The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-01
An Increase Of Nearly 100000
During the Last Year.
THE LONG LIST STILL cHow,n,,
Not Till the End Of 1894 WIN -.
Tide Begin to Turn.
Twenty-Five Relatives Of Reve,.s,...
Soldiers Supported BY the N.s,o..
and 1so Survivors Of the War q ra,a
Presidents Message to b Brief.

nual report of the Commissioners Of 49,
sions, Green B. Raum, shows thst th...
were on the pension rolls Jbue q, 49,
$4,000 pensioners. an increase durin. 49,
year of 199,90S. There were added II ~
rolls during the year 2222.937 new psn.
sioners, and 2.274 pensioners previously
dropped were restored to the pension
lists. During the year q, $40 pensioners
were dropped from the rolls. The total
amount expended for pensions durin~
the year was 39,o35,6i2. For the
present fiscal year $144,956 600 il ap.
propriated. and taking the Coz
of pension allowances during the firrk
four months of this fiscal year q the basl1
for calculation, the commissioners esti-
mates that deficiency appropriation az
$lO, ,5OS,62l will be necessary to supply tho
needed funds. An estimate of $l65OOo. on
was submitted for the next fiscal year.
The commissioner says, however. that il
as many pension allowances are made this
year as last this will not .noush. Under
the dependent and dis " acts S2o a5s
claims have been filed. which 4Os.Wo
have been allowed. Pension payments
under the law to September 80 amounted
to So6 49i, 4i3. The commissioner heartily
commends the disability act.
The commissioner admits that since the
passage of the law there has been a great
deal of unfavorabIe comment upon the
pension system in general. and that it has
been said that the country was In danger
of being bankrupted by extravagant and
undeserving pension legislation. He com.
ments as follows:
Casual consideration Of the great chanxs in
the mode Of li9es of these men, and the condi-
tions to which military life in tho time OF war
subjected them, must suggest that tho strain
upon the life powers Of the soldiers was no great
a. to make permanent inroads upon their vital
forces which would necessarily result in the de-
velopment OF a multitude OF ailments aud dis
abilities beyond the reach OF medicine. Il q
this class OF citizens who now constitute tho
great body who are on the pension rolls Good
health and ability to perform labor wsre their
capital. When these were gone they we've In
great measure deprived Of the means OF sup
port. A large proportion of the man who car.
ried muskets have been unable to keep up Win
their neighbors who remained at homo In tho
great struggle of life, and the claims Of theso
persons for assistance from the goverrpent
rests upon the broadest foundation Of JUSTICE
The commissioner says the policy Of Tho
Office for years has been to use larger
part of the force upon original claims be-
lieving it just and proper that those who
never received pension should have
their cases considered in advance Of thoso
persons seeking an increase of pensions.
During tho past fiscal year 22a,0G csss
tifcates were issued in original cases and
70, Isl for increase claims. The conimis.
sioner is of the opinion that If this policy
is pursued until the close of the fiscal
year of 1894. adjudication Of the original
claims will be substantially completed and
at the close of 1891, the highest number of
pensioners ever to be on the rolls viii
be in place. There are 449.S76 original
claims pending. The revolutionary and
1872 war rolls are rapidly dwindling. only
twenty widows and two daughters OF Rev.
olutionary army veterans being on the
former roll. The survivors OF the war OF
1912 on the rolls number only 1S5 against
2s4 the wear before. Raum closes with .
comparative statement of the work done
under the Cleveland and Harrison admin
istrations. He says:
The total number of original certidcstes issued
from March 4, 1889, to october 81, 1892. VA
520,56 and tho total number OF pension ces'
tficatcs of all classes issued during said p0fioo
was s35,0is, while during the period from MaFen
d. 1885, 20 October 81, 1855, the number OF osGnss
cer..1ca issued was 1s5,7t9, ana the totat
| number of certificates issued during that pesioo
was 402,3s5 The average cost to the eovefnmsns
| o. each certificate issued during the Cievelaas
administration was sci 30. ana during Prosidsns
| Harrison's administration, $i04i.