Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 November 1874 — Annual Pension Report. [ARTICLE]

Annual Pension Report.

f WASHINGTON, NOV. 16. 6fei. J. H. Baker, Commissioner of Pensions, under date cjf Oct. 15,1874, has submitted his annual report to the Secretary of the Interior. During the year 5,758 applications for army invalid pensions were allowed, at an aggregate annual rate of $39,332.50; the pensions of 8,063 pensioners of this class were increased at an aggregate annual rate of $416,257.50; the losses to this roll from death and other causes were 6,105, whose pensions with the amount of-re-duction of the rates of other invalid pension? aggregated $377,442.55 annually. On the 30th of June, 1874, there were 102,457 army invalid pensioners on th? roll. The aggregate annual pay of this class was $10,058,377.54. The increase in the number of this class was 2,658, and the aggregate increase of pensions was $431,137.45. During the year 3,051 new pensions for army widows and dependent relatives were allowed, at an aggregate annual rate of $116,433, and the pensions of 12,932 pensioners of this class were increased at an aggregate annual rate of $403,111.22. There were stricken from the roll of this class of pensioners 7,632 names, whose pensions aggregated sl,250,118.05. On the 30th of June, 1874, there were on the roll of army widows and dependent relatives 107,516 names, at an aggregate atfhuaUTate of $18,537,195.56, the decrease for the year being 4,572 names, and the decrease of pensions of this class being $424,568.03. On the 30th of June there were 1,551 navy invalid pensioners, at an aggregate annual rate of $169,492, an increase in the year of 121 in the number of pensioners, and $18,954.25 in the annual rate of pensions of this class. On the 30th of June there were 1,785 pensioners on the navy roll of widows and dependent relatives, at a total rate of $287,534, an in crease for the year of 15 in the number of names, and $6,984 in the rate of pensions.

The names of 571 new pensioners were added to the roll of survivors of the war of 1812, and 1,217 of this class were lost by death, leaving on the 30th of June 17,620 pensioners of this class at a total annual rate of $1,691,520—a decrease for the year of 646 in the number of pensioners and $62,061 in the rate of pensions of this class. The names of 818 widows of soldiers of the war of 1812 were added to the roll, and 554 were lost by death during that period, leaving on the 36th of June 5,312 pensioners of th'is class —an increase for the year of 259 in the number of pensioners and $24,864 in the rate of pensions.

The total number of pensioners of all classes on the 30th of June, 1874, was 236,241, a decrease of 2,170 during the year; the aggregate annual rate of pensions of all classes on June 30 was $26,254,07140, a decrease from the preceding year of $5,64543. The roll contains the names of 410 widows of soldiers in the Revolutionary war. Certain specific increasqa allowed to invalid pensioners by laws passed at the last session of Congress, and the steady increase of the number on the -invalid pension roll, will probably bring the disbursements to invalids for the present fiscal year up to those of last year; but in the payment to widows, miners, etc., a reduction may reasonably be expected

During the year 234 claims for bountyland warrants were allowed, the warrants calling for 35,640 acres of land. The number of applications for bounty lands received during the year w*as 529. There are now upon the suspended files of the office nearly 100,000 applications for bounty lands,. Of this number 350 cases were prosecuted during the year. The existence of suspended claims is a temptation to unscrupulous. agents to fabricate testimony witl a view to obtaining the allowance of claims not ad-, misable Upon existing known evidence. The d ait Congress granting bounty lands has been in force for twenty years, a sufficient time for all those who are entitled to the benefits to avail themselves of its provisions. It would, therefore, in the opifiion of the Commissioner, be consistent with justice, and for the interest of the Government, that a limit should be put by Congress to the period during which the various acts granting bounty lands shall continue in force. During the last fiscal year the Special Service Division has performed important service in the detection and prevention •f fraud in the proseention of claims for pensions. Claims were investigated by this division numbering 1,263, and during the year tlurteen persons were convicted of violation of the law relative to the prosecution of claims, and five awaited trial at the close of the year. The, amount of appropriatiomthat will be required for the pension service dur ing the fiscal year ending June 30,1876, will be $30,500,000.