Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1901-08-24
PENSIONS PILING UP.
Statement Made by Pensions Com
missioner Evans,
Number for the Past Year Highest on
Record-Total Disbursements on
Pensions Account.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18.-There we're
more pensioners on the rolls on June
80, the end of the last fiscal year,
than ever before in the history of the
government.
The total Of all classes then on the
rolls, according to an advanced synOp-
sis Of the annual report Of Commission
Evans, was 997735. At the begin
ming of the last fiscal year there were
g93, ,529 names on the roll During the
year there were allowed 44,225 claims
for original pension and 1867 claims
were added to the list by renewals and
restorations, making the total number
Of claims on the rolls during the year
1,041, ,321. There were 1856 names
dropped during the year, so that the
net gain over last year was 4,2O6.
During the fiscal year there were drop
ped on account of death 38,153 names;
remarked, 853; minors reaching age
of 16, 1856; failure to claim 1888;
other causes, 1,460.
Though the survivors Of the civil
war are rapidly dying off, there was
gain during the year Of 1,944 pension
ers on account Of that war. This wa!
due to the large number Of widows
added to the roll the number being
1850, or nearly $500 more than dur
ing the previous year, the increase re-
sulting from the action of congress in
extending the provisions of the act Of
1890.
There was an increase Of 3,849 on
account of the Spanish war.
There were decreases in these class.
es of pensioners: War of the Revolu.
tion, 2; War of 1912, 215; War with
Mexico, 82G; indian Wars, 544.
The pension rolls still contain the
names of nine widows and daughters
of soldiers of the Reyoluntion; one
survivor and 1927 widows on account
of the war of 1912; 1886 survivors
and 3,479 widows on account of Indian
wars; 1868 survivors and S,109 widows
on account of the war with Mexico;
735,7S9 survivors and 233, ,913 widows
and minor children on account OF the
civil war; $50 army nurses and 1855
survivors and 2,O49 widows on account
of the war with Spain.
The appropriation for the payment
Of pensions during the fiscal year was
$144,O00, 600 OF this amount there
was expended $138,331, ,48384, leaving
an uneXpended balance of s5,468,51616.
The total disbursements of the gov
ernment on account of pensions since
1870 has been $2,763,35O,03 OF
this total there had been expended up
to June 30 1856, but S96,445,44A23,
making the expenditures from June 80,
1855, to June 80, 1901, $2,666,904,.
5S9.23.
Good Showing for Evans.
Notwithstanding this great increase
in the number of claims fled due to
the Spanish war and to the liberaliz
ing of the act of 1890, Commissioner
Evans made an excellent record dur
ing the year there being, on June 80,
4Oo,569 claims pending, a smaller mum
Der than at any time since 1896,
Under Various Presidents.
The statement gives the following
amounts of money paid pensioners un.
der different administrations:
President Grants first term, s116,.
1925; average per year, s29,O34,063.
President Grants second term, $114,.
S95,357; average per year. $2S,59S,,
S39.
President Hayes administration,
$145,322,4S9; average per year $685.,
39O,622.
President Garfelds administration.
s287S25,O7O; average per year, $59,,
456,26
President Cleyelaud's first term,
sSO5, 6,662; average per year, $76,
4O9,165.
President Harrisons administration,
$5l9,7O5726; average per year, S129,.
926,931.
President Clevelands second term,
S57 ,407, 900; average per year S139,
4S7,602.
President McKinleys first term,
$3.50 0OO0,547; average per year, $1+O,.
000137