shows that during the year of 1SS4-S5, "a, 1913
days annual and sick leaves were taken by
the employees of the bureau, while for the
year 1886 So. 3S,652 days only were taken,
owing a net saving of the time of one
man for forty-two years, eleven months
and four days.