Page:U.S. Department of the Interior Annual Report 1873.djvu/20

700 soldiers in the war of 1812 had been received, of which number 2,780 were filed during the last fiscal year. There were pending on the 30th day of June, 1872, 11,580 claims of this character, which, added to the number received during the succeeding year, makes a total of 14,360 claims which were before the office for adjudication during said year. Of these there were allowed during the year 3,186 claims of survivors, at a total yearly rate of $305,856; 2,242 claims of widows, at an aggregate yearly rate of $215,232; 16 claims of survivors and 6 of widows for restoration, at a total annual rate of 2,112; making the total number of claims of this character allowed during said year, 5,450, and the annual amount of pensions thus granted, $523,200. During the same period there were rejected 3,933 claims of survivors and 2,082 of widows a total of 6,015 claims. On the 1st instant there were pending 2,895 claims of this description, more than half of which are believed to be without merit, and will probably be rejected. The total amount paid during the year to survivors of the war of 1812 was $2,078,606.98, and to widows, $689,303.69, a total amount of $2,767,910.67, including the expenses of disbursement.

The number of original pensions of all classes granted during the past Fiscal year was 16,405. During the same period there were dropped from the rolls, from various causes, 10,223 names, leaving a net addition to the pension-rolls during said year of 6,182 names. The whole number of pensioners of the Government on the 30th day of June, 1873, was 238,411, whose annual pensions amount to $26,259,284.23. The amount paid during said year for pensions of all classes, including the expenses of disbursement, was $29,185,289.62, being $984,050.38 less than the amount paid during the preceding year.

Three hundred and forty bounty-land warrants were issued during the year tor 52,160 acres, being 15,880 less than the number of acres issued for the preceding year. During the same period 1,398 persons availed themselves of the benefits of the act of June 30, 1870, providing for artificial limbs and apparatus for resection, or commutation therefor, of whom 1,332 preferred the latter.

On the 30th day of June, 1873, there were on file, unadjusted, 32,054 claims for invalid pension, 29,615 claims of widows, orphans, and dependent relatives, and 3,004 claims of soldiers and of widows of soldiers in the war of 1812, making a total of 64,673 unadjusted claims, a decrease of 17,845 since the last annual report.

The Commissioner, in his report, refers to certain defects in the system which has obtained with respect to the establishment of claims for pension, and expresses the opinion that, until such defects are remedied by new legislation, there is no adequate security to the Government against dishonest claimants. The work of investigating frauds, committed by dishonest claimants and attorneys, has continued during the year, with its customary good results. The direct saving to the Government effected by these investigations is many times greater than the sum