Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-11-11
THE PENSION BUREAU.
Interesting Extracts from Commits.
siOner Evans Report

Washington, Nov 6.-The first an
nual report of Commissioner of PEN
sions I'll. Clay Evans to the secretary of
the interior, was made public Friday.
A summary follows:
There were added to the rolls during the
year the names Of so ,101 new pensioners and
there were restored.to the rolls 1871 PEN
sioners who had been previously dropped,
a total of 54,072. During the same period
the losses to the rolls were 81 800 by death,
1,074 by remarrage of widows and mothers,
1,S45 by legal Limitation (minors). 1858 for
failure to claim pension for three years and
1850 for other causes, an aggregate Of
41,122.
The whole number of pensioners on the
rolls June 80, 1897, was 976,014. The net gain
over the previous year was 1886. 1t will
thus be seen that the pension roll has not
yet begun to show any diminution, though
1t has been anticipated by predecessors in
office that such would be the fact. Seven
widows of revolutionary soldiers and nine
daughters of revolutionary soldiers are
still on the rolls.
During the year 81, asa pension certificates
were issued, of which number 50,101 were
original allowances and the balance were
reissues, increases reservations, etc. Dur
ing the same period 1924 claims of various
classes were disallowed. This number,
however, does not include claims which
were made for higher rates of pensions.
The amount disbursed for pensions by
the pension agents during the year was
$139, 799, 242.12 and the amount disbursed by
treasury settlement was $50, 475.23, total
of $139, 949, 717S5 This exceeds the amount
disbursed during the fiscal year 1896 by
the sum of 81, 5S4, 4S01S If 14,61 certificates,
which were held in this bureau until July
!, 1897, had been mailed to the pension
agents during the fiscal year, they would
have required first payments amounting to
hnc hn mol
value, which would also have been charge
upon the appropriation. This amount,
added to that actually disbursed, makes an
aggregate of $14l, 99O,936. The appropria-
ton for the payment of pensions for the
fiscal year 1897 was only s140,0O0,0O0. The
average annual value of each pension at
the close of the year was s133.17. The av-
erage annual value of each pension under
the general law was $16204; each under the
act of June II, 1890, was $10925 The aggre-
gate annual value of all pensions at the
close of the year was $129 795.428.
Referring to the consolidation of agencies,
Commissioner Evans recommends that the
executive order of July last suspending
the operation of the order of February 6,
1897, the latter of which provided for the
consolida ton, 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 inexpedient; that the dis
ruption of business in the agencies, the
business for the interior department and
the general inconvenience of the service
would more than offset the anticipated saw
ing to the government" Attention is
called to a significant saving in rentals Of
agencies, a policy still being continued.
In conclusion the report recommends the
publication of a complete list of pensioners
and the passage of a law to the end that
no pension be granted to the widow of
any soldier that shall marry hereafter.