Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-08-30
AChapter on Pensions.
Statistics of Interest to Vet
 erans and Taxpayers.
THE COMMISSIONERS REPORT.
Sixty Thousand Two Hundred and Elity- two Names Added to the Pension Rolls During the Last Fiscal Year-President Cleveland's Vetoes Explained.

Cleyeland's Vetoes Explained. WASHINGTON, Aug 30.-The annual re- port of Pension Commissioner Black sho"s that during the fiscal year ended June oo' 1888. there were added to the pension rolls 6O,- 252 new names (the largest annual increase Ill the history of the bureau), making total or 452, ,557 pensioners on the rolls at the close or the year. classified as follows: 326,S59 ln- valdS, O., ,93S widows, minor children anu dependent relatives, S7 revolutionary widows, S06 survivors of the war of lSl-, 1o, 'o' widows of those who served in that war, lo,- 060 survivors of the war with MeNlco, ana 5 IDA widows of those who served III that war The names of 2,02S previously dropped were restored to the rolls, making an aggre- gate of 62 2S0 pensioners added during the year. During the same period b, i3o were dropped from the rolls on account of death and various other causes, leaving q net ln- crease to the rolls of 46, $50 names. One million, one hundred and sixty-six thousand, nine hundred and twenty-six pension claims have been filed since 1861, and 7o7 ,2O0 claims of all classes have been allowed since that date The amount paid for pensions since 1861 has been S963, ,0Sb, 444 Increase or pen sion was granted ill 45, 7l6 cases
 The average annual value of pension at the close of the year was $125. 30. a decrease of $4 SO The decrease in average annual value is due to the fact that large number of Mexican war pensioners, at the rate of So per month, which is below the average rate, was added to the rolls during the year, and, furthermore, that the death rate among high grade pensioners was greater than among pensioners of low rate. The average annual aggregate of pensions is $56, TOT DO an increase of S3,SS3, ,579. The amEuat of pensions paid during the year was SIS, TO- S61, an increase over the previous wear Of $5, sos, ,2SO. The total amount diSuurSed by pension agents for all purposes was SD, 14G,- l46. Cost attending such disbursements was, in the aggregate $3 PCS, ,524, it being frac- tion less than f per cent of the total ex- penditures of the bureau. The total amount expended for all purposes was SS2,O3S, .59, being 2115 per cent. of the total estimated gross income of the United States govern ment for the period Total expenditures of the government for the fiscal year lSSS were S267, ,924, ,S01, so that the amount expended for and on account of pensions was nearly 31 per cent of the entire outlay of the gov ernment
 The average duration of the lives of pension CTS is e years; the average length ot time served in the army by those whr are recelv- ing pensions on account of the later war is more than two years. There were received 2696, 0OO letters during the year, an enor- nous increase over previous years, an aver age of 224 S33 letters per month, or S,993 per working day; 94, ,49S letters being received from members of congress alone. The total number of letters sent out was 1856, l32. Many inquiries were answered by the issu- ance of pension certificates or by printed circulars, and frequently a single letter was found to be sufficient to answer several in quiries in the same claim.
 There were filed during the year fl, $40 ap- plcations for original pensions, II, 1S9 wid- ows, 2, ,7S5 minors, 2, 446 dependent mothers and ], ,SS3 dependent fathers, making a total of 65, 7O4. The highest number of claims on account of the late war was received from Ohio, Indiana followed next, then New York and Pennsylvania; and from Montana, Utah and South Carolina none were received.
 A new feature of the report is the discus sion of special pension acts and their relat tlon to the administration of the general pension laws. It shows the various stages through which special act passes from its receipt at the executive mansion to the issue of certlti ,cates In addition, a table is furnished show ing the total number of special pension acts which became law since 1881, as follows: From 1861 to 1885, fl Q4incoln); lS65-lS69, -431 (Johnson); 1S69-lS77, 490 Grant, 1S77- 1881, sos (Hayes); 1SS1-1SS5, 736 (Gartield and Arthur). Total 2,0O1. From 1885 to 1888, 1869 (Cleveland). Grand total, 3,37O
 It appears that while during President tCleveland's administration l, ,369 special acts became law, 191 were vetoed. Of this mum Der r were vetoed in the interests of claim ants because they would be entitled to greater amounts under the general law. These F cases were afterwards allowed by the pension bureau, and saved the beneticiaries ST ,24e more than they would have received if the special act became law.
 Twelve were vetoed because of charges oi assertion or dishonorable discharge. TWG dependent fathers claims were vetoed be cause the fathers abandoned their sons il infancy, and never resumed their care ol custody, nor manifested any interest in them until thelr death; two cases because they were duplicates of precisely the same specia acts already approved and in full force seven because the death cause suicide and had no connection with the military service; 121 because soldiers disability ol deaths were in no wise due to the service, bu arose from causes entirely distinct therefrom seventeen because causes were pending Ill tn pension bureau, where they were being prop erly investigated lthese cases also invOayel arrears); nine because the special act fixeC no rate, and the claimants were now receiv ing pensions commensurate with the diSabll ity found to exist by competent boards O surgeons and special act would be of nt benefit; two more alleged dependent case because no dependence was shown by tn evidence; one because the president refused to set aside the limitation governing arrears and because the beneficiary dead at tn time of the passage of thespecial act. Ninety bree of these vetoed claims had been rG iec,>ed by the pension bureau prior to July 1885, and ifty-four subsequent to that time Thirty were pending unsettled in the pensio bureau, and no applications under the gen eral law l>ad been in eleven.
 In this connection it may be interesting t state that i7 the fiscal years from July 1882 to June 80, 1885, there were issued 1si 221 certificates of all classes, and during th three following fiscal years, from July 1885, to June 30, 1888, 359, 537, making a increase for the last three years of l6S,31 certificates.
 MIR. GORMAN'S DEFENSE.