The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-09-18

TOTAL OF ,ooo, ooc
This Enormous Figure Has Been PAID
Out in Pensions on Account of tho
Various Wars of the Country
in a Century.

Washington. Sept. 1.-THE annual re
port of Commissioner Of Pensions War
places the total number Of pensioner
now on h rolls at 9s6, 545, Of whicl
1856 are soldiers and 267,1S9 are Wild
ows and dependents. Mr." Ware an
ounce hat 1T is not probable; thattth
pension roll will again cross the mil
hon line, the high water mark having
beer reached a year ago. Five Of thu
pensioners are on the roll on accoun
OF the war Of the revolution, Lis or
account of the war of 1872, g4,734 on &C.
U of the Indian wars and 1884 or
account of the Mexican var The great
! Of the roll is as follows:
G1Vll war, 703, 45
Widows PAS, 39
spanish war, nvalids 800
WIDOWS 1885,
Regular establishment, widows..... s,17t
w idoWS 2,Soe
The roll shows a net loss of 2,9O1 pen
or 3O4,S09 applications on hand during
Il year 120,l09 were admitted and 49,
1874 rejected. The average annual value
OF each pension is now $3.50.
The annual value Of the Spanish war
pension roll has reached 81, 765, $40.
Commissioner Ware makes the fol-
lowing recommendations: Laws for
letting the pensions or right to pension
OF any man convicted in court OF an in
famous crime; prohibiting the giving
to the women who marry soldiers after
the soldiers become pensioners, and a
different method of examining appli-
cants for pension, stamping the present
system as uncertain, expensive, unsat-
.1sfactory n generative OF an enor-
nous amount of political friction.
Civil Service Examining Boards.
Mr. Ware suggests boards constitute
OF experts under civil service rule
should go from place to place on
fixed days, giving examinations and re-
ceiving testimony regarding the condi-
ton of applicants and making report
thereon. He also recommends a law
providing for superannuated clerks,
urging some law Of retire.
ment and provision. Mr.. Ware says
the bureau has gained upon the
current work 100000 cases during the
two years. An interesting histor-
analysis of pension figures shows
the actual total OF disbursements
In pensions or account Of the reyolu-
tionary war, war Of 1912, Indian wars,
Mexican war, civil war, and the war
with Spain, were $3,03S, 623,59O.
It is estimated that $4,000 900 was
palc 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 he rebellion, making the
payments of pensions to soldiers and
of the war of the rebellion and
the regular military Inc naval es-
since the close Of said
var Of the rebellion, and their widows.
children and dependent relatives.
AMOUNT to $2~,S62,24o,400.
The cost of the pension system per
of population for 1903 is given
IS $1.75. The system according to
Commissioner Ware was the greatest
IS a burden to the people Of the Unit
d States in 1898, since which time It
las shrunk from 1924 to $1.32 per 81, 900
# taxable wealth, and in ten years, he
avs, the burden will cease to be mo-
iced.
Mr.. Ware estimates that the unpen-
Toned survivors of the civil war, exclu-
I've Of deserters. is in round numbers
100000, and says that this unknown
rmy Is meeting with disease and mis-
ortune to such an extent that it Is
ppiytng for pensions at the rate Of
yer $4,000 per annum In ten years.
1t: Ware predicts, the unknown army
III nave ceased to be a factor.
gs 1888