The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-27
LIST Of PENSIONERS
DYING INCORRECTLY
REPORTED, CHARGE
State Board of Pension Ex-
aminers Spring Sensation
in Report to Governor
Henderson

Montgomery. August 26.-(SpeciaL)
That the number of pensioners dying
during the past year had not been cor
rectly reported, and that considerable
money paid out by the state for this
purpose was being misappropriated. 10
charged in the report of the state board
of pension examiners in their report SUBJ
mitted to Governor Henderson today.
The report of the board follows:
only 70 deaths during the past year
among about 1900 pensioners were re-
ported to the board. We estimate the
deaths amounted to 500 or 600. This leaves
something over 400 dead pensioners on
the roll who will draw pensions on Oc-
tober and each quarter thereafter Who
is getting this money?
The board sat the full Is days allowed
by law, from August 9 to %. and during
that time considered 1888 cases.
There were 12ls entirely new applica-
tions for pensions. 796 of which were ac-
cepted, and 422 rejected.
Pension Rolls Purged
AHe Pcnsioi Iois IN 90 cOuntleS naQ
been purged at previous meetings OF the
board At this meeting the rolls of the
ren,sal>rg Il counties v arc purged. and
the total cases considered under this head
numbered 7ol. OF these 1913 were retained
on the rolls and s2s were stricken
These counties were Morgan, Perry,
Pickens. Pike, Randolph, Russell. Shelby.
st. Clair. Sumter. Talladega, Tallapoosa
and Tuscaloosa.
The board considered GA applications
for restoration to the roll under act ap-
proved February 10. 1915 OF this number,
1O7 were restored to the roll, and 5O7 were
refused admission.
There were S04 more applications for
restoration under the act referred to. but
the board did not have time to examine
them within the 10 days, so they will
have to wait until August, 1915, when the
board has its next meeting.
1.-The 614 restoration applications acted
on were from<the counties running alpha
betically from Autauga to Houston, both
inclusive.
THE applications not acted on we're
from the remaining counties of the state.
from jackson to Winston inclusive.
Facts Literally Construed
I'm passing upon the applications tho
board has given the most liberal con-
struction 1t could to the facts stated
In aid OF the cases represented.
1T is remarkably strange that the
county boards continue to recommend
negroes for PENSIONS when they must
know that no negroes were enlisted in
the army or navy of the Confederacy
The main difficulty we have en-
countered is that each county board Of
ttr.> I. r.1 ft-
struction upon the act, and reports to
us on these applications for restora-
tion are almost as various as tho
boards themselves.
when this board held it's first meet
ing in August, 1911, 1t found HAT
men and women on the pension roll AS
q result of the so-called purge in 55
counties ordered by the governor in
April, 1913, we dropped from the roll
over 100 negroes, nearly 500 deserters.
and about 1900 of the home guard or
militia. A number of widows were also
dropped who failed to give the names
of their deceased husbands, or theii
records. OF those stricken.
over 800 were restored to the roll be-
fore the boards work was stopped last
soon as they made a rea-
sonable showing correcting the defects
In their records.
The board desired to clear from the
pension roll every pensioner who wns
not legally entitled to pension, anc
thus save the fund to those who were
true and faithful soldiers and sailors
Of the Confederacy, or their widows.
The boards action In very many
cases has been severely criticized be-
cause 1t is charged that the board hes
been too technical and too strict IN
out the law. 1t Is a STANCE
against public officer that
he is too strict, faithful and diikent In
the discharge of his sworn duty.
THE board has been, to the best OF
Its ability, very strict in its endeavor
to make the pension roll of Alabama
a roll of honor, and has succeeded
in doing so despite the oppo-
sltion 1t has met with. and all tire
obstacles which have been thrown IN
the way OF the discharge OF its duties"
This report Is signed by John c. Webb,
chairman; Fred S. Ferguson and Dir
NJ. L. Wood.