REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF PENSIONS. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, PENSION OFFICE, Washington, D. C., November 10, 1884. SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith the annual statement showing the operations of this Burea a for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. There were at the close of the year 322,756 pensioners, classified as follows: 218,956 Army invalids; 75,836 Army widows, minor children, and dependent relatives; 2,616 Navy invalids; 1,938 Navy widows, minor children, and dependent relatives; 3,898 survivors of the war of 1812; and 19,512 widows of those who served in that war. There were added to the roll during the year the names of 34,192 new pensioners, and the names of 1,221 whose pensions had been previously dropped were restored to the roll, making an aggregate of 35,413 pensions added during the year. During the year the names of 16,315 were dropped from the rolls for various causes, leaving a net increase to the number on the roll of 19,098. The average annual value of each pension at the close of the year is $106.75 and the aggregate annual value of all pensions is $34,456,600.35, an increase over like value for the previous year of $2,211,407.92. The amount paid for pensions during the year is $56,908,597.60, exceeding, as will be observed, the annual value of pensions several millions of dollars, which represents the first payments, generally in new claims, and known as arrears of pensions. The amount paid during the year to 31,207 new pensioners was $23,413,815.10, and there remained in the hands of the several pension agents 7,203 cases of this class unpaid, in which there was due $4,949,090.05. The details of these statements will be found in Table 1. Table 2 shows the various causes for which the names of 16,315 pensioners were dropped from the rolls, classifying what is termed the widows' roll, showing the number of widows with and those without minor children, the number of minor children who were pensioners in their own right, and the number of dependent mothers and fathers. It also shows the whole number of pensioners on the roll, with a like subdivision of the widows' class. Table 3 exhibits the amount of appropriation on account of pensions, and the disbursements therefrom. In connection with this table is shown a statement of disbursements during the year of $57,500.42 for arrears of pensions in such cases where the original pension had been granted prior to January 25, 1879, and the date of commencement of pension was at a date subsequent to discharge or death. The act of the date mentioned provided for arrears to this class, and the disbursements have been kept separate from those of regular pensions. Of the fund to pay this class there remains a balance of $649,496.68 which is not, as in case of other balances, covered into the Treasury a the close of the year. The draft upon this sum will be so small in the future that I renew my suggestion of last year, that the regular pensior appropriation acts provide for the payment of such cases as may in the future arise, and thus permit the covering into the Treasury of the out standing balance. Table 4 shows the number of pensioners on the roll of each agency by the several classes, and compares these items in their aggregate with those of previous years, also the amount paid on account of pensions by each agent during the year. Table 5 shows the number of original claims of each class filed year by year since 1861, the number allowed, the number of pensioners on the roll at the close of each fiscal year, and the amounts paid for pensions including costs of disbursements for same periods. In this statement it is shown that 526,354 claims have been filed or account of disability, and 323,462 on account of death alleged to be due to the service, claims for the latter cause having been filed by widows and dependent relatives. Of the invalid claims 272,624, and the widows and dependent relatives 213,082, or a total of 485,706 claims allowed. Besides a comparatively small number pensioned for disability or death from causes originating in the service prior to March 4, 1861, and those of the Regular Army since 1865, this number represents the pensions granted on account of the war of the rebellion. The acts of 1871 and 1878 provided a pension on account of service during the war of 1812. Since the former date 78,106 claims of this class have been filed, 34,646 by the surviving soldiers and sailors, and 43,460 by the widows of those who served in that war. Of this number 59,424 have been allowed, 25,658 to the survivors and 33,766 to the widows. In the aggregate, since 1861, 927,922 claims have been filed, and 545,130 have been allowed. At the rate claims have been filed for the past few years, the close of the year 1886 will undoubtedly show one million claims filed for pensions since 1861. For the corresponding periods shown in this table the number of pensioners on the roll at the close of each year is stated, together with the amount paid for pensions. Since 1861 the total amount so disbursed is $678,346,834.34. Table 6 shows the number of each class of claims on the files of the office at the commencement of the year, the number filed during the year, the number admitted and the number rejected for the same period, and the number of each class which were pending and on the rejected files respectively, at the close of the year. Table 7 shows the operations of the special examination service of the office, which is referred to later on in this report. Table 8 gives the location and geographical limits of each pension agency, the name of each agent, and the balance of funds remaining in the hands of each agent at the close of the year. Table 9 shows the different rates of pension paid to Army and Navy invalids, together with the number of pensioners of these classes to each rate. Table 10 shows the amount paid for pensions on account of service during the war of 1812, since February 14, 1871, when Congress provided pensions for this class. Table 11 shows the number of late war invalid claims allowed each fiscal year since 1861, classified and arranged so that in each year's allowance it is shown in what years the claims were filed for all the preceding as well as the one in which such allowance was made. It also shows the percentage of claims out of the number filed which have been allowed each year. By subdividing this twenty-four years' period there will be shown an interesting statement of the percentage of claims allowed out of the number filed; that is, of the whole number of Army invalid claims filed from 1861 to 1865, both inclusive, representing the first period (three years of which was while the war of the rebellion was yet in progress), 77.8 per cent. have been allowed; for the next five years, to 1870, 79.9 per cent. have been allowed; the next five years, to 1875, 67.4 per cent. have been allowed; the next five years, to 1880, which terminates the arrears period, 47.8 per cent. have been allowed, and for the next period of four years, to 1884, 10.1 per cent. have been allowed; or of all claims of this class, Army invalids, filed within the arrears period (prior to July 1, 1880), 62.2 per cent. have been allowed, and there are still pending of this class (Army invalids) 95,441, or 21 per cent. of the number filed. An analysis of Table 11, with a view of showing the fluctuating periods in which claims have been allowed after filing, is herewith submitted. This compares the work of this with former years, from 1872 to 1884, inclusive, showing the per cent. of claims allowed during the same fiscal year in which they were filed, and for the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh year preceding, also for full time (in the aggregate) prior to the seventh year, back to 1861. 12.8 in the fifteen years previous to 1876. Table 12 is an analysis of the files made on the last day of the year, showing the number of original claims pending, arranged according to military service; also the number who are and those who are not entitled to arrears of pension, and the several causes of delay, so far as practicable to classify, in their settlement. |