Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-11-11
PENSION PAYMENTS.
First Annual Report Of Commits
Sioner Evans.
The Anticipated Diminution in the Mum
berof Pensioners not Realized-ReI-
atives of Revolutionary Sol
diers Still on the List.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6.-The first an
nual report of the commissioner of
pensions, Il. Clay Evans, to the secre-
tary of the interior. was made public
yesterday. A summary follows:
There were added to the rolls during
the year the names of so. 101 new pen
sioners, and there Were restored to the
rolls 1911 persons who had been pre-
viously dropped, a total of 54.072.
During the same period the losses to
the roll were 81, $50 by deaths, 1,074
by re-marriage of widows and
mothers, 1,S+5 by legal limitation
(ninors) 2,6S3 for failure to claim
pension for three years and 1850 for
other causes. an aggregate of Al. 122.
The whole number of pensioners on
the rolls II ne 80, 1897 was go, Ola.
The net gain over the previous year
was !, $50 1t will thus be seen that
the pension roll has not yet be-
gun TO show any diminution, though
it has been anticipated by my prede-
cessors in office that such would be the
fact Seven widows and nine daugh-
tiers of revolutionary soldiers are still
on the rolls.
During the year "a, 454 pension GER
tificates were issued, of which number
50,501 were original allowances, and
the balance We're reissues, increases,
RESERVATIONS, etc. OF this number, H.
Oil certificates of various classes We're
held in this bureau until July l, 1897,
and are accordingly not credited to
the past fiscal year. During the same
period 80, pa claims of various classes
L
ever, does not include claims which
were made for higher rates of pen
sionS.
The amount disbursed for pensions
by the pension agents during the year
was SI39 799, 242 II, and the amount
dlsbursed by treasury settlement was
$3.50, 1923, a total of S1S9, 949, 717.$5.
This exceeds the amount disbursed
during the fiscal year 1896 by the sum
of 81, 5S4. 4S0, ISL. If the 14,671 certifi-
Gates which, as before stated, were
held in this bureau until July l, 1897,
had been mailed to the pension agents
during the fiscal year, they would
have required first payments, amount
ing to 81, 191, 694, besides the additional
annual value, which would also have
been d charge upon the appropriation.
This amount, added to that actually
disbursed, makes an aggregate of Sl41,-
$50, 936. The appropriation for the
payment of pensions for the fiscal year
1897 was only S140, OOO,O
The average annual value of each
pension at the close of the year was
$l33. II. The average annual value of
each pension under the general law
was $162.04; each under the act of
June ~, 1890, was $109.25, The aggre-
gate annual value of all pensions at
the close of the year was 1929. 795. 42s.
This, of course, excludes the cases that
were held up.
There were A original and seven
duplicate bounty land claims admit
ted, and AS original claims of this
character rejected.
Referring to tn e consolidation of
agencies, Commiss Toner Evans recon-
mends that the executive order of July
II last. suspending the operation of the
order of February 6, 1897, the latter of
which provided for the consolidation,
be continued indefinitely, and adds:
II am still of the opinion that the
reduction and consolidation of the
pension agencies at this time is not
only unnecessary but iuexpedient,
that the disruption of business in the
agencies, the business of the interior
department and the general incon-
venience of the service would more
than offset the anticipated saving to
the government. Attention is called
to significant saving in rentals of
agencies. policy still being continued.
In conclusion, the report recon-
mends the publication of a complete
list of pensioners and of the passage
of law to the end that no pension be
granted to the widow of any soldier
that shall marry hereafter.