The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-09-19
Pension Facts From the Annual Report
Ct Commissioner Evans.

Eyais 10" YnmissioIer ot p u-lon
/ for the i-csl year er drd Jntr 30.
1899 presents some iutrtcstii = tac.s
N connection with the condition cf
the pension roll aud the opersiI q
the bureau.
The pension roll is msde up -
7j3 al surviving soldiers, "A d 2j1
4lj widow or dep ndeut r,hfNes
aud G53 army muses.. To them iaot
year WAS paid Sl3l Gi7 9Gl being
/ tG4g l96 more than ever JefOre.
The average Of each class of pen
sioners is also higher. Tue cos, Of
bureaus, attorneJ 3 fees, etc brought
the total expended up 70 $l3S jjj 052.
being II GIL 94S less than the approp
ration.
The total number of claims filed
during the year WAS IS 7G5, allowed
81 on, restored 39li, total allow
snces. including increases So Oj4
Totsj claims pending June 30, lo9o,
Gjj 0jJ June 30, 1899, H.
The total disbursements to pen
sioners since 1866 were y 3s9 glO,.
ga During the same period Slj,-
400 $50 went TO examining surgeons,
Sl2 O92, lis to pension agencies and
3j2 237 Dps for salaries and other
expenses of the pension bureau.
The number of pensioners residing
ia foreign countries Is / 3O6, 10 whom
.s paid SG33 .3O9 OF this number,
l39 reside IN Cansd", 4lj 10 Ireland
G0j IN Germany aud 32l IN England.
Tuere are four surviving widows
and seven surviving daughters Of the
revolutionary war Oh the rolls. Hiram
Cronk of north western New York Is
the only surviving pensioned soldier
of the war of 1872. He Is 90 years
Of sge.
TIE number of pensoned widows
of the war of 1872 is l,99S On &C
count of the Indian wars 65S soldiers
and 500 widows are pensloued.
For service IN the Mexican war
there are enrolled 9 2O4 soldiers and
) l79 widows.
June 80, 1899, the total number of
pensioners was 99l 5l9, being , l95
less than on the same date 10 1898
The report says that considerable
progress had been made bringing up
the arrears Of work 10 the bureau
The work on original claims is prac
ticslly current. and the work of
ordering medical examinations iD
increase claims is being pushed so
that very little time now elspses
between dates Of filing and ordering
the medical examinations.
The commissioner reports the work
10 far better condition than at any
time since April, 1897, and it is be
lieved that further progress will be
attained by the systems instituted in
the different divisions.
The commissioner calls attention
to the fact that order 22j, issued June
| 9,lS03, which provided for q resdjust-
ment of rates of pensions previously
granted under the operations Of order
lG4, is still in force, but be states
that no revision Of rates under said
order has been made under his
| administration.
During the year l07, ,9l9 claims Of
all classes were rejected by the
bureau. A careful analysis of the
causes of rejection of 80 many claims
is given, showing that a large per
ceutage of ri actions occur in claims
in which additional allowance of some
kind is claimed.
A full aud detailed explanation as
to the causes of delay in the adjudi-
cation of claims is presented, from
which it appears that in nearly every
case of unusual delay the fault lies
with claimants or their attorneys,
and not with the bureau.
la order that the present complex
system of pensiOning may be simpli'
fed and to secure more uniform
proctice in the future, the appoint
ment of commission on the revision
Of the laws, rules and regulations is
recommended.
Legislation is suggested extending
the benefits of the act of June y,
1890, to persons who served in the
Confederate army and sfterward
voluntarily enlisted in the Union
army or navy prior to January l,
1864, and were honorably discharged.
The re.enactment of the law
requiring biennial examinations of
pensioners who have been recently
discharged from the service is recon-
mended, there being no way in which
the recovery of pensiOner from
the pepsioned causes can be deter
mined.
The repeal of the act of June 7,
1888, removed all limitation as TO
date OF fling claims by widows.
Legislation is asked for to the end
that no pension shall be granted to
date prior to the date of fling the
application.
The act of June 7, 1888, the report
SAYS holds out inducements and offers
a premium to the vicious to file
fraudulent claims carrying large
sums as arrearages. 1t is a bad law,
that encourages crime, and the gov
ernment has but little opportunity to
disprove a carefully prepared fraud
ulent claim under this law.
Complaints have been made against
the bureau for the stoppage of the
pensions of those who enlisted or
accepted com missions in the war
with Spain. These pensions ceased
by operation of law, and not by any
order or instructions from the bureau.
Up to this date the number of
re-enlisl lments of pensioners for
service in the war with Spain has
been reported as l3 of the navy, A
of the regular army and &c of the
war of the rebellion.
0ut of 4,94l cases 10 which action
has been taken by the department 10
appeals from the action of the bureau,
| tha huraau was ravarsad in OH, and