Page:U.S. Department of the Interior Annual Report 1873.djvu/74

754

During the first fiscal year after the passage of the not granting artificial limbs or apparatuses, or in lien thereof, commutation in money, once in live years to invalid soldiers disabled by loss of limb, or resection, there were issued 7,770 commutation orders, amounting to $468,350, and 1,248 bills, amounting to $90,350, were approved for hills for limbs furnished in kind.

During the second year the number of commutation orders issued was 438, amounting to $27,150, and the number of bills approved for limbs furnished in kind was 326, amounting to $23,025. These claims received the concurrent approval of the Surgeon-General and the Commissioner of Pensions.

There were other claims on which a perfect agreement was not had. By act of June 8. 1872, under which the adjudication of these claims was left solely with the Surgeon-General, during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1873, there have been issued 1,332 commutation orders, amounting to $70,550, and during the year there have also been paid 66 bills for limbs in kind, amounting to $4,200.

As the adjudication of these claims is now removed from the jurisdiction of the Commissioner of Pensions, it seems desirable that the pension appropriation should be relieved from the expenses attendant upon their allowance, and that a fund be placed at the control of the SurgeonGeneral for the purpose of paying the same.

Herewith will be found the usual annual tabular statements, with others which have been prepared expressly to accompany this report. They are as follows:

A. Number and amount of Army pensions allowed and increased in each State and Territory during the past fiscal year.

B. Amount paid to Army pensioners in each State and Territory during the last fiscal year.

C. Number and amount of Army pensions June 30, 1873, by States and Territories.

D. Balance of Army funds in the hands of pension agents.

E. Number and amount of Navy pensions allowed and increased in each State and Territory during the past fiscal year.

F. Amount paid to Navy pensioners in each State and Territory during the past fiscal year.

G. Number and amount of Navy pensions June 30, 1873, by States and Territories.

H. Balance of Navy funds in the hands of pension agents.

I. Statement of the number of Army, Navy, and privateer pensioners, with the amount paid each year from 1791 to June 30, 1873.

K. Tabular statement of the rates of invalid Army pensions, with the number of pensioners at each rate June 30, 1873.

L. Tabular statement of the rates of invalid Navy pensions, with the number of pensioners at each rate, June 30, 1873.

During the fiscal year the office has received the following number of claims for pension under the act of February 14, 1871: Survivors, 1,481widows, 1,299; total, 2,780. There were re-opened during the year 310 survivors, 272 widows; total, 582. There were admitted during the year: survivors, 8,186; widows, 2,2425 total, 5,428. The number