The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-09-25
THE PENSIONERS.
Statistics Of Interest to Veterans
of the War.
THE LIST INCREASED BY lss,l2e.

Over Thirty-eight Thousand Whose
Payments Were Postponed for
Want of Time-The Com missioner
Recommends an Increase from $50
WASHINGTON, Sept 25.-The annual
report Of the commissioner of pensions
on the operations of that bureau during
the fiscal year ended June 80, 1891, has
been submitted to the secretary Of the
interior. 1t shows that on that date
there were 676, 160 pensioners borne
upon the rolls, being 1888, 1876 more than
at the close of the previous year. The
pensioners are classified as follows:
Widows and daughters of revolutionary
soldiers, 23; army invalid pensioners,
4l3,597; army widows, minor children,
etc, l0S, ,537; navy invalid pensioners,
6,449; navy widows. minor children,
etc, 2,56S; survivors of the war Of 1912.
2Si; widows of soldiers OF the war of
1912, 1880; survivors of the Mexican
war, 1859; widows Of soldiers of the
Mexican war, 8,978.
Uader the act of June 27, 1890: Army
invalid pensioners, 97,l30; army wild.
ows, minor children, etc. 12, 2,209; navy
invalid pensioners, 1876; navy widows,
minor children, ETC., 1,436. During the
fiscal year the first payments were made
upon l3l 100 original claims, requiring
S3l ,39l, ,539 for payment.
Original Claims.
During the year first payments were
made upon "a 532 original claims more
than those of the yeariprevious, at an ag'
gregate cost of 81 ,0S7, ,302 less There were
222, ,591 first payments of every descrip.
ton, requiring $39, ,552 ,274, being $685.
5O2 less than was required for the $780,
6l4 first payments made during the last
fiscal year. The average value OF
first payments made during the year
ended June 80, 1891 was $3.50, ,33 and the
average value of first payments on
claims allowed under the act OF June q,
1890, was SIPS. The average valGe OF
first payments for the preceding year
was $4S5.7l, being reduction in the
average first payments of the year 1891,
as compared with the fiscal year 1890,
of $2463S. The aggregate annual
value of the 678, 160 pensions on the roll
June 80, 1891, was $50, ,2f7 200; the ave-
rage value of each pension on the roll
at the close of the fiscal year was Sl32,
and the average annual value of each
pension on the roll under the act Of
June n, 1890, was $l2i.
Payments Postponed.
At the close of the fiscal year SS.574
pensioners were unpaid for want of
time, and they were entitled to receive
81, $50 ,243, which will be paid out of the
appropriation for the fiscal year begin
ming July 1, 1891. There remained in
the hands OF pension agents at the close
of the fiscal year the sum of $5,713. .S53.
This amount, added to S3,G07, 1873 of the
pension appropriation not drawn from
the treasury, aggregated 50 1920, ,9S8 of
the appropriation which was not ex-
pended. There will be deficiency in
the appropriation for the payment Of
fees and expenses of examining sur
geons Of abpnt 100000. The total
amount of money dsbursed on account
of pensions, expenses, etc, during tho
fiscal year was S1iS,S54, ,059, as com
pared with $l06. 1889 disbursed DUR
ing the prec c.ding fiscal year.
During the past fiscal year there were
issued eighty-fvs original and duplicate
military land warrants for 5000 acres
of land. OF the IL, ,402 soldiers to whom
certificates were issued under the gen
eral law ,37l were to persons who had
served period of six months and under,
while II ,03l were to those soldiers who
served for period Of seven months and
over The largest number Of certificates
sued to soldiers of particular length
of service was 005 to those who served
thirty-fourth months. and 87S to those
served thirty-six months, The remarka-
BILE fact is disclosed that fifty certificates
were issued to men who served from l6l
to 470 months.
Dropped fro m the Roll by Death.
During the year 20,525 pensioners
were dropped from the rolls TOR various
causes, but Of this number 1925 We're
dropped by reason of death.
The commissioner recommends that a
higher rate of pension than $50 per
month be given pensioners who, while
not constantly incapacitated for per-
forming manual labor, yet require peri
odical assistance. He believes $50 per
month would be n just rate for such
persons. He recommends that $50, ,000
be appropriated for various improve
ments and repairs on the pension build.
ing.