Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-05
THE MATTER OF PENSIONS.
Progress Made in Effort to Provide
for Old Soldiers.

for Old Soldiers.
The United States pension Office has
had an especially busy year, by reason
of the age and service act of congress,
passed February 6, 1907 There were
not many entirely new applications
for pension under this act, but there
was a tremendous rush of claims for
increase of pension, the applicants de-
string to be transferred from the lists
under former laws so as to receive the
benefits of the new law.
This law, which provides for the
payment of a pension of $l2 month to
honorably discharged soldiers of the
civil war who served 80 days and who
have reached the age of G2 years, SIS
a month to those of above service who
are 20 years of age and $40 a month
to those of the same service who have
reached the age of Is years, has added
to the annual disbursements by the
pension bureau, although the number
of pensioners decreased by 18,600 dur
ing the last fiscal year.
According to the annual report of
the commissioner of pensions, 100000
applications were received under the
above-named law up to June so, 1907,
and 10000 certificates had been is
sued upon these applications up to
that time; without doubt a large mum.
Der of certificates have been issued
since the close of the fiscal year.
AS few of these claims are entirely
new, the military service of the claim
ants has already been fully assured,
an. no medical examination being re-
quired, and in many cases the age of
the claimant having been already
shown to the pension bureau under
abled to pass eXpeditiously upon
these cases, and give to the old sol
diers immediate benefits under the
new law.
Considering that the claimants un-
der this law are all aged men, and
many of them in need, it is matter of
congratulation to the country writes
Ada c. Sweet in Chicago Journal, that
the pension bureau has been prompt
in settling claims of this class.
The indications are that by the
close of the present fiscal year all
pending claims under this act will be
adjusted, and the bureau will then
have only to issue the certificates for
increase, which viii have to be made
when the claimants reach the age to
entitle them to increased pensions.
The annual value of the pension roll
now, that is, the amount that would
be required to pay the pensioners on
the roll at the close of the fiscal year
for one entire year, provided there
were no changes by death or otherwise,
is $140,S50,S ,SS0.60. There are under
all laws and special acts of congress
now on the rolls 967,371 pensioners, to
whom the above amount will be paid,
or would be paid if they all were to
live and remain upon the pension list.
The bureau is still active in the
prosecution of Offenders against the
peusion laws. One hundred and eight
convictions were secured last year
upon cases presented to the depart
ment of Justice.
1T is gratifying to state" says the
pension commissioner, that of the
10S convictions only 16 represented
cases against persons who rendered
either military or naval service, again
demonstrating the fact that the de-
tenders of the government are not in
clined to become offenders against the
pension laws"
The convictions were secured large.
ly for such offenses as the making of
false afIidavits, impersonating a pen.
sioner, conspiracy to defraud, perjury, |
etc.
In the special examination division
OF the pension office, where cases are
taken up for searching examination |
by the agents of the bureau-each |
case at the home of the applicant and |
involving the personal cross-eXamina. |
tion by an agent of the government of
the claimant and his Witnesses
9,775 We're taken up and disposed of |
during the year.
The church with a head for gold !
usually has a heart of wood.