Government at one-tenth the expense could arrive at the same results and give to the claimants the remaining nine-tenths. Your committee is informed by authorities in the Pension Department that there are about three hundred thousand claims for increase on file in the Department, nearly all of which will carry to some agent a $10 fee. Should all be allowed, the Government will take $3,000,000 out of the pensioners' funds, and put it safely in the pockets of the attorneys. A long and intimate acquaintance with old soldiers has failed to reveal any who have become millionaires by reason of the pensions paid them. This can not be said of the pension attorney, for it is well known that many large fortunes have been made in the past few years, and there are in sight many more such fortunes, if we do not do our duty in this matter. Your committee has no desire to criticise the claim agents. There' are many honorable men in the business; men who would spurn a dollar not honestly earned, men who are true friends of the soldier, and who despise the methods used by some others in the same business, namely those who care nothing for the soldier, his past or his future -they are after his money and they stop not when they have his money, but steal the bronze button of honor that he wears in his coat. They would take the man who dared death itself on a dozen battle fields and force him into disgrace and beggary. The following extracts from the Report of the Commissioner of Pensions for the year ending June 30, 1890, is made a part of this report: There were on June 30, 1890, 537,944 pensioners borne upon the rolls, and classified as follows: Army invalid pensioners. Army widows, minor children, and dependent relatives.. Navy invalid pensioners. Navy widows, minor children, and dependent relatives.. Survivors of the war of 1812. Widows of soldiers of the war of 1812. Survivors of the Mexican war. Widows of soldiers of the Mexican war. Total....... 17, 153 6,764 537,944 There were 66,637 original claims allowed during the year, being 14,716 more original claims than were allowed during the fiscal year 1889, and 6,385 more than were allowed during the fiscal year 1888. The amount of the first payments in these 66,637 original cases amounted to $32,478,841.18, being $11,036,492.05 more than the first payments on the original claims allowed during the fiscal year 18-9, and $10,179,225.72 more than the first payments on the original claims allowed during the fiscal year 1888. The average value of the first payments on these original claims for 1890 was $485.71. The average annual value of each pension at the close of the fiscal year was $133.94. Total number of certificates issued from July 1 to October 19, 1888.... Total number of certificates issued from July 1 to October 19, 1889.. Falling off in the issues for the period in 1889 ... 46.904 30, 664 16,664 Total number of certificates issued from October 20, 1889, to June 30, 1890 .. 121,418 Total number of certificates issued from October 20, 1888, to June 30, 1889 .. 98,338 Increase in the work for 1890...... Total number of certificates issued, year ending June 30, 1890 Increase in 1890 over 1889 Total of original certificates issued, year ending June 30, 1890 Increase in 1890 over 1889 66,637 51,896 14,741 STATEMENT OF MAILS RECEIVED AND SENT FOR THREE MONTHS. That the public may have a proper understanding of the immense amount of business that is now being transacted in this Bureau, I lay before you the following statement of mail matter received and sent out during the months of July, August, and September just passed: There are 18 pension agents and 419 persons employed at said agencies, in all There are 1,028 boards of medical examiners, of three persons each, and 383 single surgeon examiners, in all...... Total number of persons employed in connection with the Bureau of SURVIVORS OF THE WAr for the UNION. 2,009 437 3,467 5, 913 During the consideration of the various pension bills at the late session of Congress, the question as to the number of soldiers who are now survivors of the late war of the rebellion was carefully considered at the request of the Committee on Invalid Pensions. The following is the result: "Upon a careful examination of the subject, I came to the conclusion that more than one-third of the men who were discharged in 1865, were subject, by reason of wounds and other disabilities, to a higher rate of mortality than ordinary citizens in private lite. The rate of mortality of soldiers on the pension rolls has been far greater than the rate of death upon which the Americau tables are constructed. I fixed upon the number of 586,000 discharged from the Army as constituting then umber who were probably subject to this higher rate of mortality, and I came to the conclusion that the expectation of life with this body of men, by reason of their disabilities, had been shortened about twelve years." Number of soldiers enlisted during the war for the Union, ex cluding reënlistments..... Estimated number of deaths of soldiers discharged during the war to July 1, 1865... Number killed in battle and by other casualties and who died of disease to July 1, 1865..... 2,213, 365 364, 116 Number of desertions 25, 284 121,896 511, 296 Number of survivors of the war July 1, 1865, less deaths and desertions.... Number of survivors July 1, 1865, less deaths and desertions, who 1,702, 069 1, 116, 069 586,000 Number surviving July 1, 1890, who are probably subject to the ordinary life tables.. 831,089 Number surviving July 1, 1890, who are subject to a greater death rate Total number of survivors July 1, 1890 .... 415,000 1,246, 089 Of the foregoing number of survivors about 144,00 are now 62 years of age and upwards. Statement showing the different monthly rates of pension, and the number pensioned at each rate, of the Army and Navy invalids, and of the Army and Navy widows, minors, and dependents (war of 1861) on the rolls, June 30, 1890. Comparative statement by the Third Auditor of the Treasury, showing disbursements by pension agents to pensioners and examining surgeons during the fiscal years 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, and 1890, and entire expenses of the agencies during said years, including salaries, clerk hire, rent, fuel, lights, and contingent expenses, and the average cost for each $1,000 disbursed. $2, 021, 596. 13 $10, 496. 22 $5. 19 $2, 238, 329. 02 $8, 421.94 8, 580, 926, 55 16, 667. 51 4. 65 3.927, 356. 81 14, 365. 08 4,091, 369. 96 18, 189.76 4.44 4, 687, 573. 09 14, 503. 75 5,739, 477.53 23, 457. 54 4.08 6, 240, 484. 47 18, 837. 10 6, 241, 706. 86 25, 000. 41 4.01 7, 596, 773. 36 21, 406. 58 2,277, 244. 40 12, 420. 94 5. 45 2, 441, 808. 81 9, 804. 40 3,926, 786. 55 14, 501.95 3. 69 4, 523, 163.02 12, 690. 32 054, 168. 80 16, 202. 83 5.31 3,804, 836. 85 12, 845. 51 481, 046. 14 23, 439.98 4.27 6, 385, 530. 26 19, 050. 01 382, 862. 03 14, 149. 33 4. 18, 4, 149, 985. 09 11, 760. 79 ,041, 245. 51 8,734.55 4.28 2, 418, 481. 94 7, 950.00 3, 560, 400.60 15, 035. 67 4.22 3, 985, 690. 63 13, 522. 04 2,623, 003. 46, 21, 065.94 8.03 3, 270, 216. 28| 3,040, 664. 85 15, 441. 09 3,069, 687.85 15, 019. 43 518, 835.71 7, 706. 35 5,048, 501. 89 16, 761.37 3,772, 158. 64 20, 432.97 63, 471, 743. 46,294, 724. 14 4. 64 73, 440, 038. 45 248, 280. 42 18, 244.85 5.08 3,813, 519. 35 13, 157. 10 4. 89 3, 675, 097. 55 13, 180.74 14. 85 639, 227.62 7, 703. 50 3.32 5, 850, 951. 76 5. 42 3, 791, 012. 54 13, 814. 19 17, 012. 52 4.49 2.81 3,888, 537.64 3. 29 2,538, 716. 19 3.39 4, 251, 136. 31 5.55 3, 575, 256. 42 3. 45 4, 158, 617. 80 3. 59 3, 768, 290.66 12. 05 1, 028, 551. 56 2. 36 6, 539, 847. 58 4, 372, 583.99 13, 441. 03 3.46 4,057, 216. 81 12. 972.93 3.20 17, 090. 17 20,976. 40 2.36 9, 448, 623, 80 18, 977. 40 2.01 3.76 6, 706, 086. 14 19, 919. 19 2.94 3. 38,78, 416, 258. 27 263, 109. 87, 3. 35,87, 277, 884. 22 278, 902. 20, 3.20 104, 582, 142. 29 292, 697, 35 2.80 |