The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-10-29
ANNUAL REPORT
ON STATE PENSIONS.
The Comptroller for the State
Board Makes Some Suggestions
10 the General Assembly,

chairman Of the State pension board.
In the letter of transmittal to the gen.
eral assembly he says:
I submit herewith the annual PEN
sion report of this Office for the year
1902:
ARTIFICIAL LIMB FUND.
Under the acts passed at the last ses-
son of your honorable body, the duty
was de7olyed on the comptroller gene
raj of expending $1,000 artificial limb
fund for the benefit of those who had
heretofore participated in similar ap-
propriations. The amount expended
for87 approved applicants was 81. $685.
26. For your information / print a
list of the applicants with their state
ments, which gives reasons why
they participated in this appropria-
ton. An examination of the act and
the applications will at once reveal to
You the difficulties under which an
official labors in dealing with matter;
of this kind. ! construed the act to
mean that where a Confederate sol
der had heretofore participated in
such an appropriation, he was entitled
to his pro rata share of the $1,000
appropriated from the pension fund,
ard where they made afidavits that
they had heretofore participat l
approved their applications.
[ have attached under the head of
No. 8, list OF those applying for the
artificial limb who were disapproved,
and the reasons why. Under the
head of No. 9. I give list Of appli-
cants for artificial limb fund, whose
applications were received after the
money was distributed. An examina-
tion of these papers leads me to believe
that they are entitled to sum equal
to that paid to other approved ap-
plican ts-s22. SO.
PENSIONS.
This department has experienced
great difficulty in securing proper
classification of applicants. If this
matter is given careful consideration by
the various pension commissioners and
county pension boards, I believe
a proper classification can be secured.
In order to do this, it will be necessary
for each applicant to use the blank
suited to his or her case. We have
been confused very much by county
boards sending in applications ap-
proved, while at the same time the
parties applying were on the pension
roll of the preceding year. Where a
slight difference in the name of the
postofice existed, the State board
was often at loss what disposition
to make of such application.
PENSION REPORT.
I realize that the reports of today
are the recorded history of the future.
Having that in mind, [ have not spar
ed time or pains in furnishing the
fullest information possible. First,
in this report, after the introductory,
comes the rules issued for the guidance
of county pension commissioners and
county boards. Next the copy Of the
pension laws now Of force; next a
table showing the total expenditure of
funds, number of pensioners, and num-
Der of approved applicants for artificial
limb fund, etc, ETC., and statement
of expenditure Of stationary and stamp
fund. etc. give table showing the
number of pensioners in the county
in 1901 number who have since died,
who have removed from the state, those
transferred to other counties, who have
been dropped by the county board, and
those transferred to other classes. A
statement OF the new applicants, those
transferred from other counties and
those transferred from other classes
the balance showing the number and
classes of the pensioners in that coun-
ty for 1902 To this is attached list
of the names of those who have died,
removed from the State, moved to
other counties, dropped by county
board, Or transferred to other classes.
With this statement before the pension
commissioners and county boards, they
will be able to do their work in a more
satisfactory manner than possible ever