The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-09-17
PENSION REPORT.

Washington, Sept 12.-In his an
nual report, Pension Commissioner
Ware makes the following recon-
mendations:
Laws FORGETTING the pension or right
to pension of any man convicted in
court Of an infamous crime; prohib-
iting the giving of pension to those
women who marry soldiers after the
soldiers become old pensioners, and
different method of examining appli-
cants for pension, stamping the pres
ent system as uncertain, expensive,
unsatisfactory, and generative of an
enormous amount of political friction
Mr.. Ware suggests boards consti-
tute5 of experts under civil service
rules which should go from place to
place on fixed days giving examina-
lions and receiving testimony regard
ing the condition of applicants and
making reports thereon. He also
recommends law providing for SUI
perannuated clerks, vigorously urging
some law of retirement and provision.
The commissioner says that the bu-
reau has gained upon the current work
100, 600 cases during the last two years.
Mr.. Ware estimates that the unpen-
stoned survivors of the civil war. ex-
! elusive of deserters, is in round num-
bers 200, 900, and says that this un-
known army is meeting with disease
| aud m Cfortnrna n cnph " thaf
it is applying for pensions at the rate
of over IA, 1000 per annum In ten
years, Mr.. Ware predicts, the I'M
known army will have ceased to be a
factor.
The cost of the pension system per
capita of population for 1908 is given
as 81 70. 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 49, "a to 81. 80
per 81 600 of taxable wealth, and in
ten years, he says. the burden will
cease to be noticed. The report. places
the total number of pensioners now
on the rolls at 996, 545, of which 729,
1856 are soldires and 267, 1S9 are widows
and dependents Mr.. Ware announces
that it is not probable that the pension
roll will again cross the million line,
the high-water mark having been
reached year ago, Five of the pen
sioneTs are on the roll on account of
| ba Mo- Of ho poxO1,,tiAt,
account of the war of 1872, ABA on
account of the Indian wars, and 10, SAT
on account of the Mexican war. The
great bulk of the roll is as follows:
Civil war, invalids, 703, 456; widows,
24S, 800; Spanish war, invalids, 8, 200;
widows, 3,662; regular establishment,
invalids, 9,170; widows, 2, 938. The
roll shows a net loss of 2, 901 pension
ers during the year Out of a total Of
304, 500 applications on hand during
the year 1870, 100 were admitted and
113, 1874 rejected.
J A 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
So, 038, 623, $50. 1t is estimated that
SIG, 000 600 was paid in pensions for
disabilities and deaths due to military
and naval service in the wars of 1912
and with Mexico, and during the
time of peace prior to the war of the
rebellion, making 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 re-
bellion, and their widows, children,
and dependent relatives, amount to
50, S62, 240, 400. The average annual
value of each pension is now $133.
The annual value of the Spanish war
pension roll has reached 81, 765, 80.