Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-06
PAID FOR PENSION S
First Annual Report of Commissioner
Evans.
The Net Increase on the Roll Was
5,336-There Were Issued
9f,454 Certificates.

Commissioner Evans of the bureau of
pensions made public his first annual re-
port last evening. He reviews the work of
the year IN his bureau and makes a num-
Der of important recommendations for the
consideration of Congress.
During the past fiscal year there were
added to the rolls the names OF 5O,10I new
pensioners, and there were restored to the
rolls 1871 pensioners. who had been
previously dropped, total of 5i,072.
During the same period the losses to
the rolls were 81 $50 by death, 1,014 by re-
marriage of widows and mothers, 1,145 by
legal limitation (mlnors), 2.6S3 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 916,U1i. The bet
gain over the previous year was 1886
1T will thus be seen that the pension roll
has not yet begun to show any dimnution,
though it has been anticipated by my
predecessors in office that such would be
the fact" says Commissioner Evans.
Seven widows Of revolutionary soldiers
and nine daughters of revolutionary sol
diers still on the rolls.
During the year Al 54 pension certIfi-
Gates were issued. of which number 80, 1o1
were original allowances and the balance
We're reissues, increases. restorations, re-
newals. etc. OF this number. 1i.6I1 GER
this bureau until July l. 1897, and are, ac-
cordingly. not credited to the past fiscal
year.
During the same period 1924 claims of
various classes were disallowed. This
number, however does not include claims
which were made for higher rates of PEN
sion.
The amount disbursed for pensions by
the pension agents during the year was
$3.50, 1872. 2i2. u, and the amount disbursed
by treasury settlement was $50 4I5.23, a
total OF $133 $40. 717.:!5. This exceeds the
amount disbursed during the fiscal year
1896 by the sum of 81, JSi iS01S. If the
1i,611 certificates which, as before stated,
We're held in this bureau until July 1. 1897
had been mailed to the pension agents dur
ing the fiscal year they would have re-
quired first payments amounting TO 81, 49,
694, beSi!eS the additional annual value
which would also have been a charge upon
the appropriation. This amount added 10
that actually disbursed makes an agcre-
gate of Sal S90,936. The appropriation
for the payment of pensions for the fiscal
year 1897 was only S1i0o00,0o0. The aver
age annual value of each pension at the
close of the year was S133.17. The average
annual value of each pension under the
general law was $162.04: each under the
act of June %, 1890, was S109.25. The ag-
gregate annual value of all pensions at the
close of The year was $129. 195. 42S This, of
course, excludes the cases that were held
up. There were Al original and duplicate
bounty land claims admitted and 145 origi-
Hal cidiiHS VI lhiS CHARACTER rejected. he
ferring to the consolidation of agencies
Commissioner Evans recommends that the
executive order of July IA last suspending
the operation of the order of February g.
1897. the latter of which provided for the
consolidation, be continued Indefinitely, and
adds:
Il am still of the opinion that the re-
duction and consolidation of the pension
agencies at this time is not only unneces-
sary, but inexpedient; that the disruption
of business In the agencies. the business
for the Interior Department, and the gen.
eral Inconvenience 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 rec
ommends the publication Of a complete
list of pensioners, and of the passage of a
law to the end that no pension be granted
to the widow of any soldier that shall
marry hereafter.