Rock Island Argus., 1896-09-22
DEATH ISATWORK
Among the Men Carried on the
Pension Rolls.
NEARLY 10000 WENT LAST YEAR
To "Fame's Eternal Camping cronnds''-
Report OF thu Pension Coin,nissioncr-
Total Number IN the Rolls Il 0.O,G.s.
and II Il Expected to Steadily Grow
Smaller Unless Congress should Pass
More Liberal Legislation.

and Ii Il Expected to Steadily Grow
Smaller Unless Congress should Pass
More Liberal Lesisiation.
Washington. Sept. %. - Domini, I.
Murphy. commissioner OF pensions. has
made his annual report for the fiscal
year ended June 30. 1896. to .;ecrc;1sy
Francis. He says: There were ado
al TO the rolls during the year 1914
new pensioners. and there wcr. re-
stored 3,Si3 who had been previously
dropped. "a total OF ii~i1. Durius the
same period. the losses we're -. 333 by
death and 1.1it by rcrnarriIEe CSid-
ows): 1854 by legal Limitation Um.no,F):
2.-5l because Of failure TO claim PEN
sion for three years, and .. I13 :u~ ,tn-
or causes. nm aggregate Of 4i.giI. The
net guin over the prevlo-s yrar was
only i5t. and IL may he now safely
assumed that the ron rrpn this tine
forth viii show marked and steady
elimination. unless congress should
enact still more liberal provisions than
are nov upon the statute books. The
rate of mortality among our pension
ors. particularly among those vino
served during the war Of the rebellion
g. apiily Increasing. the number re-
ported deceased during the year far
exceeding that OF any CORES pondinE
period iu the history of the burea."
Total Number on the Pension Rolls.
The Who'll. uumhcr of pensioners on
tho roll june 20. i-Ss. was 95051S. While
thH rolls show slight gain in num-
I"r over the year Immediately preced-
iug. TIA" amount Gisbt-s,d for PEN
sirns was SlSS.2ii1Gi. decrease OF
81 5a2.5tl. as compared with the previ-
GUS year. There were 1864 pension
claims pending at the close &C the fiscal
year. 2Si3ai being applications for in
'fcasos made hy persons now ON Ia"
rolis. Although last years estimate of
SliuO Ooo 900 for pensions was s1.19O.-
go more than was necessary for the
past fiscal year. the commissioner
duplicates that estimate for the next
fiscal year. stating that he believes
IN" adjudication of many eases will
make the fun amount necessary. II is
his Intention To- push the settlement
or eases as arpidly rs possible. An
estimate Of St.2ss.S $50 ia made for mis-
,'llauvous expenses
system Of Payment by Vouchers.
The commissioner says the paymett
ly vouchers has worked satisfactorily.
and opposes return to personal psy-
uvuts. Some difficulty has been ex-
pcri,nCcd In the execution Of vouchers
iu Gormany, and tho state department.
has been requested to furnish the bu-
rcau Information as to what persons
have authority to administer oaths.
There are col United states pensioners
I'm Goru-iny. Regarding the revision of
the pension list the commissioner says:
There IL no foundation for the crrun-
.ous impression that IL is the intention
still further to re"ise the lists. as the
purging NJ the rolls commenced In IS?i
has been entirely accomplished. II
ought To- rp understood however that
there still exists the purpose To m;as-
tain tn" pension roll as the nations roll
ct honor"
Pension Law Violations ENirn Hazardous.
Concerning prosecutions. he says:
Offenders against the pension laws
have been 90 vigorously prosecuted
during the past three years that the
criminal work uf the law division has
been materially lesscred Through the
combined efforts of tine Iiw division
and IN" special examination division
there has been refunded To- the United
states during the year S2O.:S.. Of which
SiO.-ss was recovered as the outcome OF
civil suits. During the year $50 iudict-
mcnts were found. and there were 2is
recommendations for prosecution. The
number Of convictions was lS1: the
number of sentences. loo. and eighty
two Offenders against the pension laws
were taken into custody. l am glad 10
state that the rigorous measures insti-
tutcd Nv my predecessor have appar-
emily Discouraged violatnrs of the pen
sion laws and rendered the business OF
procuring fraudulent pensions unsafe
and Improbable"
Suggests an Increased Pension.
Commissioner Murphy commcnds tho
work Of the special examiners. and says
that the additional force Of 100 should bc
continued. The cost of this force during
the year was sig5 .p5S.. lie says the pm.
SION building Is NJ present inadequate for
the work, and makes some suggestions
relative tn improvements. He recon-
iucuds an increase to si2 per month of pCn-
sinnS to survivors uf the Mexican war, and
also recommends pensions to widows ~
oili,pr~ nnl soldiers who died from causes
originating In the service prior to March
4. iSSi. He recommends the passage ot
the hill pending in congress for the cod,'
iication of the pension laws.
National Isody OF Odd fciiows
Dallas. sept. sa.-Thc first session ot
the sovereign grand lodge. l. q. q. F.
was called toSethcr at o'clock yester-
day. behind clos "a doors. Grand sire
Stebrius' annual Address occupied the
time up to o'clock. at which hour
an adjournment was taken. The ad'
dress was n complete statement or tht
progress ~ the order. its numbers and
its financial condition. all the branches
showing an encouraging increase II
membership
Terrell Hears Of some More Hatchery.
Washington, sept - - United State.