The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-30
DRAIN OF THE OLD VETS.
ONE-THIRD OF THE GOVERNMENTS
INCOME GOES IN PENSIONS

Sixty Thousand Two Hundred ana
Fifty-Two New Names Put on the
List During the Past Fiscal Year
452,557 People Now on the Rolls
The Average Annual Pension
$125 80.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 29--The Commits
sioner of Pensions has completed and sent
TO the public printer his report of the opera
tions of the pension bureau for the year
ended June 80, 1858. 1t shows that there
was during the fiscal year ended June 30,
1883, added to the pension rolls 60, 252 new
names tthe largest annual increase in the
history of the bureau, making a total of
ASP, 557 pensioners on the rolls at the close
of the year, classified as follows: 1888, 1856
invalids, 90 1898 widows, minor children and
dependent relatives. 81 revolutionary
widows, S06 survivors of the war of 1879,
1O,7S7 widows of those who snrved in that
war, 10000 survivors of the war with
Mexico, and 5,104 widows pf those who
served in that war.
REsToRATIoNs OF THE YEAR.
The names of 2, ,02S previously dropped were
| restored TO the rolls, making an aggregate
of 62, $50 pensioners added during the year.
During the same period Is, 730were dropped
from the rolls on account OF death and va
rious other causes, leaving net Increase to
the rolls of At, $50 names.
One million, one hundred and sixtv-six
thousand, nine hundred and twenty six pen-
sion claims have been fled slice 1861, and
737, 200 claims of all CLASSES have been
allowed since that date.
The amount paid for pensions since 1861
has been S963, ,0S6, ,444.
Increase of pensions was granted In As
916 cases.
The average annual value Of the pensions
at the close OF the year was SIPS 30, de-
crease of "a So The decrease in the average
| annual value is due to the fact that a large
number of Mexican war pensioners at the
rate of SS per month (which is below the
average rate) was ADDED 10 the rolls during
the year, and furthermore, that the death
rate among the high grade pensioners was
greater than among the pensioners of the
lower rate
AGGREGATE ANNUAL VALUE.
The aggregate annual value of the PEN
sions is $50, TOT ,22l. an increase Of $3, $780,
$40
The amount Of pensions paid during the
year was S7S, 775, ,So2, an increase over the
previous year of IS, ,3OS, $50.
The total amount disbursed by pension
agents for all purposes was S79 646, l46. The
cost attending such disbursements was In
the aggregate S3, ,262 ,524, it being fraction
lie than 4 per cent of the total expendi-
lures of the bureau.
The total amount expended for all pur-
poses was SS2, OBS, $3.50, being 2111 per cent.
| of the total estimated gross income of the
| United States government for the period.
The total expenditures of the government
| for the fiscal year 1888 were $267 ,024, ,S01,
SO that the amount expended for and on
account of pensions was nearly 81 per cent.
of the entire outlay of the government.
PENSIONS CONDUCIVE TO LONGEVITY.
The average duration of the lives of PEN
sioners is 81 years.
The average 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 2,69S,o0o letters
during the year, an enormous increase over
previous years, an average of 324, ,633 let
working day; "a, 4ss letters were err
received from members of congress
alone. Total number of letters sent out
was 1886, 1872. Many inquiries were an
swered by the issuance OF pension certifi-
Gates 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 Al, $40
applications for original pension, ii, ,7S9
widows, 2, 446 dependent mothers, and 1888
dependent fathers, making total of IS, ,704.
OHIO FIRST ON THE LIST.
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 work of the boards Of review and
rereview is practically up to date
The law division has submitted 170 cases
to the department of justice for prosecution,
sixty for offenses by attorneys and ITO for
offenses by other persons. OF this number
six have been acquitted and four ignored
by grand juries, leaving 160 awaiting trial
The spirit of the bureau is mo compromise
with those vino willfully violate the pension
laws. and no prosecution Of those who have
sinned through ignorance and who are will
ing to make restitution when the same is
demanded of them"
Fifteen thousand, three hundred and
thirty dollars of illegal fees haye been re-
covered and refunded to the pensioners in
terested.
SPECIAL PENSION ACTS.
A new feature of the report Is discus
sion of the special pension acts and their
relation to the administration of the gen
eral laws. 1t shows the various stages
through which a special act passes, from It's
receipt at the executive mansion to the
issue of a certificate. In addition, a table
is furnished showing the total number of
special pension acts which have become laws
since 1861, as follows: 1851 TO 1865, Al lin
colnl; 1865 to 1869, 43l (Johnsonl; 1869 to
1877, 400 (Grani); 1871 to 1884, 303 (Hayes) !;
1881 to 1895, 736 Garfield and Arthur
total. 2,001; 1886 to 1885, 1889 (Cleveland) I;
grand total, 1870.
CLEvELAND's RECORD.
1t appears that while during President
Cleveland's administration 1850 special
acts became laws, l91 were vetoed. OF this
number seventeen were vetoed In the inter-
est of claimants, because they would he
entitled to greater amounts under the gen
eral laws. These seventeen cases were
afterward allowed by the pension bureau,
and saved the benifciaries $l7,2 more
than they would have received had the
special acts become laws Twelve were
vetoed because OF charges OF desertion or
dishonorable discharge. Two dependent
fathers claims were vetoed because the
fathers abandoned their sons In infancy,
never resumed their care aud custody nor
manifested any interest in them until a
pension was involved.
DUPLICATION DETECTED.
Two were vetoed because they were dupli-
Gates Of precisely the same special acts
already approved by the executive and In
full force, because death was suicide and
had no connection with the military serv-
ice, 121 because the soldiers disabilities or
deaths were In no wise due to