Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-01
OUTLAY FOR PENSIONS.
THE AMOUNT HAS REACHED STU
PENDOUs PROPORTIONS.
Comm, ssiOner Raum In His Annual Re.
port Commends the Disability Act
and Defends the System
in Vogue.


report of the commissioner of pensions,
Green B. Raum, shows that there were
on the pension rolls June 30th last,
S76,06S pensions, an increase during the
year OF 199. 9O8. There were added to
the rolls during the year 222,937 new
pensioners, and 2477 pensions pre-
viously dropped were restored to the
pension lists. During the year 25,3O6
pensions were dropped from the rolls.
The total amount expended for pensions
during the year was $139, ,035,6l2. For
the present fiscal year $144, $685. 900 is
appropriated and, taking the cost of
pension allowances during the first four
months of this fiscal year as basis of
calculation, the commissioner estimates
that deficiency appropriation of $10,-
5OS,6 ,62l will be necessary to supply the
needed funds. An estimate of $780,
900, 900 is submitted for the next fiscal
year. The commiss ioner Gays, how
ever, il as many pension allowances are
made this year as last this will not be
| enough. Under the dependent and
disability acts 920, ,957 claims have been
| filed, of which 403,S59 have been al
| lowed. The pension payments under
| the law to September 30th amounted to
| $76, ,494 ,443.
The commissioner heartily commends
the disability act. He admits that since
| the passage OF the law there has been
great deal of unfavorable comment upon
the pension system in general, and that
1t has been said the country is in danger
of being bankrupted by extravagant and
undeserving pension legislation. But"
| he comments, "a casual consideration of
the change in the lives OF these men,
and the conditions to which military
| life in the time of the war subjected
them, must suggest that the strain
upon the life powers of the soldier
was go great as to make permanent
inroads upon his vital forces, which
would necessarily result in the develop
ment of a multitude of ailments and
disabilities, beyond the reach of medi-
| cine. 1t is this class of citizens who
now constitute the great body of those
who are on the pension rolls. Good
health and ability to perform labor were
| their capital; when these were gone
| they were in great measure deprived
Of means of support. A large proper
| ton of the men who carried muskets
have been unable to keep up with their
neighbors who remained at home. in
the great struggle of life, and the claims
of these persons for assistance from the
government rest upon the broadcast
foundation of JUSTICE"
The commissioner says the policy of
the Office for three years has been to use
the larger part of the force on original
claims, believing it just and proper that
those who never received a pension
should have their cases considered in
advance of those persons seeking an in
crease of pension.
During the past fiscal year 224, ,027 GER
tificates were issued in original cases,
and 79,7S1 in increase claims. The
commissioner is of the opinion that if
this policy is followed until the close of
the fiscal year 1894, the adjudication of
original claims will be substantially
completed, and at the close of 1894 the
| highest number of pensioners ever to be
on the rolls will have been placed there.
There are 449,S76 original claims now
pending.
The revolutionary and 1912 war rolls
| are rapidly dwindling. Only 20 widows
and two daughters OF revolutionary vet
erans are on the former roll. The sur
vivors of the war of 1872 on the rolls
now number only 1S5, against 2S4 the
year before.
Raum closes with comparative state
ment OF the work done under the Cleve-
land and Harrison administrations. He
says the total number of original certifi.
Gates issued from March A, 1889, to Oc-
tober 81, 1892. was $40, ,565, and the total
number of pension certificates of all
classes issued during said period was
S35, ,O4S; while during the period from
March 4, 1885, to October 81, 1888, the
number of original certificates issued
was 1856, ,769, and the total number Of
certificates issued during that period
4O2, 1856. The average cost to the gov.
ernment of each certificate granted dur
ing the Cleveland administration was
$21. .35, and during the present admins
tration $l0.4.