00

4 146.87 4 00 15 4, 132. 46,235.91 625,404 27 621, 787 79 1,720, 800 70

it included in the grand aggregate.

REPORT

OF

THE COMMISSIONER OF PENSIONS.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

PENSION OFFICE, Washington, D. C., October 1, 1883.

SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith the annual statement show-ing the operations of this Bureau for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1883.

There were at the close of the year, June 30, 1883, 303,658 pensioners, classified as follows: 198,643 Army invalids; 74,373 Army widows, minor children, and dependent relatives; 2,468 Navy invalids; 1,907 Navy widows, minor children, and dependent relatives; 4,831 survivors of the war of 1812, and 21,336 widows of those who served in that war. There were added to the roll during the year the names of 38,162 new pensioners, and the names of 796 whose pensions had been previously dropped were restored to the roll, making an aggregate of 38,958 pensions added during the year, being an excess over the number added to the roll the preceding year of 10,645. During the year the names of 20,997 pensioners were dropped from the roll for various causes, leaving a net increase to the number on the roll of 17,961 pensioners.

It will be observed that the number dropped from the roll is nearly 50 per cent. in excess of that for the previous year, and a word or two of explanation upon that point will prevent misunderstanding. It has been customary for several years to retain upon the roll the names of any pensioners who may have died and final payment not been made, until a settlement was made of the amount due. The amount due in such cases would average perhaps less than a quarter's pension. In many instances no person survived the pensioner who would, under the law, be entitled to receive the pension due; and again, the amount might be so small that it would remain unclaimed, as the expense necessary to prove title would equal if not exceed the small amount of pension due. There is also another class wherein the statutes provide that the failure to claim pension for three years shall be deemed presumptive evidence of death, recovery from disability, or remarriage, as may be applicable to the several classes. The considerable number who are annually dropped from the roll under the statute (section 4719 Revised Statutes) represent a one and two years period for which these pensioners do not receive their pensions.

From these circumstances it will be seen that the number of pensioners reported as on the roll at the close of each year is in excess of the actual number, and necessarily affects the average of each pensioner, as well as the annual value of the roll. Taking the preceding year as

6262 I-20

an illustration, the annual value of pensions as reported was a little more than $1,000,000 too great. To obviate this in the futue, I instructed the several pension agents in January last to drop from their rolls the names of such pensioners where they were in possession of satisfactory information of death, without regard to the fact that there was a balance of pension due and unpaid; also, that the right of any person entitled to receive the accrued pension should not be prejudiced because such name had been dropped from the roll.

The average annual value of each pension at the close of the year is $106.18, and the aggregate annual value of all pensions is $32,245,192.43, an increase over the value for the previous year of $2,904,090.81.

The amount paid for pensions during the year is $60,064,009.23, exceeding, as will be observed, the annual value of pensions several millions of dollars. The great bulk of this excess is for the arrears of pension covering the period prior to the allowance of the claim.

Annexed to Table 1 will be found a statement showing that $29,906,753.94 was paid to 34,990 newly allowed pensions upon first payment, while of the same class there remained in the hands of the several pension agents 5,963 cases in which there was due as first payment and unpaid the sum of $4,271,459.29.

Included in these numbers are 4,993 Army invalids and widows, whose claims were filed in this office subsequent to July 1, 1880, and who were not entitled to arrears of pension. The allowance of this considerable number of claims filed subsequent to the statutes of limitation granting arrears very materially affects the average first payments when the whole number allowed is considered. It is a subject of interest that so many of these lately filed claims have been allowed, when there are 148,813 pending claims with title to arrears, presumably entitled to precedence, having been filed so long previously. And with great care I have had an analysis of the files made which involve the examination of every pending case (244,505) in order that the causes might be known. The details of this analysis are set forth in Table 12, while a more general discussion of the same in connection with matter relevant to it is entered into later on in this report.

Table 2 shows the various causes for which the names of the 20,997 pensioners were dropped from the roll, classifying what is termed the widows' roll, showing the number of widows with and those without children, the number of minor children who were pensioned in their own right and the number of dependent mothers and fathers. It also shows the whole number of pensioners on the roll with their subdivision of the widows' class.

Table 3 shows the amount of appropriations on account of pensions and disbursements. The appropriation for salary, fees, &c., to pension agents was exhausted, and there is a balance due the agents. In connection with this table is shown a statement of disbursements during the year of $79,808.70 for arrears of pensions in such cases where the pension had been originally granted prior to January 25, 1879, and the commencement of their pension was at a date subsequent to discharge or death. The act of the date mentioned provided for arrears for this class and the disbursements have been kept separate from those of regular pensions.

In Table 4 will be shown the number of pensioners on the roll of each agency by the several classes, together with the amount paid on account of pensions by each agent, and compares these items in their aggregate with those of the previous years. In the column of salary and expenses of pension agents is included, as disbursed, such balances as were due