Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-01-05
K, BRATTLEBORO, FRIDAY, JANUARY s, 1906.
Billions Paid In Pensions.

If any proof were needed that Uncle
Sam means to be generous toward the
men who have fought for the Stars and
Stripes 1t is found in the pension record
While 1t Is true that many who deserve
pensions have not received them, and
some claims have been paid to those not
entitled to bounty, the fact remains that
this government has administered the
pension business I'm a manner highly
creditable. Considering the difficulty in
framing pension laws applicable to all
cases, surprisingly little injustice has
been done the deserving soldier and re-
markably few fraudulent claims have
been allowed.
Figures recently furnished the Senate
committee on pensions reveal the inter-
esting fact that more than three billions
have been paid In pensions since the
foundation of the government and nearly
one million pensioners are now on the roll
drawing an average of $133.49 year.
There Is cause for congratulation rather
than criticism in these figures. 1t is esti-
mated that the unknown army composed
of soldiers who have never awaited them
selves of the right to secure a pension
or who may not have the right by reason
OF having suffered no physical disability,
amounts to nearly nine hundred thousand
men. OF this number an average of
fourteen thousand a year are applying
for original pensions. While the high
water mark for pension appropriations
has probably been reached, II will be some
years before any appreciate reductions
will be made in the appropriations.
This year the pension bill voted by
Congress contained items aggregating
$1SS, 150,l00, of which $l36,S0 900 goes
directly to the payment of pensions and
the balance for administrative purposes
These figures represent n decrease of
N,5OO,OOO frfom the appropriation of the
previous year.
The pension bureau has recently I'M
dertaken an estimate of the amount paid
out by the government in pensions since
the system was begun. The following
figures by wars have been compiled:
Revolutionary war (esti-
mated .................. $4,000 900. 90
War of 1912 Con account
of service without regard
to disability ............. IS, 1856, 1922
Indian wars ION account of
service without regard to
disability ............... 6.2S4.41A55
War with Mexico ION ac-
count OF service without
regard to disability .... 33.4S3, 309. 81
War of the Rebellion ....2, S7S, 240 40O.17
War with Spain .......... 5,479,26S.31
Actual total disburse-
ments in pensions ....$3, OBS, 1923, 590.16
Pensioners upon the rolls last July
were divided among the various branches
Of the service and as between survivors
and their descendants as follows:
Revolutionary war-Widows. 2; daugh-
ters g.
War Of 1S12-Survivors /; widows. Ills.
Indian wars-Survivors, 1866 widows,
1859.
Mexican war-survivors, 1864; widows,
1910.
Service after March 4. 1S61-General
laws: Army invalids, 264,1 army
widows, S6.S66; navy invalids, 4142; navy
widows; 1921; army nurses, ga. Act
June %, 1890: Army invalids, 427. III;
army widows. 1856, 249; navy invalds, 49,
010; navy widows, 6992.
War with Spain-General laws: Army
invalids, S79S; army ridows BASS; navy
invalids, 409.r navy widows, ia.
CTanu total, 996,545
During the past year a total OF AZ 3sS
have been dropped from the rolls for
various causes and 10 Offset this figure
40,136 claims were allowed
An interesting feature of the pension
situation is the unknown army and why
some of its members are not drawing
pensions. The reasons are many and
varied. Some are well provided for
financially and do not need government
aid; others are too proud to ask for as
sistance, and some do not believe In the
present pension system. Despite these
reasons, 1t is probable the applications
will continue to come In until a large
majority of the nine hundred thousand
members of the unknown army are ac-
counted for.