The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-10-07
Pension Commissioners Report.

IenSlOD commissioners Report.
The annual report of Commissioner
Raum, of the Pension Bureau, submit
ted to the Secretary of the Interior a
few days ago, shows that on June 30,
1891, there were SIC, 160 pensioners
borne upon the rolls of the bureau. be-
ing 1875, 216 more than were carried on
the rolls at the close of the last fiscal
year. They are classified as follows:
Widows and daughters of Revo-
lutionary soldiers, %; army invalid
pensioners, 413,597; army widows,
minor children, ETC., 1O8,537: navy
invalid pensioners, 8, 449; navy widows,
the war of 1872, 1880; survivors of
the Mexican war, 1879; widows of
soldiers of the Mexican war, 6,976.
Following are the number of pensions
of the several classes granted under the
Act of June q, 1890: Army invalid
pensioners, 97,l36; army widows,
minor children, etc., 12,2O9; navy in
valid pensioners, 1876; navy widows,
minor children, etc., 1,436. During
the last fiscal year first payments were
paid upon 131 ,160 original claims, re-
curing S31 ,391 ,53S for their payment.
This is an increase in the number of
original payments over the year 1890 of
81 ,532. The aggregate cost, however,
was $1,0S7 1902 less. There were 222,-
521 first payments of every description,
requiring S3S, 552 ,274. The aggregate
annual value of the 676, 160 pensions
on the roll June 81, 1891, was S99,247,-
200, and the average annual value of
each pension was $1,000, and the
average annual value of each pension
under the act of June 81, 1890, was
$121.51. There will be deficiency in
the appropriation for the payment of
fees and expenses of examining sur
geons of about 100000. The total
amount disbursed on account of pen
sions, expenses, ETC., during the fiscal
year, was Sis, 54S, 959.7l, as compared
with S106, 493, S90.19 disbursed during
the preceding fiscal year; so that it
appears that 1926 pensions were
added to the rolls during the fiscal year
just closed, at an increased cost to
the nation of 1905, 069 as compared
with the expenditures for the previous
fiscal year. Pensions were granted in
each of the last four years as follows:
1888, 1878; 1889, 49, POS; 1890, 151,-
Cos; 1891, 250,565.
1t has been prime object, says the
commissioner, to put as many cases as
possible in train for completion. With
this end in view, COB ,641 orders were
made for medical examinations, and
474 $50 medical certificates of examina-
lions have actually been received. The
remarkable fact is disclosed that fifty
certificates were issued to men who
served from 161 to 476 months. 1t also
appears that of the 7l004 persons to
whom pensions were granted under
the Act of June 81, 1890, ,163 were is
sued to soldiers who served six months
and under; 26,099 to persons who
served year or under, and A 800 to
persons who served thirteen months
and over, and that the largest number
of certificates issued to any class was
1858 to men who served thirty-six
months. The age of the greatest num-
| Der of pensioners under both the old
and the new law was forty-seven years.
81 submit" says the com missioner,
"that these data show that the pen
sions now being granted under the old
as well as the new law are not to per-
sons whose terms were short and who
saw but little service during the war.
The great majority of certificates now
being issued are to the veterans of the
great struggle for the Union, and many
of these men would have gone to their
graves in want but for the just, humane
and timely enactment of the law of
June 27, 1890"
During the last year, ,525 pension
ers were dropped from the rolls for va
rious causes, and of this number, 13, 229
were dropped by reason of death. 1t
is estimated that ,004 ,65S soldiers were
killed in battle or died during and
since the war. On June 30 last, 124 $50
of these dead soldiers were represented
on the pension rolls by their widows or
other dependents. There are about
,20S,707 soldiers of the Union now
living, and of the survivors, $40, l5S are
now on the pension rolls. There are,
therefore, 6SS,549 survivors who are
not pensioned and 9,90S dead SOL
diers not represented on the pension
rolls. In concluding his report the
commissioner says, that on an average
about 10000 pension certificates are
being issued each month and that dur
ing the current year he expects that as
many as 100000 claims will be adiudi-
Gated for which he believes the present
appropriation of S133, ,0S5 will be
amply sufficient.
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