Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-01
GROWTH OF PENSIONS.
Commissioner Raum's Report of the
Work of the Past Year.
ABOUT 100000 MORE ON THE ROLLS
Than There Were at the Same Period Of the
Last Fiscal Year.
LOWER COST OF THE CERTIFICATES

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30-The annual re-
port of Green B. Rsum, Commissioner OF
Pensions, made public to-day, shows that
there were on the pension rolls June 3d.
1892, s76,06S pensioners, an increase during
the year of 199, 90S There were added to
the rolls during the year 222,9S7 new
pensioners, and 2, ATT pensioners previously
dropped were restored to the pension lists.
During the year 25,306 persons were
dropped from the rolls
The total amount expended for pensions
during the year was S139, ,O35,612 For the
present fiscal year S144, $50. 900 is aPpro-
pristed, and taking the cost Of the pensions
allowed during the first four months OF this
fiscal year as q basis, the Commissioner esti-
mates that a deficiency appropriation OF
$40, ,05S 621 will be necessary to supplement
this appropriation.
=. An estimate OF S165, 900, 900 is submitte
for the next fiscal year, but Commissioner
Rsum says that if as many allowances OF
pensions shall be made during the fiscal
year to come as during the fiscal year ended
June 30 last, the amount will not be large
enough. He says, however, that it is diff
fcult to forecast pension payments so far
in advance, and that, as Congress will be
in session, no embarrassment will arise if
his successor, in the light of actual cost of
the work for the next six months of the
fiscal wear, finds that further appropriation
will be needed.
Under the Dependent Disability Act
Under the dependent disability pension
act 920, 957 claims have been filed, of which
tO3, 859 have been allowed. The pension
payments under the law up to September
80, 1892, amounted to $756, 494, ,443 The
Commissioner heartily commends this dis
ability act He admits that since the
passage OF that law there has been great
deal of unfavorable comment upon the
pension system in general, and that it had
been said that the country is in danger OF
being bankrupted bv extravagant and un-
deserving pension legislation. But, he
comments:
A casual consideration of the great change
in the mode of the lives of these men, and
this conditions to which military life in time
OF war subjected them must suggest that
the strain upon the lie powers OF the sol
dier was SO great as TO make permanent In
roads upon the vital forces which would
necessarily result in the development OF q
multitude of ailments and dtsa bllities be-
yond the reach of medicine. 1t Is this class
OF citizens who now constitute the great
body of those who are on the pension rolls;
good health and the ability to perform labor
were their capital, and when these were
gone they were in great measure deprived
of their means OF support. very large
proportion of the men who carried the mus
ket have Deen unable to keep up with their
neighbors who remained at home in the
great struggle Of life, and the claims Of these
persons lor assistance from tile Government
rest upon the bIoadest foundation OF JUS
tice.
Hard Work on Original Claims.
The Commissioner says that the policy of
the Office for three years has been to use the
larger part of the official force upon origi-
nal claims, believing it just and proper that
those who have never received a pension
should have their cases considered in ad
vance of those persons seeking an increase
of pension.
During the past fiscal year 224, O47 certif- |
Gates were issued in original cases and 79,- |
781 in increase claims. Commissioner |
Raum is OF the opinion that if this policy |
be pursued until the close of the fiscal year
1894, the adjudication of original claims
will be substantially completed, and that
at the close OF 1894 the highest number of
peusioners ever to be on the rolls will have
been placed there.
There are 449, ,876 original claims pending,
of which number los, 900 are apparently
complete. 1t is important both for claim
ants and the Government to dispose of the
original cases as soon rs possible, as first
payments date from the filing of declara-
lions and are at the average rate of S11
month. AS rule the claimants are far in
ferior to their neighbors in physical stsm-
ina and ability to perform manual labor for
= living, and are greatly In need of the
money.
Attention is called to the necessity of
claimants preparing their cases properly in
order to expedite the work of the bureau.
The First Payments for the Year.
During the year first payments were
made in SO6, 463 cases, requiring an expendi-
ture of $45, la, 167. including 230, 232 orig
inal claims, amounting to S37, 1884, 283 The
average value of original payments was
S164 55 and of original payments under the
disability act $127 49, The aggregate an
nual value of the SIC, O6S pensions on the
rolls June 30, 1892, was SIG, 879, S87. At
the close of the fiscal year there was bal
ance ON hand from the appropriation for
pensions of 50, 2S9,714 and a deficiency in
the appropriation for payment OF fees and
expenses of examining surgeons of S305, 900.
The number of claims of all kinds pend
ing October r. 1892, was 7SS, ,O61, of which
353, 434 were filed under the disability act
The revolutionary and 1912 war rolls are
rapidly dwindling. Only 20 widows and
two daughters of Revolutionary veterans
are on the former roll The survivors of
the war 1872 on the rolls now number only
165 against 264 year before.
M. Raum closes with 8 comparative
statement of the work done under the Cleve-
land aud Harrison administrations He
says:
The total number of original certificates
issued from March 4. 1889, to October 81 1892
was $40 5e6 and the total number or pension
certificates OF all classes issued during said
period was S35, ,04S while during the period
from March L. 1885 to October 81, 1855 the
number of original certificates issued was
1856 76o and the total number of certificates
issued during that period was 4O2 1856 being
an excess of original certificates issued dur.
ing the period OF your administration of
ssl ,796 and an aggregate excess OF all classes
OF certificates OF 4S2, ,563
The average cost to the Government of
each certificate granted during the Cleve-
land administration, the Commissioner
says, was $21 35 and during the present ad-
ministration at SO Il, and he adds: ''The
work Of the Office was very far in arrears
when this administration took charge of the
Bureau of Pensions, while to-day the busl-
ness 10 as nearly current as it can be made. I"
Sudden changes Of weather cause throat dis
esses, There Is no more effectual remedy for
coughs, colds ETC., than Browns Bronchial
Troches. Sold only In boxes. Price Is cents,
MerIor n Hoene Are Selling Pianos