Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-03-28
WHERE MONEY GOES
Interesting Figures About
War Pensions.
PENNSYLVANIA LEADS
OHIO A CLOSE SECOND AND NEW
YORK THIRD.
District of Columbia Received 81 ,3e2.-
600 Last Year and Maryland
S1,7os, 300.
LEADS


ant whose application has been adversely
reported upon in regular course will cause
the sparks of oratory to fly across the
chamber like those from the red-hot iron
upon the blacksmiths anvil, and will mix
things up among the members from the
different sections of the country as quickly
as good fstfc contest In the roped arena.
The memory of some of the representa-
tives as to the distribution of the annual
appropriation for pensions for which they
vote Is often out of plumb with the record
and the facts" said a pension official to
Star reporter today. I'm short, this
point is one with which not many are ia
miliar, as. for instance, few outside of
those in the pension office who have this
particular work to do know the amount
OF money disbursed IN pensions as close at
home as the District of Columbia, and the
number of pensioners residing therein.
The District and Maryland.
THE amount of pension money distribut-
ed in the District last year was 81 800 COO
among s,771 former soldiers, while in the
state of Maryland it was NOS, 300, distrib-
uted among 1906 pensioners.
1T may be shown from these figures. as
matter of local interest, that the average
amount received by pensioners residing in
the District, to all intents and purposes in
the city of Washington, is 1913 in each in
stance in excess of that received by the av-
erage penSfOneT living in MARYLAND The
Washington pensioner receives an average
of sl65, and in Maryland of $3.50 This
means that, while with less total num-
Der OF pensioners in Washington than in
Maryland by 1896, and q less total amount
distributed by S316,3OO the average amount
Oh each pension is greater, as is here given
This Is because it happens that the indi-
vidual pensions received by the soldiers re-
siding in Washington are higher than those
received by the old soldiers who live in
Maryland Thus, a soldier receiving sl44 a.
year Is getting as much two soldiers re-
oeiving SI2 year, and one pensioner with
high rate because of serious disability NAV
receive as much as a number of pensioners
who were but slightly disabled. There are
many commissioned officers residing in
Washington drawing large pensions as
compared with former privates in the civil
war.
THE average pension received by pen
sioners living in the states hereinafter
named may likewise be ascertained by
those interested by the simple process of
oividing the number of pensioners into the
total amount paid in the state, and the re-
suit VIII be the average amount each man
receives.
The two states leading In the number
OF pensioners residing therein. and the to-
tai amount they receive, are PENNSYLVANIA,
with 1O4,346 former soldiers. receiving s13-
Sts,Sl1, and Ohio, with 104 ,301, or only for
ty-four less than the keystone state, and
receiving Slo,2l1,12I, or nearly $2,0OOOOO
more in the aggregate amount paid, with
less than fifty difference in the number Of
beneficiaries.
Other Interesting Instances.
New York follows Ohio, with IS, 1914 pen
sioners, drawing 81 931, 378, while Illinois
Is fourth, with I0,491, receiving 50, 757 600
Indiana is fifth, with 1894 pensioners, re-
ceiving s10,291, S16. or over half a million
more than Illinois, and with 3,5O7 fewer
pensioners; and the fact that the pension
ers of Indiana, while less in number than
those Of the state in which Chicago is sit
uated, draw half a million dollars more
city feel sad.
In states which were termed the border
states during the civil war large number
OF pensioners reside, is the case In the
be shown In fact, the amount Of pension
money which goes into the border states
and into the south in year is surprisingly
large. An analysis of the facts affords
several interesting Instances. and offers i'm
portant Information which ought to be
more widely disseminated
CHASING Maryland as border state
with f3.o6T pensioners. receiving 81 IoS 600
West Virginia follows next in geographical
sequence, with FISH pensioners receiving
u,iii,3oO Then comes Tennessee with u.s.
"a old soldiers. receiving $3.50 500 and
Kentucky. with % 740 receiving "a O45 700
Missouri has 3,73S pensioners, receiving
$, l6o.9O. Arkansas has 1921, receiving
s., 3Se,900.
Now for the totals. These figures show
that there is an army corps of federal VET
Grams drawing pensions and living in these
border states. numbering 1857, and that
they receive an aggregate of SIT 62s. 300 a
year.
Passing next TO the states which consti
tuted the confederacy. the facts are equally
interesting.
A Large Sum Goes Into the South.
Thus, 1 viii begin with Virginia. with
e,455 pensioners. receiving s1,326 600. In
North Carolina there are 4.OO1 pensioners,
receiving so23.2oo and in South Carolina
there are 1,s46. receiving s254, 800. In
Georgia there are 1853. receiving s4s3, 1915.
while in adjoining Alabama there are 3,6T2
receiving S495,925- In Florida there are
S,077 federal ex-soidiers living among the
orange groves Of that state. and they get
S41o,6SD. In Mississippi there are 4, 403 PEN
sioners. receiving s649, 80 while across the
big river In Louisiana there reside SOB
who receive $SS5. 7S0 In the great state OF
Texas there are $3.50. who receive 81 900. 500
From these figures IT is apparent that in
the states of the former confederacy there
are at present residing 26,O20 former federal
soldiers who draw and disburse pensions
therein to the aggregate sum of s., O333, 500
Combining these latter figures and
amounts with those of the border states we
have a total army of 1857 men who are
benefciaries to the amount OF
s22. 661 $50 annually, in the border and
southern states named. or about one-sixth
of the amount annually disbursed in the
United States in pensions.
Western and Pacific Coast States.
Excluding the eastern states above
the amount disbursed in New Eng
land and the middle states is as follows:
MAINE, Is, SIS pensioners, receiving s.. 954.-
eco: New Hampshire. S,971. receiving
q. 301 500; Vermont, 9.i94. receiving $l.4l4,-
100; Massachusetts,. 39.473. receiving %. 1885,
400; Connecticut. 11.9l9. receiving 81. 500. $40:
Rhode Island. 4.771, receiving s566, COO: New
Jersey, 20.157. receiving s.. 402. coo, and Del
aware. 2.743. receiving 1854. 500.
I'm the western and Pacific coast states
not above enumerated, the amounts re-
ceived by states are as follows:
Wyoming. 726. receiving $4,000; Wis
consin, 1871, receiving A136. 100: Wash
ington, o,92e, receiving s920. 125; Utah, sSs,