Page images
PDF
EPUB

REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF PENSIONS.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

BUREAU OF PENSIONS, Washington, D. C., September 1, 1910.

SIR: I have the honor to submit this my annual report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1910, consisting of a general statement and exhibits 1 to 10, inclusive, showing the operations of the Bureau of Pensions, including the pension agencies.

GENERAL STATEMENT.

In Exhibit 1 will be found the number of pensioners of each class on the roll at the beginning of the year, the number added to and the number dropped from the roll during the year. The number of pensioners on the roll at the close of the year was 921,083, a decrease during the year of 25,111. The number of new pensioners whose names were added to the roll during the year and the number dropped for the various causes were as follows:

[blocks in formation]

Deducting the total number of new names added to the roll from the total number dropped leaves a net loss to the roll, as before stated, of 25,111.

The number of survivors of the civil war on the pension roll at the close of the year was 562,615, a net reduction during the year of 31,345. The total number of survivors whose names were dropped from the roll during the year on account of death was 35,312. The difference in these two numbers is accounted for by the fact that several thousand new names of survivors of the civil war were placed on the roll during the year.

In the following table is shown the number of pensioners on the roll, by classes, at the close of the fiscal years 1910 and 1909, together with the net gain or loss in each class, as the case may be:

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

The number of soldiers and sailors on the pension roll at the close of the year was 602,180, the number of widows and dependents was 318,461, and the number of army nurses 442.

The annual value of the pension roll at the close of the year was $158,332,391.82. This is the amount which would be required to pay all the pensioners on the roll at the close of the year for one entire year, at the rates of pension then existing, should no new pensioners be added to the roll and none be dropped therefrom. This is a decrease from the previous year of $2,350,478.50. The average annual value of each pension at the close of the year was $171.90, an increase of $2.08 per pensioner as compared with the previous year. This increase was due to the increase of pensions granted by the bureau upon applications filed by pensioners and to the increased rates granted by Congress, through what are known as special acts. The number of special-act pensioners on the roll at the close of the year was 19,422, an increase of 3,015. The annual value of the special-act allowances on the roll at the close of the year was $5,725,246, an increase of $879,120. There were some 1,300 special acts passed near the close of the session, in which it was not possible to issue certificates until after the close of the fiscal year. If all the

special acts could have been included the increase in the annual value due thereto would have been $894,495. As before stated, the increase in the annual value of each pension is $2.08, which makes an increase of $1,915,852.64 in the annual value of the pension roll due to increased pensions. It will be seen that nearly one-half of this increase is due to pensions granted by special acts of Congress.

The average annual value of the pension of each pensioner, under the various laws, for each year for the last five years, is shown by the following table:

[blocks in formation]

In Exhibit 2 will be found the amounts of first payments made by pension agents on each class of new certificates issued during the fiscal year. The total amount of first payments was $4,858,504.27, upon 91,448 issues, an average of $52.13 each. The first payment made upon a new certificate is the amount due thereon from the date of commencement of the pension provided in the certificate to the end of the last quarter. There were 8,009 certificates issued by the bureau during the year which were not received by the pension agents in time to make the first payment before the close of the year. The amount due on such certificates was $495,979.37. The following table shows the first payments made each year during the last five years:

First payments made during the last five fiscal years.

[blocks in formation]

Exhibit 3 shows the appropriations and disbursements for the fiscal year 1910 and the unexpended balances at the close of the year, a summary of which is as follows:

Appropriations and disbursements for fiscal year ended June 30, 1910.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Appropriation for salaries and clerk hire, pension agencies..............
Amount disbursed.....

Unexpended balance....

Appropriation for rent, contingent expenses, and inspection of

agencies.....

Repayments to the appropriation.

[blocks in formation]

Total amount available...

Amount disbursed.....

36, 000. 19

15, 355. 78

Unexpended balance.

of year......

Amount due for supplies purchased but not paid for until after close

20, 644. 41

11, 430. 25

[blocks in formation]

Appropriation for salaries, per diem and expenses, special examiners.

Amount expended...........

Unexpended balance..

[blocks in formation]

1,556, 690. 33

48, 779.67

329,000.00 301, 667. 68

27, 332. 32

20,000.00 16, 520. 03

3, 479.97

Summary of unexpended balances at close of fiscal year 1910, exclusive of pensions, cov

[blocks in formation]

The amount expended for navy pensions was $5,335,457.27. In the act making appropriation for the payment of pensions it was provided that navy pensions should be paid from the income of the navy-pension fund, so far as such fund might be available for that purpose. The income from this fund available for such purpose was $362,299.27. The income from the navy-pension fund pays only about 7 per cent of the amount required for navy pensions.

Interest on the navy-pension fund and the amounts paid for navy pensions each year for the past five years.

[blocks in formation]

In Exhibit 4 will be found the amounts disbursed by each of the 18 pension agencies under each appropriation for the fiscal year 1910. The largest amount expended for pensions at any one agency was at Topeka, $18,370,036, while the smallest amount was at the Concord agency, $2,771,998.71. The amount disbursed for pensions by pension agents was $159,972,015.18, which, with the amount paid out by the Treasury Department in treasury settlements, $2,040.90, made the disbursements for pensions for the fiscal year $159,974,056.08, as shown in Exhibit 3. This is a decrease as compared with the previous year of $1,999,647.69.

The amount expended for fees of examining surgeons, as shown by Exhibits 3 and 4, was $186,870.45. It was not possible, however, to pay for the medical examinations held during the last quarter of the fiscal year until after the close of the year. These accounts are now being settled, and it is estimated that the total cost for medical examinations held during the year will be $247,687.

In the following a summary is presented showing the amounts disbursed for pensions during the year to pensioners, by classes:

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »