Page:U.S. Department of the Interior Annual Report 1876.djvu/19

Rh served in the war of the Revolution who were married prior to January 1, 1800, and 314 who married subsequent to that date.

During the last fiscal year the following amounts were paid for pensions: To Army invalids, $11,864,031.69; to Army widows, &c., $14,456,286.76; to Navy invalids, $182,788.96; to Navy widows, &c., $313,682.15; to survivors of the war of 1812, $1,089,037.18; to widows of those who served in said war, $445,772.95; making a total amount of $28,351,599.69, which includes cost of disbursement, and is $1,331,516.94 less than was expended for the same purpose during the preceding year.

There were examined and allowed during the year ending June 30, 1876, 16,880 Army pension-claims, of which 5,225 were for invalid pensions, 6,828 for increased pension to invalids, 4,292 for pension to widows, dependent relatives, &c., 535 for increased pension to widows, &c.; 330 Navy pension claims, of which 135 were for pension to invalids, 81 for increased pension to invalids, 84 for pension to widows, 30 for increased pension to widows, and 241 claims for survivors and widows of those who served in the war of 1812, 73 of which were for pensions to survivors, and 168 to widows; making in all 17,451 claims which were examined and admitted during the year.

The annual charge to the Government involved by the allowance of said claims is as follows: For Army invalids, $324,407; increased pension to invalids, $309,938; widows, &amp;c, $543,250; increased pension to widows, $32,968; for Navy invalids, $14,007; increased pension to invalids, $6,330; widows, &amp;c, $16,222; increased pension to widows, $2,576; and for survivors of the war of 1812, $7,008; and widows of those who served in said war, $16,128; making an aggregate annual rate of $1,272,834, or $846,335.07 less than the annual value of the claims admitted during the year ending June 30, 1875.

There were on file on the 30th of June last 88,973 unadjudicated pension claims, 54,190 of which were for invalid pension, 34,053 for pension to widows, &c, 341 of survivors of the war of 1812, and 389 of widows of those who served in said war. At the close of the year ending June 30, 1875, there were on file 71,509 unadjudicated pension claims, or 17,404 less than at the end of the last fiscal year. There were received during the year 42,877 claims for pension, while during the same time 17,451 claims were admitted and 10,132 rejected; making in all 27,583 claims disposed of, or about 64 per cent, of the number filed. The claims for invalid pensions filed during the year were about 50 per cent, greater in number than those filed during the preceding year, and exceeded Largely the number received during any year since 1866. The office has been greatly embarrassed in its labors by the delay in obtaining answers to calls upon the Surgeon-General for the medical history of claimants during their military or naval service, without which it is impossible, with few exceptions, to properly adjudicate their claims. There are at present 13,000 unanswered calls upon the Surgeon-General for the hospital-record of claimants, and, in consequence of the paucity of clerks in