The National tribune., 1899-09-07
COMMISSIONERS
REPORT.
A Specious Showing, Intended
to Influence the National
Encampment.

Commissioner Evans has given out to the
press another abstract of his annual report,
and made an evident effort to present facts
| and figures that would influence the action
of the National Encampment The fol
lowing is it in its entirety:
There are now on the rolls the names of
II surviving widows and daughters Of
Revolutionary soldiers, as follows:
Widows-Esther S. Damon, aged SIS,
living at Plymouth Union, VT; Nancy
Jones. aged So, living at Jonesboro, Tenn;
Rebecca Mayo, aged SO, living at Newbern,
Va; Mary Snead, aged 83, living at Parks
| ley, Va.
aged 80, living at Boston, Mass; Susan
nah Chadwick, aged 81, living at EN-
porium, Pa; Sarah C. Hurlburt, aged
81, living at Little Marsh, Pa; Eliza
Sanford, aged :. living at Bloomfield,
N. j.; Ann NJ. Slaughter, .aged SO, living
Thompson, aged rs, living at Woodbury..
Conn; Augusta Fuller, aged -. living at
Bridgeport, Conn.
! Hiram Cronk of northwestern New York,
is the only surviving pensioned soldier OF
| the War of 1872 He is 80 wears of age,
York.
The number of widows on the rolls, based
on service of their husbands in the War of
1912, is 1,99S.
| Sixteen hundred and fifty-six surviving
soldiers and 1899 widows are pensioned,
based upon service in the Indian wars
! For service in the war with Mexico ,2O4
surviving soldiers and S,175 widows of
soldiers who served in that war are PEN
stoned.
| DECREASE OF PENSIONERS.
On June 80, 1898, the total number of
pensioners was 993114: on June 30, 1899,
the Lumber was 991 $40; the decrease was
2,195.
| During the year there were added to the
rolls the names of 4O,991 pensioners, and
1886 names were dropped, of which num-
ber "a, ,345 were dropped by reason of death.
The amount appropriated for the pay
| ment OF pensions for the year was $40 ,000,-
900. The amount paid out by disbursing
agencies for pensions was S138,253 %;
355,0 ,052; leaving balance in Treasury of
81 ,644,9SS.
The average amount paid annually to
each pensioner Gnvalids and widows) now
on the rolls is IA, and the annual value
of the entire pension roll amounts to s131,-
617,9 being S649.496 more than it ever
was; the average annual value Of each
class of pensions is higher than last year.
| The pension roll is made up of 753 ,451
surviving soldiers. 237 Ais widows and
dependent relatives, and $50 Army Nurses.
The navy pension fund" yielded only
S342.275 for the year, while the total pay
So. .683, ,794. -.
The payments On account of pensions
under the general law for the year were
S71, 115,7O3; on account Of the war with
Spain, S2s, ,6O6; Oh account of pensions
under the act of june ~, 1890, S64. .321 AGO.
The number of pensioners residing in
foreign countries Is 4,30G, and the amount
paid to them is s6s3.3o9.70. OF this num-
ber 2,139 are residents of Canada, Ais
reside in Ireland. sos in Germany, and 321
in England. "a
The amount of first payments on all GER
tificates issued during the year was 50 ,247,-
957.75. The full, amount of fees paid to
attorneys was S476, 6,g69,61. Q'or the year
1898 it was S73O,0O0.)lI
i The total disbursement to army and
navy pensioners since 1866 was 81, ,389 go :
1 974.74.- For the same period the following
disbursements have been made for the p,Ir.
poses stated; viz: Fees of Examining Sur
geons, S15,490,9S6; maintaining pension
lagencies, S12,092, 178; salaries and other
226. ''
PENSION CLAIMS FILED, 4S,765.
The total number of original applications
for pension filed during the year, including
those filed on account of the war with
Spain and old wars, was 48, 765; the number
of original claims allowed during the year
was 37,071; number restored to the rolls
was 1914.
The rates of pension to soldiers and sail.
orS now on the rolls under the act of June
q. 1890, range as follows: SO per month
105,IS7; IS per month"; 12S, ,143; $40 pei
month, 26,54O; S12 per month (maximum
rate, 160,4 ,406.
: The number of claims of all kinds allow.
. ed, and in which certificates were issued
Il ft,a
! $50; general laws. %. .O66; act of June 81
> 1890. 5S,429. Total allowances. S9,O54
The total number of pieces of mai
: handled in the mail division Of the Bureau
for the year was 5,173,512.
> The Army and Navy Survivors Division
added To the list of survivors of the civi
i. war the names and addresses of 17S, 800
persons. and furnished the addresses t.
claimants and others of 223, 40 comrades
On June 80, 1898, there were $50, ,O5.
claims pending before the Bureau.
The number of claims of all classes pend
, ing June 30, 1899. is .239, a decrease
for the year of 157 .820 claims
The number of claimants of all classes
including those based upon service in the
; war with Spain, who have not received any
pension, is 1854: Excluding Army
:. there are only 69.46s soldier claimants who
have not yet been pensioned.
| OF the number OF pending claims 3O5 O4c
are claims in which pension has heretofore
! been granted, and in which an additional
allowance or an increase of rate is claimed
; The Commissioner has given the right OF
way to original claims in which no pensio,
has ever been allowed, deeminG it lust anc
proper that such claims should have the
preference.
SPANISH WAR PENSION CLAIMS.
The number of claims based upon seryics
in the war with Spain filed during the veal
> was II $50, and during the same period 80:
claims of this class were allowed.
Since April 1, 1897, the Commissions
has reinstated in the Bureau 157 and in thu
agencies 23 ex-Union soldiers or sailors
making 1S0 in all. During the sam,
period there have been promoted in the Blu
reau 2S7 and in the different agencies 2.
ex- Union soldiers or sailors.
The law which provides that preferene,
y shall be given to ex.UniOn soldiers ant
sailors in employmentthas been strictly OBJ
Y served in the BureauI
n Considerable progress has been made il
: bringing up the arrears Of work in the Blu
reau. The work op original claims is prac
J, tically current, and the work Of orderins
r medical examinations in increase claims i
8 being pushed, so that very little time nov
8 elapsss between dates Of filing and order
ing the medical Examinations in this clas
+ Of cases.
t better condition thano at any time sine
, April, 1897, and It is believed that furthe
progress will be attaibed by the system
r instituted in the different divisions.
t The Commissioner calls attention to tn