Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 September 1888 — GRANTS OF PENSIONS. [ARTICLE]

GRANTS OF PENSIONS.

Commissioner Black's Annual Report Shows mi Enormous Increase of Claimants. [Washington special telegram.] The annual report of the Commissioner of Pensions is as follows: During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1889, there were added to the iiension rolls 60,252 new names, the largest annual increase in the history of the bureau, making a total of 452,557 l>eusionors on the rolls, at the close of the year, as follows: 326,881 invalids, 92,928 widows, minor children, and dependent relatives, 37 revolutionary widows, 8 .6 survivors of the war of 1812, 10,787 widows of those who served in that war, 16,030 survivors of ths war with Mexico, and 5,104 widows of these who served in that war. The names of 2,028 previously dropped were restored to the rolls, making tin aggregate of 62,280 added during the year. During the same period 15,730 were dropped from the rolls on account of death and various other causes, leaving's not increase to the rolls of 46,550 names; 1,166,9.T> iiension claims have bean filed since 1861, anil 737,200 claims of all classes have been allowed since that da'.e. The amount paid for pensions since 1861 has been $963,086,441. lucre se of pension was granted in 45,716 cases. The aggregate pensions is $56,707,221, an increase of $3,882,579. The amount of pensions paid during the year was $; 8,775,862, an increase over the previous year of $5,308,280. The total amount disbursed by pension agents for all purposes was $79,646,146. The cost, attending such disbursements was in the aggregate $3,262,524, it being a fraction less than 4 per cent, of the total expenditures of the bureau. The total amount expended for all purposes was $82,038,385, being 21 Sj per cent, of the total estimated gross income of the United States Government for the period. The total expenditures of the Government for the fiscal year 1888 were $267,921,801, so that the amount expended for and on account of pensions was nearly 31 percent, of the entire outlay of the Government. There were filed during the year 47,840 applications for original pension, 11,789 widows, 2,446 dependent mothers, and 1,883 dependent fathers, making a total ol 65,704. The highest number of claims on account of the lute war was received from Ohio; Indiana followed next, then New York and Pennsylvania, and from Montana, Utah, and South Carolina none were received. Up to June 30 last 26,581 claims wore filed under the Mexican pension act, 19,788 being survivors and 6,793 widows. All completed cases of this class —16,529 survivors and .>,195 widow cases—have been allowed. The rejections were 2,321 survivors’ and 601 widows’ claims, mainly because the applicant ha I not arrived at the required age of 62 years. Of these Mexican claims but 1,892 were unsettled on June 30, the evidence filed being insufficient. 'lhe spirit of the law division of the bureau, says the report, is "no compromise with those who willfully violate the pension law, and no prosecution of those who Binned through ignorance and who are willing to, make restitution when the same is demanded of them.” Over 85 per cent, of all pensioners are paid by the pension agents within ten days after the quarterly payment is due, and payments can not be made more rapidly without multiplying the agencies. The total number of special pension acta which have become laws from 1861 to 1885 is 2,001, and from 1885 to 1888, during the present administration, 1,369, a total of 3,370. Of the latter 191 were vetoed. In the fiscal years from July, 1882, to June 30,1885, there were issued 191,221 certificates of all classes, and during the three following fiscal years, from July 1, 1885, to June 39, 1888, 359,537, making an increase for the last three years of 168,316 certificates.