The National tribune., 1901-08-22
THE coMM1ssIoNEws REPORT.


prepared a statement showing the opera
tons in principal features of the Pension
Bureau during the last fiscal year as com
pared with former, years. Most OF th'
data will be embodied in his annual lie
port, and the statement Is prepared FOL
the use of the National Encampmcnt OF
the e. A. r., which will be held befor,
the report is ready.
1t shows that the number Of pensioner;
on the rolls June 80 last were 99I, 49,. :
not gain of ! BOG over last year. Line tota
net loss to the roll during the year was
1885. which includes 3S,153 by death
S5:5 by remarriage, ], 5S2 by minors reach
Jig the age of IL, 1,53S by failure to claiG
pension, and l AGO from other causes. a
comparative table shows that the roll fol
the year just closed is the ''high-watel
mark in the history of the Pension Bu
reau, the next highest having been
reached in 1898. OF the gains TO the rolls
during the year 3,Si9 were from the wal
with Spain. The losses include two from
the Revolution, 215 from the War of 1872
| S26 from the war with Mexico. and oh
from the Indian wars. The gains to the
roll since 1898 were 1894 widows of the
civil war and 5604 from the Spanish
rolls in the four years was -l,02l.
GENEROSITY IN BOUNTY TO WIDOWS.
Pensions granted to widows under tho
act of June -, 1890, during the year mum,
bcred 1850, or nearly 4..,00 in excess OF
those granted the previous year.
The pensioners on the rolls are CLASH
| fed as follows: Survivors, $500; inya-
! lids, 1884; widows, 249.0S6. These
comprise 1924 widows and the $3.50
survivors on account of old wars prior
to 1861: 297 ,6T5 invalids and $500 on
account of general laws, disability of
service origin, mostly civil war; 43S, ia
invalids and 145,111 widows on account
of the June. 1890, act, civil war disability
not due to service; $50 army nurses and
1855 invalids and 2,049 widows on &C
count of the war with Spain.
The total amount paid to pensioners al
first payment on the allowance of their
claim during 1901 was $9,934, 764, or
$106,23S more than the first payments
during 1900. This amount represents the
arrears of pension aggregating 6I5 claims
allowed to an average of nearly $1,000
each.
The fees paid to attorneys amounted to
1891 ,245, an increase of almost $4,000,
due to the Spanish war. AT least 100000
of the medical examinations held during
the year resulted unfavorably to the
claimants. The amount paid TO pension
ers under the general law during the year
was SCI. S67. 2333, decrease of 81, 1923
from the amount paid last year.
HEAVY PENSIONS THE PRESENT YEAR.
1t is believed that during the fiscal year
of 1902 the payments under the general
law will he exceeded by those to pension
ers under the act OF 1890. The Spanish
war pensioners received Sl,1Io.22o, an in
crease over last year of SS42.320, and the
pensioners under the act of 1890, as
amended May 6, 1900, received S66,9l3,-
4S1, an increase over last year of ST.
2O1, 402
During the last so years the survivors
Of the War of 1872 and their widows
have received S44,S41 ,64S; Mexican war,
S30, POI ,1S7, and Indian wars, s5,4O2 oo4-
The total disbursements FOR pensions from
July /, 1880, to June 30 of this year
aggregate 81, T63, $50, 033. There were
a., $50 claimants for pension during the
year.
The pension rolls still contain the
names of one survivor and 1,52l widows
on account of the War of 1872; 1886 sur
yivors and 3,4I9 widows on account Of
Indian wars, and 1868 survivors and
8, 100 widows on account of the Mexican
war. The Bureau issued 109,66S certif-
Gates of all classes during the year, A.
225 being for original pension. The num-
Der of claims pending July l last was
400, 500. The statement gives the fol-
lowing amounts of money paid pensioners
under different Administrations:
PAYMENTS DURING ADMINISTRATIONS.
President Grants first term. SIG, 136, 275
Average per year ......... 29,03f,O69
President Grants second TIM 114,393,357
Average per year ........ 2S,59S,S $50
President Hayess Admins
tratIon ...........--... 1857, 4S3
Average per year ........ 3S,330, 622
President Garfeld's Admins
tratIOn 20 ,SZ0,UlU
Average per year .... 80, 456, 26S
President Clevelands first
term oUo,b3b,b6Z
Average per year .. 76,409, 166
President HarrisOn's Admin
istration .............. 519.707, 1926
Average per year ........ l29,926,331
President Cleyeland's second
term 0oi,3oO,4Ol
Average per year 1900. LIZ, 4S1 ,602
President McKinley's first
term opo,UUU,otl
Average per year l4O,OOo, loi
The first thing that strikes one in read
ing this is that the veterans of the rebel
lion are not given the benefits of this in
crease of 4,206 on the pension roll. Near
ly the whole went to the surYivOrs-and
they nearly all survive-of the Spanish
war. They got 3,S49 Of the total Of
4, 206, or over 80 per cent. of the gain.
This, too, while the veterans are old,
and at the critical periods of their lives,
while the Spanish war survivors and their
widows are all young, with the greater
part of their lives yet before them.
The next thought is that with all these
hundreds of thousands of unadjudicated
cases on file, with the claimants all past
the meridian of life, and constantly grow
ing older and needier, with what iron
r;gidity has been kept the tab on the
roll, until some one died and made a place
for him. Even including this extraordi-
nary increase of 1926 during the past
year, Mr.. Evans has allowed a net in
crease to the rolls during his four years
Of but 4,021. AS the Spanish war was
fought in the meantime, and has so far
resulted in 5,604 additions, there are
really fewer Union veterans and their
widows on the rolls than there were when
he took charge.
This, too, at time when the rapidly
increasing iniirmities of the Union vet
Grams demanded large expansion of the
roll.
This fact is again brought out strongly
in the great discrimination of the amount
paid pensioners under the old law for dis
abilities of service origin. In the very
nature of things these inyalids must grow
needier every year, with an increase their
ratings required by their increasing disa-
bilities. Yet the payments to this class
4 incl nl l..