Page:U.S. Department of the Interior Annual Report 1884.djvu/23

 claims, and known as arrears of pensions. The amount paid during the year to 31,307 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 detail of these statements will be found in Table 1 of the Commissioner's report. Since 1861 there have been filed 927,922 claims for pensions; of this number, 545,130 have been allowed. About 82 per cent of the whole number now pending are awaiting the action of the claimants or their witnesses on unanswered calls from the Pension Office. Since 1861 the total amount disbursed for pensions has been $378,346,834.34. In order to show the increase of business in the Pension Office, the Commissioner furnishes the following table of letters sent and received: NOTE.—In the "letters sent" the calls made on the Adjutant-General and Surgeon-General, U. S. A., are not included.

Two hundred and forty special examiners were employed in the field. Congress at its last session authorized the employment of an additional force of one hundred and fifty. The system of special examination appears to have given great satisfaction to the claimants and the office.

The appeals from the Commissioner of Pensions to the Secretarywere, during the fiscal year 1883, 746; during the past year, 1,516.

The act of January 25, 1879, provided—

That all pensions which have been granted under the general laws regulating pensions, or may hereafter be granted, in consequence of death from a cause which originated in the United States service during the continuance of the late war of the rebellion, or in consequence of wounds, injuries, or disease received or contracted in said service during said war of rebellion, shall commence from the date of the death or discharge from said service of the person on whose account the claim has been or shall hereafter be granted, or from the termination of the right of the party having prior title to such pension.

In an act entitled "An act making appropriations for the payment of the arrears of pensions granted by act of Congress," approved March 3, 1879, it was provided as follows:

All pensions which have been, or which may hereafter be, granted in consequence of death occurring from a cause which originated in the service since the 4th day of March, 1861, or in consequence of wounds or injuries received or disease contracted since that date, shall commence from the death or discharge of the person on whose ac th e claim has been or is hereafter granted, if the disability occurred prior to