Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-11-11
OUR PENSION ROLL.
The Commissioner Of Pensions
Makes His Annual Report.
The ROLL SHOWS NO DINlyU1IOy.
The Whole Number of Pensioners ON June
80. 1897, Was 878,O1l, u Gain Over
the Previous Year Of
$3.50.

WASHINGTON. Nov. 6.-The first an
nual report Of Commissioner of Pen
sions II. Clay Evans to the secretary Of
the interior was made public yester.
day. A summary follows:
There were added to the rolls during
the year the names of 50, lOl new pen.
sioners and there were restored to the
rolls 1871 pensioners who had previ-
ously been dropped, total of 54,O7s.
During the same period the losses to
the roll were 1880 by death, 1914 by
remarriage of widows and mothers
l,S45 by legal limitation (minors), 1888
for failure to claim pension for three
years and 1850 for other causes, an
aggregate Of II, 49, The whole mum.
Der Of pensioners on the rolls June 80,
1887, was 976,Ol4. The gain over the
previous year was 1896. 1t will thus
be seen that the pension roll has not
yet begun to show any diminution,
though it has been anticipated for sew
eral years.
The report gives the number of west
ern pensioners and the amounts of
pensions disbursed for the fiscal year
1897 as follows: Missouri, 5S,257 pen
sioners, $7,226, 1854; Kansas, 4O,S43
pensioners, $6,2S4, 1856 So; Indian terri
tory, 1886 pensioners, $3.50, OO3, 81; Okla
homa, 6,172 pensioners, soil, 200 49,
Seven widows of revolutionary soldiers
and nine daughters of revolutionary
soldiers are still on the rolls
During the year "a, Asa pension GER
titicates were issued, of which number
50,lOl were original allowances and
the balance were reissues, increases
reservations, etc. During the same
period 1924 claims Of various classes
were disallowed. This number how
ever, does not include claims which
were made for higher rates OF PEN
sions. The amount disbursed for pen.
sions during the year was sl99, 949,-
7lIS5. This exceeds the amount dis
bursed during the fiscal year 1896 by |
$l,5O4, 4SO1S. The average annual
value Of each pension at the close of |
the year was Sl3317 The average an.
nual value of each pension under the
general law was $1,000; each under
the act Of June 81, 1890, was SlO9.s5.
The aggregate annual value of all
pensions at the close Of the year was
$40, 795, 42S. This, of course, excludes
the cases that were held up. There
were A original and seven duplicate
bounty land claims admitted and 145
original claims Of this character re-
jected.
Referring to the consolidation of
agencies, Commissioner Evans recon-
mends that the executive order of July
IA last, suspending the operation of
the order of February 8, 1897, the lat
ter of which provided for the CONSOLE
iation, be continued indefinitely, and
adds: 81 am still OF the opinion that
The reduction and consolidation of the
pension agencies at this time is not
only unnecessary, but inexpedient;
hat the disruption of business in the
lgencies the business of the interior
and the general inconven-
ence of the service would more than
'ffset the anticipated saving to the
Attention is called to a
ignifcant saving in rentals of agen-
les, policy still being continued. In
the report recommends the \
publication of complete list of pen t
toner's, and of the passage of law to h
he end that no pension be granted to n
he widow of any soldier that shall /,
larry hereafter. h