The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-11-12
Pensions.
r y THE fiscal years covered b!
Pension commissioner Evans
~ latest report there was u nc

~ latest report. lItlt WIS II lltl
addition of 4.2O6 names to the
pension rolls. bringing the total num-
bcr of names on those rolls up To ?91,-
125. the high-water record in the his
tory of the bureau.
During the year 3S,l." names We're
dropped by reason Of deaths: S13 Wild
ows Remarked l.5S2 minors became Of
age. 53S pensioners failed to claim,
and 1.462 dropped from other causes,
making !; total of 1886. During the
year 3.5G7 pensioners We're restored to
the rolls and certificates We're issued to
ii.225 new pensioners. OF the latter,
three were ON account of the war of
1877 twidows). aG7 on account of the
Mexican WAY. 1i6 for Indian wars and
i.O3I ON account of the war with Spain
the remainder being Civil war pen
SonerS.
Classified by wars the pensioners now
on the rolls are Revolutionary. .:
war Of 1872. l.5.S: Indian wars. 4565;
Mexican war, 1851; Civil war, y1O, 90;
Spanish war. 1904. The amount paid
to pensioners from July |, 1890. to June
20, 1901. reached the enormous total
of s., 7G3, $50 .0;3. OF this sum $i4, SAL .6i1
was ON account of the war of lSl2 $50
.lS7 on account of the Mexican war
and $5,iO2 O5i on account OF Indian
wars.
According to the mortuary tables and
estimates prepared by the war depart
ment. there should now be living 965.
BIB survivors of the war of the Rebel
ion. The pension rolls contain the
names Of I35 900 survivors OF that war,
which shows that over 100000 have
never been pensioned.
In his report Commissioner Evans
makes Il number of valuable recon-
mcndutions. He recommends the re-
peal of the law making the pension Of
widow begin at the date Of the hus-
bands death, instead of the date of
filing application. taking the ground
HAT the large arrearages We're a stand
ing inducement 10 file fraudulent
claims, especially when the chances OF
detection We're SO small. He also urges
II complete revision of the roster of at
u,
Il more careful scrutiny III future of
the qualifications of those who apply
For admission and the liking of Il speci-
lc attorney fee for claims under uC-
Crued pensions; that power De given
the pension bureau To determine the
PROOF of legal marriages in pension
claims by a standard uniform through
out the country, and the enactment OF
Il provision that the balance of pension
money in the hands of Il treasurer of
Il Soldiers home shall, upon the death
Of the pensioner, be paid 10 his widow,
minor children, father or mother. and,
in default of these. be returned to the
United States treasury. His most inn
portant recommendation, however. ia
that II radical change he made in tho
present method of udjudicating pension
claims, his experience convincing him
that this is necessary in order to iu-
sure with a reasonable degree of cer-
tainty the payment OF pensions 10 those
designated by law to receive them ON
this subject ne says
In the Grst place. claim, are adiuI,o,tcd upon
- l"''' 't''hR'HN, N"'ul'u ANA submitted IN
riit'cn iom on the part ol thc claimant. The
government makes i,o defense to the claims filed
"gan,I il. The witnesses me not cros,cXim.
incd and 10 means have been devised bv which
II can he satisfactorily determined hy the bur. an
what manner OF men arc offered as Witnesses or
what reliance is TO be placed upon their trsti-
mony, unless claims are specially investigated.
No Judgment could hc obtained upon such cyi.
dcnce in any court OF Law, and an impartial mind
is .lt IA Ln nf I,,t.
sion based thereon It i, linCntahlc fact that
claims are often admitted which are not bc,
heyed 10 possess any merit whatever, and
claimants whose cases are rejected are seldom
willing 10 accept such action as inai.
The evidence upon which a olGim Is adiudi
Gated is prepared and filed by an attorney APP
pointed 10y the claimant whose fee is dependent