The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-10-26
U. S. Pensions.
Annual Report Of Commissioner Of Pensions.

Annual Report of Commissioner of Pensions.
WASHINGTON, October Is. A saving,
estimated at ST, 600, 900 annually, to the
pensioners of the United States and
eventually about $3.50, 900 q year to the
government, is contemplated by sim
plified plan for the payment Of pensions
without vouchers which Commissioner
of Pensions J. L. Davenport submitted
to the secretary of the Interior in his an
nual report made public to-day. During
the year $751;, 1926, 100 was paid as pen
sions, a decrease of So, 498, 154 from last
year, making the total amount paid in
pensions since the foundation of the gov
eminent s., 230, 381, 100. There were 55,-
1876 names dropped from the roll and &c.,
200 added, leaving net loss of 1886
pensions. The total number at the end
Of the year was 1872, 098, the smallest
since 1892. Methods of economy resulted
in a decrease of the cost of administra-
ton by $140, 546, the amount being ST.
SIT, 127, the lowest since 1882.
Commissioner Davenport's plan, which
was devised at the request of Congress
and which will require the passage of a
law, would greatly simplify the methods
of paying pensions, resulting in the mail
ing of pension checks on the date upon
which the pension falls due, eliminate
the cost to the pensioners in large ma
jority of cases of the execution of pen
sion vouchers, which varies from 81 to So
yearly; decrease to a considerable extent
the work in drawing and mailing of pen
sion checks and eliminate the sending of
100000 letters yearly through the
mails, saving about $4,000 thereby.
The plan contemplates payment direct
by checks mailed to the last address of
the pensioner. Besides the Endorsement
on the back of these checks the govern
ment would require certifcation by two
witnesses as to identity. In few in
stances Commissioner Davenport said
vouchers still would be required.
Commissioner Davenport told of his
efforts to ascertain the truthfulness OF
reports in the press and elsewhere that
the pension roll was honevcombed with
fraud. He sent field men from pensioner
to pensioner in the Washington agency,
and is now doing the same in the Knox
vile agency, with view of probing
fraud. Out of total of Al, 181 pension
ers seen and questioned only 26 cases Of
improper pensioning were revealed. The
Commissioner said he believed the check
system would put an end to any frauc
that may now exist.
The number Of soldiers and sailors or
the pension roll at the close of the fisca
year was $40, $50; dependents and widows
32l ,642, and army nurses 406. There
were 529, 1884 survivors of the Civil war
IS, 243 having died during the year. Ii
is believed that only about Is per cent.
Of the estimated 2,213, 1865 individuals in
the United States service during the
Civil war are now living, the death rate
of the survivors being now slightly in
excess of 6 per cent year. The aver
age age of survivors is now about 70
years.
The last pensioner of the Revolution
airy war. Mrs. Phoebe M. Palmeter
daughter of Jonathan Wooley. who serv-
ed in New Hampshire company, died at
Brookfield, N Y, April rs, 1911, aged
80 years.
Mrs. Britannia w. Kennon. of Wash
lngton, D. c., great granddaughter of
Martha Washington and who died during
the year, drew pension as widow
longer probably than any other person in
the history Of the pension office hav-
ing received $50 month almost 81 years.
Mrs. Kennon was the widow of the cap
tain of the U. S. S. Princeton, who was
killed Feb. %, 1874 by the bursting of
cannon on that vessel, in which occasion
two members of President Tyler's Cabi-
net were killed.