St. Paul daily globe., 1888-08-30
They Fought a Good Fight
and Are Reaping Their
Reward.
A Record That the Demoe-
Pacy May Well Feel
Proud of.
Special to the Globe.

year, claSS11led as follows: 326,S3 IN
valids; 92,92s widows, minor children
and dependent relatives; 81 revolution
ary widows; SO6 survivors of the war of
1872: ,7S7 widows Of those who served
in that war; $1,000 survivors of the war
with Mexico, and 5,104 widows of those
who served in that war. The names of
2,02S previously dropped were restored
to the rolls, making an aggregate of
62,2S0 pensioners added during the year.
During the same period, 15,730 were
dropped from the rolls on account of
death and various other causes, leaving
net increase 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 1900 claims of all
classes have been allowed since that
date. The amount paid for pensions
since 1861 has been 1868, ,0S6. 444. In
crease OF pension was granted in 45,716
cases. The average annual value of a
pension at the close of the year was
S125.30, decrease of $3.50. The de-
crease in average annual value is due
to the fact that large number of Mex
lean war pensioners, at the rate of IS
per month, which is
BELOW THE AVERAGE RATE
was added to the rolls during the year,
and Furthermore that the death rate
among the high grade pensioners was
greater than among pensioners of lower
rate. The aggregate annual value of
pensions is $50, ,7G7,220. an incaease of
S3.SS2, SO. The amount of pensions paid
during the year was S7S.775, SCI, an in
crease over the previous year of $685.
$50. The total amount disbursed by
pension agents for all purposes was
S79.646. 146. The costs attending such
disbursements were, in the aggregate,
s., 26S, ,524, it being fraction less than
four per cent of the total expenditures
of the bureau. The total amount ex-
pended for all purposes was sS2, ,03s,..
the total estimated gross in
come of the United States govern
ment for the period. The total expendi-
lures of the government for the fiscal
year 1888 were S267. .924 SOL, SO that the
amount expended for and on account of
pensions was nearly 81 per cent of the
entire outlay of the government. The
average duration of the lives of pen
SioT4erS is SiXty-seven years: the aver
age length of time served in the army
by those who are receiving pensions on
account of the late war is more than
two years. There were received 1885,
900 letters during the year, an enormous
increase over previous years. an aver
age Of 224, ,S33 letters per month, or S,993
per working day, 81, ,49S letters being re-
eeived from members of congress alone.
The total number of letters sent out was
1.S36, 1S2. Many inquiries were an
swered by the
ISSUANCE OF PENSION CERTIFICATES
| or by printed circulars, and frequently
| a single letter was found to be sufficient
to answer several inquiries in the same
| claim. There were filed during the
year 4s7.S40 applications for original
pension; 11.7S9 widows; 2,7S5 minors,
2.446 dependent mothers and 1883 de-
pendent fathers-making total of
| 65, ,704. 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. The adiutant
general of the army removed LILO
| charges of desertion from the military
| records of volunteer soldiers of the
late war; 523 of this number re-
ferred to pending pension claims,
| Up to June so last 26,5S1 claims were
| filed under the Mexican pension act,
1878 being survivors and 6,793
| widows, All completed cases of this
| class, 16,529 survivors and 5,195 widow
| cases, have been allowed, The rejec-
| tions were 1921 survivors and COL
| widows claims. mainly because the ap-
| plicants had not arrived at the required
| age of siXtytwo years. FOrty-three of
| these applications were consolidated
with claims already filed under the
| laws. Of these Mexican claims, but
1892 were unsettled on June so, the evil
| dence filed being insufficient. The
work of the boards of review is practi-
| cally up to date. The army and navy
| survivors division has
| COMPLETED THE ROSTER
| of medical officers of the late war, con-
| tanning the names and service and
| pOStoffice address of over 10000 vOlun-
| teer army surgeons, record which is
| Invaluable in enabling claimants to OBJ
tain the necessary evidence. The
| prisoner of war records, and field and
| general hospital records, are also well
| advanced. The law division has SUBJ
mitted no cases to the department of
| justice for prosecution-siXty for Of
| by other persons. Of this number, six
| have been acquitted and four ignored
| by grand juries. leaving 100 awaiting
trial. The spirit of the bureau
| is s'no compromise with those
who willfully violate the pension
| law, and no prosecution of those
who sinned through ignorance and who
| are willing to make restitution when
the same is demanded of Them" Fif-
| teen thousand three hundred and thirty
| dollars of illegal fees have been recov-
cred and refunded to the pensioners in
| tereSted. BY the operations OF The med
| zeal division the number OF rates has
| been decreased from 151 to 103. The
highest rate paid under the general law
was S72 per month and the lowest 50
| per month. Allowances by special act
| OF congress range from SO 10 S4I6.G6
| per month. An important feature of
the report of the medical referee is
TABULATIoN OF DISABILITIES
| for which pensions have been granted.
| The average number of special examin-
| ers in the field was 241; the number of
reports submitted 81, 77331, containing 162,-
| 954 dispositions at cost of S40S, ,037.
! The special examiners submitted an
| average OF eleven reports and fifty-six
| dispositions per month at cost of
! s12.40 per report, al increase Of nearly
| onc-half report per man, and decrease
| in the cost OF % per cent. NotWith-
| standing the success of this division,
! 17.u50 cases are awaiting examination
an average OF siXty-seven cases per cx-
! aniner. The commissioners were
| forced to furlough 153 special examin-
crs i'm June. the appropriations having
been exhaused. Over 95 per cent of all
pensioners are paid by the pen
Sion agents within ten days after
/ the quarterly payment is due and
/; payments cannot he made more, rapidly
without multiplying the agencies. One
/ hundred thousand cases of increase of
! pension under recent legislation have
/ been Sctticl without eXpc.l>e OR Lci.:v