The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-10-08
SOME PENSION FIGURES.

mented the last annual report OF OOm-
missioner Ware with some statements
and tables, which furnish many inter-
esting facts and points of comparison
concerning the work of the pension
Office past and present. This branch
of the government machine at Wash.
ington has direct connection with
more people in the country than per-
haps any other, and IN consequence
whatever comes from the Office that
has in it's keeping the welfare of the
nations soldiers is of interest to a
great many people.
From this supplemental report is
extracted these items: Last year the
number of persons on the pension rolls
exceeded 1000, 900, the highest num-
Der reached being 1000, 1872. That
was Sept. 80, 1902,
On July of this year the number
was 906, 545, and the opinion is ex-
pressed by Commissioner Ware that
the million mark will not be again
reached.
The pension disbursements reached
the highest point in 1898, when 966,
012 pensioners were paid Sl56, 906, 63S.
Last year, with 1000 less names on
the rolls, the amount disbursed was
$137, 759, 653, reduction of $40, 146, $50,
From July 1, 1865, to June 30, 1908, "A
period of thirtyeight years, the ag
gregate paid on account of pensions
was SO, OBJ, S26, 0S1, which includes
800, CAT, 935 for cost of maintaining the
pension bureau.
The annual average of disburse-
ments for the period named was $40, y
942, 791.
The vastness of these figures will be
better comprehended when compared
with disbursements for maintaining
other branches of the public service,
and especially with the army and the
navy, with which branches pensions
may be said to have close relation.
Since the close of the civil war, or
during the period between July l.,
1865. and June 30, 1903, the total dis
bursements on account of the war de-
partment, which includes expenditures
for the improvement of rivers and
harbors, were So, $40, 319, 976, or S697,
SOC, l05 less than the aggregate dis
bursed in that period for pensions
There was paid for interest ON the
public debt since July, 1865 an aggre-
gate of So, $50, 412, 954, or roundly,
$500, 900, 000 less than was disbursed
for pensions.
From the establishment of the gov
eminent to June 80, 1908, the entire
expenditure ON account of interest on
the public debt was S3,072, 105 1862,
againt S3.037, 826, 0S1 for pensions in
the last thirty eight years. 1t will be
seen from these two sums, which are
approximately similar, that the pen
sioners have been paid in thirty Eight
years as large a sum as the bondhold-
ers have received from the establish
ment of the government.
Pensioners are found in every State
and Territory in the Union, and in
the insulsr dependencies Indeed,
there is no quarter of the globe. and
Few countries, that are not reached
by the payments Of the pension office.
The number of pensioners in foreign
countries last year was 4.619, and
these were paid an aggregate of S64S,
SO53. One-half of the entire mum Der
are located in Canada-2,31 who
were paid 1923, 667.
There are in Germany 5S4 pension
ers; Ireland 49, England, 339; Mex
leo, 14S; Scotland, 121; Switzerland,
seventy six; France, seventy Sweden,
fifty-seven; Norway, fifty; Australia,
forty nine; Cuba, forty seven; Italy,
forty; Austria-Hungary, thirty-four /;
Denmark, thirty two; Belgium and
China, fourteen each; Wales, eleven !;
and Liberia ten.
The cost of the pension system per
capita last year. estimating the popu-
lation at 80, SAT, 600, was ST. rs. It was
highest in 1898, when it reached 80. A,
with population of IS, $40, 900.
OF the 996, $40 pensioners now on
the rolls, 267, 189 are widows. These
are classified as follows: Revolution
airy war, five; war of 1912. 1,115; In.
dian wars, 3, 1859; Mexican war, 1910;
war of rebellion, 251, 225; war with
Spain, 1862.
The only surviving pensioned SOL
dier of the war of 1912 is Hiram Cronk
of Ava, Oneida County, N Y, who
is one hundred and three years of
age.
The number OF Spanish war veter
ans ON the rolls June 30 last was
10, 862 and to these there was dsbursed
last year $2,204, 094. The total amount
disbursed to Spanish war pensioners
the last five years was 30, 479, 1868. The
number of applications for pensions
on hand from Spanish war veterans
was 81, 1885,
It 10 iutarastinp In nOta that of the