Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1903-09-18
PENSION REPORT.
Total Number of Pensioners on
Rolls Nearly $4,000.
Average Annual Value OF Each Pen,
sion S133-Survivors of civil War
Not Pensioned About 100000
- Commissioner Ware's
Recommendations.

Washington, Sept. 1.-THE annual
report of Commissioner of Pensions
Ware places the total number of pen.
sioners now on the rolls at 906,545, OF
which 720,356 are soldiers and 267,.
1S9 are widows and dependents. Mr.
Ware announces that it is not prob
able that the pension roll will again
cross the million line, the high water
mark having been reached a year
ago. Five of the pensioners are on
the roll on account OF the war of the
revolution, 1,116 on account of the
war of 1912; 4,734 on account of the
Indian wars and 1854 on account of
the Mexican war. The great bulk of
the roll is as follows:
Civil war invalids 703456. widows
243,39O. Spanish war invalids 5000,
widows 1869. The regular establish
ment, invalids 9,170, widows 9,23S.
The roll shows net loss of 1908 pen
sioners during the year. Out of a
total of 304,SO4 applications on hand
during the year 130,109 were admit
ted and 1924 rejected.
The average annual value of each
pension is now $133. The annual
value of the Spanish war pension roll
has reached S1,765,31O.
Commissioner Ware makes the fol-
lowing recommendations:
Laws forfeiting the pension or
right to pension of any man convict
ed in court of an infamous crime;
prohibiting the giving of pensions to
those women who marry soldiers af-
ter the soldiers become old pension
ers; and different method of exam
lining applicants for pension, stamp
ing the present system as uncertain,
expensive, unsatisfactory and gener-
| ative of an enormous mount of po-
litical friction. Mr.. Ware suggests
boards constituted of experts under
civil service rules which should go
from place to place on fixed days,
giving examinations and receiving
testimony regarding the condition of
applicants and making reports there
on. He also recommends a law pro-
viding for superanuanted clerks, Wig
orously urging some law of retire
ment and provision.
Mr.. Ware says that the bureau has
gained upon the current work 1oo,.
600 cases during the last two years.
An interesting historical analysis of
! pension figures shows that the actual
total of disbursements in pensions on
account of the revolutionary war,
war of 1912, Indian wars, Mexican
war. civil war and the war with Spain,
was $3,03S, ,623,59O.
1t is estimated that S16.00O.OOO was
paid in pensions for disabilities and
deaths due to military and naval ser
vice in the wars of 1912 and with Mex
| leo, and during the time of peace
prior to the war of the rebellion. The
payments of pensions to soldiers and
sailors of the war of the rebellion
and of the regular military and naval
establishment since the close of said
war of the rebellion and their
widows, children and dependent rela-
tives amount to $2,262, ,240, 400.
The cost of the pension system per
capita of population for 1903 is given
as $1.75. The system, according to
Commissioner Ware, was the greatest
as burden to the people of the
United States in 1898, since which
time it has shrunk from 1924 to S1.32
per $1,000 of taxable wealth, and in
ten years, he says, the burden will
cease to be noticed. Mr.. Ware esti-
mates that the unpensioned sur
vivors of the civil war, exclusive of
deserters, number 100000 and saws
that this unknown army is meeting
with disease and misfortune to such
an extent that it is applying for pen.
sions at the rate of over $4,000 per
annum. In ten years, Mr.. Ware pre-,
diets, the unknown army will cease
to be factor.