Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-10-16
PAYING PENSIONS BY CHECKS
Proposed Change Will Expedite
Matters and Save Money. A.
ROLL Is DECREASING SLOWLY
Number of Names ON Il 10 Smallest
for Nineteen YeRrs---Net Loss
for Year Nearly Thirty
Thousand.
covering the Ball, Etc, Etc.

WASHINGTON, Oct ia saving. es-
timated at s.. 900 900 annually to the pen
sioners Of the United States and even
tually about $1S00O0 year to the gov
ernment. is contemplated by simplified
plan for the payment OF pensions with
out vouchers which Commissioner of PEN
aons j. L Davenport submitted to the
secretary OF the interior, in his annual
report made public today.
During the year Sl57325,16D was paid
as pensions. a decrease of. s., ,t9s?154 from
last year making the total amount paid
in pensions since the foundation OF the
government S4gaO, SS1, ,750. There were b5,-
1S5 names dropped from the roll and
1920 added, leaving a net loss Of 8,-
9S7 pensioners. The total number al
the end OF the year was S92s9s the small
est since 1892 Methods of economy re-
suited in a decrease of the cost OF ad-
rninistration by S14O.546, the amount be-
ing $2,6l7,l27. the lowest since 1852
VIII Mail Checks Direct.
Commissioner Davenport's plan, which
was devised at the request Of congress
I and which will require the passage OF
law, would greatly simplify the meth
DDS of paving pensions. result IN the
mailing Of pension checks upon the date
which the pension falls due. eliminate
the cost to the pensioners in a large
majority of the cases to the execution
OF pension vouchers, which varies from
81 to So yearly decrease to considerable
extent the work In drawing and mail
ing of pension checks and eliminate the
sending of 100000 letters yearly through
the mails saving about $4,000 thereby.
The plan oontemplatee payment direct
by checks mailed to the last address Of
the pensioner. Besides the indorsement
on the back OF these checks the gov
arnment would require certlfication by
| two witnesses as to identity In few
| instances Commissioner Davenport said
vouchers still would be required
Commissioners Davenport told Of his ef-
/ forts TO ascertain the truthfulness OF
reports from the press and elsewhere
that the pension roll was honeycombed
with fraud. He sent neld men from
pensioner 10 pensloner in the Washington
agency and is now doing the same IN
the Knoxville agency. with a view 20
probing frauds Out OF a total OF 471sl
Pensioners seen and questioned only
twenty-six cases of improper pensionlng
were revealed. The commissioner said he
thought the check system would put an
end to any fraud that may now exist.
Half MilIion Men ON Roll.
The number OF soldiers and sailors on
the pension roll at the close OF the fiscal
year was $1,000 dependents and widows.
321, ,6t2, army nurses, 4O6 There we're
529 So survivors Of the civil war. IS 29a
having died during the year II is be-
lieved that only about p per cent Of the
estims ted 2.213 Ss5 individuals In the United
States service during the civil war are
now living the death rate OF the sur
vivors being now slightly In excess OF
6 per cent yearly. The average age OF
survivors is now about 7O,years.
The last psnsloner OF the revolutionary
war. Mrs Phoebe NJ Palmer daughter
OF Jonathan wooley. who served IN a
New Hampshire company died al Brook
field. n. Y April 3 1911. aged % years.
Mrs Brittania W Kennon of Washing
ton. D. C., q great granddaughter of
Martha Washington snd who died during
the year. drew q pension ss a widow
| longer probably than any other person
IN the history Of the pension office, hsv-
ing received $50 a month almost sixty.
seven years. Mrs. Kennon was the widow
og the captain OF the United States ship
Princeton, who was KILLED February %
ls44 by the bursting of a cannon on that
vessel. In which occasion two members
OF President TSler's cabinet we're killed.