The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-10-16
Out Of 2,2l3,365 in U. S. Service
in Civil Var Only 529,884
are Living
PENSION REPORT IS MADE
During Past Fiscal Year S157, 1925, 100
Was Paid. Plan For Saw
ing is Suggested.

Washington, ID. c.. oct. ia saw
ing, estimated at $1,000, 900 annually "a
the pensioners Of the United States and
eventually about SISO,OOO a year TO he
government, is contemplated by a sim
.phied plan for the payment of pen
s.ons without vouchers which Com
missioner of Pensions J. l.. Davenport
submitted TO the Secretary of the In
terror in his annual report made pub
lie today. During the year. $157S25,- =
1850 was paid as pensions, a decrease
of S3,49S154 from last year. making
the total amount paid i'm pensions since
the foundation OF the government. s4.-
230.3S1.73O. There were 55185 names
dropped from the roll and 2G.2OO added.
leaving a net loss of 2S.9S5 pension
ers. The total number at the end of
the year was S92, ,O9S, the smallest since
1892. Methods of economy resulted in
a decrease Of the cost of administra-
tion by $14O.546, the amount being So
517127, the lowest since 1882.
The Commissioners Plan.
Commissioner Davenports plan.
which was devised at the request of
Congress, and which will require the
passage Of law. would greatly sim
plify the methods of paying pensions
result in the mailing of pension checks
on the date upon which the pension
falls due eliminate the cost To the pen
sioneIs in a large majority of cases
Of the execution Of pension vouchers.
which varies from 81 TO SO yearly: de-
crease TO 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 di-
'ect by checks mailed to the last ad
lress of the pensioner. Besides the in
''Srses7cr rtansT1t bJicll 5f -elsse elfecks
he government would require certih-
alton by two Witnesses as TO identity.
n few instances Commissioner Da-
'enport said vouchers still would be
equired.
Will Put End to Fraud.
Commissioner Davenport told Of his |
fforts TO ascertain the truthfulness of |
eports i'm the press and elsewhere that |
he pension roll was honey |
With fraud He sent field men from |
ensioner to pensioner in the Wash
ngton agency, and is now doing the |
anne in the Knoxville agency. with a
lew TO probing fraud. out of a to-
al OF 471S1 pensioners seen and aues-
ioned only 26 cases Of improper pen
loning We're revealed. The commits
ioner said he believed the check sys-
am would put an end to any fraud
hat may now exist.
The number of soldiers and sailors
n the pension roll at the close of the
seal year was 57O,O50: dependents
nd widows 32L642, and army nurses
Dc. There We're 529.SS4 survivors of
he civil war; 35,243 having died dur
* the year. lt is believed that only
bout 25 per cent of the estimated D.
1896 individuals in the United states
srvice during the civil war are now
wing, the death rate of the survivors
eng now slightly in excess of per
mt yearly. The average age of sur
vors is now about 20 years.
Last Revolutionary Pensioner.
The last pensioner Of the revolu-
onary war. Mrs. Phoebe NJ. Palmeter.
lughter of Jonathan Wooley. who II
rived in a New Hampshire company. :
ed at Brookfield. N. Y, April 25, 1911. r
;ed 80 years. y
Mrs. britannia w. Kennon, of
'ashington, ID. c.. great grand y
iughter Of Martha Washington and is
no died during the year, drew a PEN o
on as a widow longer probably than y
~ other person in the history Of the
nsion Office having received $50 a
onth almost G. years. Mrs. Kennon {,
rs the widow OF the Captain of the y
s. $. Princeton. who was killed Feb Il
ary 2S, 1874 by the bursting of a
nnon on that vessel, in which occa- Il
IN two members of President Tylers T
binet were killed NJ