Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1899-09-07
OFFICE REPORT.
Col. Evans in His Annual Message
Presents Interesting Facts Con- o.
corning His Bureau.
PAYMENTS LAReER THAN EVER BEFORE.
The Total Expenditures During the
Year Were $13s,355,O 52-Number-
Of.PensiOners Is 901 ,510-The Com
mission Is Pleased with Condition
of Affairs.

Washington, Sept. 1.-The annual re-
port of Col. 81. Clay Evans, the commits
sioner of pensions, for the fiscal year
ended June 80, 1899, presents some very
interesting facts in connection with the
condition of the pension roll and the OPP
erations of the bureau. The report
says:
:. The pension roll is made up of 75S,-
Isl surviving soldiers and 237,4l5 WIDOWS
or dependent relatives, and 653 army nurses.
To them last year was paid $131, 81, 961, being
s649, 1876 more than ever before.
The average of each class of pensions IS
also higher The cost of bureaus, attor-
neys' fees, ETC., brought the total expended
appropriation.
49, Payments for the Year.
The payments for pensions for the year
are classified as follows:
General law, ST., lis, 703; Spanish war, s2s,-
COG; act of 1890, $64, 321, 400. Fees paid to at
torneys were $476,969, against $7SO00O in
1898. Total number of claims filed during
the year, 1876; allowed, S7G0; restored
1914; total allowances, including increases,
ss,O54 Total claims pending June 80, 1889,
635, 095; June so, 1899, 477,2S9.
The total disbursements to pensioners
since 1866 were 81, 3S9 ,910,94 During the
same period, SIS, 490, 1856 went to examining
$52,237,2 2s for salaries and other expenses
of the pension bureau.
Number of Pensioners.
The number of pensioners residing in for
eign countries is 1906 to whom is paid
$633,S09. Of this number 2139 reside in
Canada, AS in Ireland, COS in Germany, and
321 in England. There are four surviving
widows and seven surviving daughters OF
the revolutionary war on the rolls. Hiram
only surviving pensioned soldier of the war
of 1872. He is SO years of age. The num-
Der of pensioned widows of the war of
1872 is 1888. On account of the Indian wars
| 1853 soldiers and 8 1899 widows are pensioned.
For service in the Mexican war there are
| enrolled 9,204 soldiers and sits widows.
| June 80, 1885, the total number of pensioners
was 991, $50, being 2,195 less than on the same
| date in 1885,
Claims Rejected.
i During the year 1O7,919 claims of all
| classes were rejected in the bureau. A
careful analysis of the causes of rejec-
| ton of SO many claims is given, showing
that large percentage of reflections
cur in claims in which additional allowance
| of some kind is claimed
Stoppage of Pensions
Complaints have been made against the
bureau for the stoppage of the pensions of
those who enlisted or accepted commits
SONS IN the war with Spain. These PEN
sions ceased by operation of law, and not
by any order or instructions from the bu-
reau.
Up to this date the number of reenlist-
ments of pensioners for service in the war
with Spain has been reported as 10 of the
| navy, Al of the regular army and 66 of the
| war of the rebellion
Satisfied with Results.
| The commissioner expresses his satisfac-
| ton with the results for the past year. No
new rules of evidence have been introduced
| in the adjudication of claims but the work
has been accomplished under prescribed
| rules of many years standing.
In his conclusion the commissioner states
| that the pension laws are generous; that
| their Interpretation by the department has
| always been liberal, and their administra-
! ton by the bureau officials has been and is.
| now far more liberal than the generous
| laws-always giving the benefit of doubt in
| favor of the soldier