The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-11-12
PENSION PAYMENTS.
First Annual Report of Commis.
sioner Evans
The Anticipated Dsminuti"n Ia tho Nam.
berof Pensioners not Realized Eel.
stiv.s Of Revolutionary sol
cicrs sim GA the List.

WAsnINGroN. Nov. a. The first An.
nual report of the commissions. NJ
pensions, IL. Clay Evans, 10 the ,.e~..
tary of the interior. was mad. public
yesterday. A summary follows:
There were added 10 the rolls durin..
the year the names of 80 lUi new ban
sioners. and there were restored "a I'LL.
rolls a.97l persons who had been pre.
viou>ly dropped. total OF saO.l
During the same period the losses n
the roll were 1880 10y deaths. i.0-,
by r--marriage of widows ana
mothers. 1.s4J by legal Limitation
Uninorsl. Ass for failXe T. claim
pension for three years Nnd 1850 fo-
other causes. an aggregate Of Al liz.
The whole number OF persistence, ga
the rolls il ne 80. 1891 was ys6nt,
The net gain over the previous year
was 5.33G 1t VIII thus be seen that
the pension roll has not yet BE-.
gun Ia show any diminutiOn. though
1t mas been anticipated by my preae
ces>ors in office that such would he the
fact Seven widows and nine daneh-
ters OF revolutionary soldiers are stu
on the rolls.
During the year %. i5s pension Ger
titicatcs were issued. of which number
-. sol were original allowances aud
The balance were reissues. increases.
restorations, etc. OF this number. H.
bsl certi ticates OF various CLASSES were
held in this bureau until July /. l,g.,
and are accordingly not credited %
the past fiscal year. During the same
period s6.sS4 claims Of various ca>ss.,
were diaallowcd. This number Is l.s-
ever does not include clainns Which
were made for higher rate, ~ pcn.
sions.
The amount di>bursei for pension,
Oy the pension agents daring iAe -
was Si3J sgg 80. Il. ami tue amnnut
disburseI Dy treasury settlement was
sIJJ. ts5. - total Of Slag. g49 Ills.
This exceeds the amount disnur-e4
during the fiscal year IsJi by the >nm
OF Sl5s4. 4sl.Isl. If the l4.v-i crf t.d-
Gates which. as before stated. We're
held ia this bureau until Juiv 1 l,t-
had been mailed 10 the pension agents
during the fiscal year. they wnl
have required first payments, amount
ing u =. lJl. Syi beside, the additional
annual yatue, yhica wou.d alsp have
been a charge upon the appropriation.
This amount. added to that actuI-
lisOur>ed makes an aggregate OF : al
y9J.956. The appropriation for tile
payment of pensions for the tiscal year
lsys WAS only 1000. UOO
The average annual value Of each
pension at the close of the year IS a.
si53ls. The average annual value u
each pension under the general Jaw
was SI63Oi, each under the act IL
June -. 1890, was SlO9. -. The aggre-
gate annual value of all pensions a.
the close of the year was si29. 7g5 -
This, of course. excludes the eases tAat
were held up.
There We're ~ original and seven
/ duplicate bounty land claims admit
ted. and rs original claims Of TINS
character rejected.
Referring to Tia e consolidation %
agencies. Commissio Evans recon-
mcnds that the executive order of July
IA last. suspending the operation of the
order of February q, 1897 the latter az
which provided for the consolidation.
be continued indefinitely. aud adds.
Il am still of tue opinion that the
reduction and consolidation o. the
pension agencies at this tune is not
only unnecr,s ary but inexpedient,
/ that the disruption of busin =, IN the
agencies. the business, of the interior
department aud the general incpn-
venience of the service would more
than offset the anticipated saving -
the government Attention j. called
to significant saving in rentals y
agencies. policy still being continued.
La conclusion. the report recon-
mends the publication OF a comp etc
Inst Of pensioners and of the passage
Of law to the end that no pension he
granted to the widow OF any soldier
that shall marry hereafter.