The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-10-19
PENSION WORK OF A YEAR.
There We're 9ee, ,544 Names on the Roll
Iune 80, 1894.

The report Of the Commissioner OF
Pensions for the fiscal year ended
June 30, 1894, has been forwarded to
the Secretary Of the Interior. 1t states
that the number Of pensioners on the
rolls June 80, 1898, was 966,oIa that
during the year 5o,oSs new pensioners
were added to the rolls, and 1898
previously dropped were restored,
while s7,95r have been dropped for
death and other causes and on June,
80, 1894, the number Of pensioners
upon the rolls was 96o,544. The
number Of pension certificates issued
during the year was So,aI3, and
13a,s73 claims Of all classes were re-
jected.
On July I, 1894, there were un-
disposed of and in different stages OF
preparation and advancement claims
for pension and for increase to the
amount of 6Io,oa7, Of which aS7, ,2o9
claims-originals, widows and depend
ents-are on behalf of persons not
already on the rolls. These claims,
save some recently filed, have been
examined more than once and found
lacking is essential evidence. They
are the lame cases that have come
down through the past years.
WORK UNDER EARLIER LAWS.
The fact is referred to that under
the earlier laws the allowances de-
creased from 5o,I77, in 1876, to 9977
ten years later. The Arrears act
brought in a large number of new
claims, increasing the allowances, and
the Disability act of June 81, 1890,
caused 363797 claims to be filed the
next year. AS most of these claims
were meritorious and simple as to
proof under that law and under order
164, which went beyond the law and
rated disabilities as if OF service origin,
the work was easy, and an expert ex-
aminer could glance over the papers
and allow SO or more in day. Most
Of the force Of special examiners were
called in and put at this work. Diff
cult cases and such as were lacking in
proof, or suspicious in respect to merit,
or requiring special examination, were
passed over and now constitute large
part of the cases coming up for ad-
Indication. New claims of all kinds
have fallen off from 363,799 in 1891
to 4o,I4S in 1894, the fact being that
original claims for pensions nnder
existing laws are substantially all in,
and the bulk of new claims are for
increase or for widows and dependents.
A CAMPAIGN LIE EXPLODED.
In regard to the statement by Secre-
tary Mckee, of the Republican Con-
gressional Campaign Committee, that
$4,000 notices have been prepared at
the Pension Office to be sent to pen
sioners, requesting them to show cause
why their pensions should not be re-
duced or dropped, and that Secretary
Smith had ordered the forwarding of
the communications withheld until
after the elections, Commissioner of
Pensions Lockren this afternoon said:
Mr.. Secretary Mckee is either
imposed on by somebody or is circu-
lating palpable falsehoods. He says
that there were $4,000 notices pre-
pared to be sent to old soldiers, asking
them to show cause why their pensions
should not be dropped or reduced.
That these were all ready to be sent,
but it was determined to withhold
them till after election. 1t is not sug.
gested how such glut Of notices
could have accumulated before there
was any purpose to withhold them.
The whole story is too palpably untrue
10 deceive any one who will consider
it moment. No notices will be with
held"
Secretary Smith also characterized
the story as campaign lie