The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-22
REPORT ON PENSIONS.
Showing of the Commissioners for
the Fiscal Year.

Washington, Sept. H.--Dominick
Murphy, commissioner of pensions, has
made his annual report for the fiscal
year ended June 80. 1895. to Secretary
Francis. He says:
There were added to the rolls during
the year 40.374 new pensioners; and
there were restored 1878 who had been
previously dropped, a total Of 44,247
During the same period, the losses
were 29.393 by death and ILL by re-
marriage (widows); 1854 by legal limi-
tation (minors); 2,552 because OF
failure to claim pension for three years
and 1928 for other causes, an aggre-
gate Of 1908.
The net gain over the previous year
was only 154, and it may be now safely
assumed that the roll from this time
forth will show marked and steady
decrease, unless congress should cit
act still more liberal provisions than
are now upon the statute hooks. The
rate Of mortality among our pen
s1oners, particularly among those
who served during the war Of the re-
bellion, is rapidly increasing, the num-
Der reported decreased during the year
far exceeding that Of any correspond
ing period in the history Of the bureau.
The whole number of pensioners on
the roll June 80, 1896, was 97O.678.
While the rolls show slight gain in
numbers over the year Immediately
preceding, the amount disbursed for
pensions was $138, ,761, a decrease of
S1,592,575 as compared with the pre-
vious year.
There were 495,664 pension claims
pending at the close of the fiscal year,
234,337 being applications for increases
by persons now on the rolls. Although
last years estimate of s140, 000,0 900 for
pensions was 81, 790,620 more than was
necessary for the past fiscal year. the
commissioner duplicates that estimate
for the next fiscal year, stating that he
believes the adjudication of many cases
will make the full amount necessary
1t is his intention to push the settle
ment Of cases as rapidly as possible.
An estimate Of $1,228,580 is made for
miscellaneous expenses.
The commissioner says the payment
by vouchers has worked satisfactorily
and opposes return to personal pay
n7ents. Some difficulty has been ex-
perienced in the execution Of vouchers
IN Germany and the state department
has been requested to furnish the bu-
reau information as to what persons
have authority to administer oaths.
There are COL United States pensioners
In Germany. Regarding the revision
Of the pension list, the commissioners
says:
There is no foundation for the erro-
neous impression that 1t Is the inten-
ton still further to revise the lists, as
the purging Of the rolls, commenced In
1898. has been entirely accomplished.
Ii ought to be understood, however
that there still exists the purpose to
maintain the pension roll as the ma
TONS roll Of HONOR
concerning prosecutions, he says:
0nenders against the pension laws
nave been so vigorously prosecuted
during the past three years that the
criminal work Of the law division has
been materially lessened. Through the
combined efforts of the law division
and the special examination division
there has been refunded to the United
states during the year $40, 1892, of which
1925 was recovered as the outcome
OF the civil suits During the year
S59 indictments were found and there
were 242 recommendations for prose-
cution. The number of convictions was
1871, the number of sentences 100. and
S2 Offenders against the pension laws
were taken into custody. I am glad to
state that the rigorous measures in-
stltuted by my predecessor have ap-
parently discouraged violators Of the
pension laws and rendered the bust
ness of procuring fraudulent pensions
unsafe and improbable"