Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-08-19
pension ROLL GROWING
Evans Report Shows Enormous
Increase in Number Of
Claimants.
------------
Nearly : Million Now on Pension
Roll--.Further Increase
Probable.
Pensions for Disabilities Receiv,
edin Actual Service in Small
Proportion.

4
thirty-six years since the war of the re-
bellion closed and new generation of
men has come upon the scene since
Grant received the surrender of Lee,
and yet the pension roll is larger today
than ever before. Commissioner Evans
has just completed his tabular state
ment, which will be embodied in his an
nual report 1t shows not only that re-
publics are not necessarily ungrateful,
but, on the contrary that this republic
at least has been made the victim of it's
own generosity.
The figures. when properly studied,
will stagger even the best friends of the
old soldier. The figures are in fiat def
ance of all tables of life insurance sta.
tistics. The pensioners now on the rolls
amount to the startling number of 997,-
I35. In round numbers this Is about one
pensoner for every seventy-five men,
women and children in the United
States During the last year the net
gain to the pension rolls amounted TO
4,206. OF these 3.S49 were Spanish war
pensioners, but eliminating them there
is still an actual increase in the pensions
thirty-six years after the great war Of
the rebellion closed.
| The expenditure last year for pensions
was $13S, ,4S3, or over quarter of a
million dollars a day for the entire year
| The figures are 80 stupendous and the
increase of the pension list 30 persistent
as to discourage even the best friends of
the old soldiers
| From July /, 1865, at the close of the
civil war, until July 1. 1901, the close of
| tie last fiscal year. this country has paid
out the appalling sum of 81, 666, 904 $3.50, a
sum sufficient to pay off all the green
backs, treasury notes and bonds of the
| United States and leave enough to re-
| deem the silver certificates in gold and
dump the silver dollars IN the Potomac.
| An examination of the figures just
| furnished by the commissioner shows
| that the number of pensioners on June
80, 1900. was 993,529. During the year
3S,153 died. but at the same time 44.225
| new names were added to the rolls.
| There is yet no LOGS from the veterans of
| the rebellion, but net gain on the rolls
| for one year of 1874. Thus the new
pensioners on account of War which
ended thirty-siX years ago actually out
number the deaths.
| A further examination of the rolls does
not tend to show that the pension list is
liable to be reduced soon. The roll grew.
first, because. after the law of 1890
granting pensions for disabiliti not in
| Cured in the service, and, secondly, be-
cause of the admission to the rolls of
the widows of men who died long after
the rebellion was over
L IN nm,
the roll includes $685. survivors of wars
prior to 1861. OF the remainder 1884
are Invalid veterans and 249,036 are Wild
| ows
| OF the veterans only 297,675 are pen
| stoned for disabilities actually incurred
| when in the service, while 4Ss,114 are
| now drawing annual incomes for dis
abilities. The same proportion holds
| good as to the widows, 145ln being
granted pensions because of the death
| of their husbands from diseases other
| than those contracted in the service,
while only s3.s02 claim awards because
they are the widows of soldiers who died
| directly from bullets or diseases af act
| ual war.
Thus it appears that the new widows
| are likely to make up for the deaths,
| while from year to year old soldiers who
| have been healthy gradually acquire
| new disabilities and become pensionable.
4 The danger of increase from this
| source is shown by the fact that the
1 number of claims pending on June 30,
1901, was 4O3,569. Including 24.206 claims
for accrued pension and 3S,532 claims
| arising out Of service in the war with
Spain. OF the number 22S.634 We're filed
by persons who have heretofore been
| granted pension and WHO are now
4 seeking an additional allowance. There
are also 1899 claims for new disabili-
/ ties" in which pension has already been
| allowed for one or more disabilities, OF
service origin, and new disabilities,
| mostly of recent origin, are now alleged
for which additional pension is claimed.
/ Under the act Of June q. 1890, the
number of pensions granted to widows
curing the year was 1850. or nearly A.
500 in excess of those granted the previ-
Gus year the result Of the act of May
g, 1900, extending the provisions of the
act of June q, 1890. The total amount
paid to pensioners as fret payments
upon the allowance of their claims dur
ing 1901 was s9,934, 1884, or s106,23s.47
more than the first payments during the
year 1900.
This amount represents the arrears
of pension due on the original allowance
of the claim. and as an illustration: In
CTS claims allowed during the year the
first payments amounted to s1,010.699 OF
an average of nearly $1,000 in each case
On July /, 1901. there We're in thu
hands of the different pension agents
10,109 certificates, involving first pay.
ments amounting to $s7S,170. These Ger.
tificates were issued so near the close OF
the fiscal year that the pension agents
), were unable to obtain vouchers from tn.
pensioners in time to bring the paymen
within the last fiscal year.
The pension rolls still contain the
names of one survivor and 1,527 widow.
on account of the war of 1872; ,086 sur.
vivors and 3,479 widows on account o.
! Indian wars: and 1868 survivors and g.,
100 widows on account of the war will
, Mexico, which seems to show that tn,
enormous pension bill of the American
will still be enormous when the presen
generation has been succeeded by an
other.
SWIFT e COMPANY ROBBED.
Treasurer Of New York Branch EN-.
! beetles 20 Amount Of $4,000.
D New York, Aug. 19.-It became known
gry< Il Z