UNITED STATES PENSION STATISTICS. PENSIONERS ON THE ROLL JUNE 30. 1923. Widows, etc. War with Spain-Soldiers... 68.393 Widows, etc. 13,167 Reg. establishm't-Soldiers.. 12.641 ... Widows, etc. 3,790 World war-Soldiers. Widows, etc. 57 Indian wars-Soldiers War with Mexico-Soldiers.. 3.923 2.828 49 Widows, etc. 1,636 40 1924. Civil war-Soldiers..... ....168.623 146,815 1875..$29,270.404.76 $30,253,100.11 234,821 .....264,580 253,136 1876.. 27.936,209.53 85.038 1877.. 28.182.821.72 16.104 1878.. 26.786.009.44 12.283 1879.. 32.664.428.92 3.754 1880.. 56.689.229.08 56 1881.. 50.583.405.35 1882.. 54,313,172.05 3.893 1883.. 60.427,573.81 2.937 1884.. 57.912,387.47 1885.. 65.171,937.12 31 1,437 1886.. 64,091,142.90 33 1887.. 73.752,997.08 Widows, etc. Total of all classes.......539.756 525,539 PAID OUT FOR PENSIONS. 1923. 1924. Civil war .$238.924.872 $202.999,955 War with Spain.. 17,886.821 21,139,863 Other classes...... 6,200.807 5,854,959 $263,012,500 $229.994.777 ........... 970,524 970.678 976.014 War of 1812-Widows, etc.. 77,506,397.99 406.007 82.465.558.94 452,557 By classes-Soldiers.........253,605 248.049 1888.. 78.950,501.67 92,309,688.98 489,725 .278.700 270,191 1889.. 88.842,720.58 2.333 2.263 1890..106.093.850.39 109.620.232.52 537,944 931 939 1891..117.312.690.50 122,013,326.94 676.160 4,106 4,027 1892..139.394.147.11 144,292.812.91 876.068 81 67 1893..156.906.637.94 161.774,372.36 966.012 1894..139.986.726.17 143,950,702.48 969,544 1895..139.812.294.30 144.150,314.51 1896..138.220.704.46 142.212.080.07 1897..139.949,717,35 143,937,500.42 1898..144.651.879.80 148.765,971.26 993,714 1899..138.355.052.95 142,502,570.68 991.519 1900..138.462.130.65 142,303.887.39 993,529 1901..138,531,483.84 142.400.279.28 997.735 1902..137.504.267.99 141,335.646.95 999.446 1903..137.759.653.71 141.752,870.50 996.545 1904..141.093,571.49 144.942.937.74 994,762 1905..141.142.861.33 144.864.694.15 998.441 1906..139.000.288.25 142,523,557.76 985.971 1907..138.155,412.46 141,464,522.90 967.371 1908..153.093,086.27 155,894.049.63 951.687 1909..161.973.703.77 164.826.287.50 946,194 1910..159.974.056.08 162.631,729.94 921.083 1911..157.325.160.35 159.842.287.41 892,098 1912..152.986,433.72 155,435.291.03 860,294 1913..174.171.660.80 176.714.907.39 820.200 1914..172.417.546.26 174.484.053.41 785.239 1915..165.518,266.14 167,298.126.44 748,147 1916..159.155,090.00 160.811.812.33 709.572 1917..160.895,054.00 162.457.908.90 673.111 1918..179.835,328.75 181.362.944.36 646.895 1919..222.159.292.70 223,592.484.37 624.427 1920..213.295,314.65 214.690.328.74 592,190 1921..258.715,842.00 260.105,763.55 566,053 115.089 1922..253,807,583.37 255.201,660.84 547.016 1923..263,012,500.18 265,004,563.15 539,756 1924..229,994,777.60 231,492,476.13 525.539 *Includes expenses. Total CLAIMS HANDLED IN FISCAL YEAR 1924. The pension bureau acts upon claims1. Arising under pension laws because of service in the army or navy rendered prior to April 6, 1917, or after July 2, 1921. 2. For reimbursement of expenses of last illness and burial of deceased pensioners. 3. Under civil service retirement act: Age and disability retirement and refundment of pay deductions. Civil war-Soldiers.. Received. Disposed of. War with Spain-Soldiers.. 56.127 Widows, etc. Widows, etc. Other classes Total 13,160 51,683 4.215 21.566 4.597 22.231 115.825 Total claims on hand beginning of year 50.667 Total claims on hand end of year..... 51.403 WORK OF PENSION BUREAU. A record in the signing and delivery of checks has been established by the pension bureau of the interior department during the past ten years when approximately 33.000.000 1866..$15.450.549.88 $15.857.714.88 126.722 checks were sent out to war pensioners. 21.275.767.04 155.474 The monumental task of printing the names 23.654.529.70 169.643 of the pensioners on these checks with the 1869.. 28.513.247.27 29.077.774.08 187.963 amounts to be paid each one. of placing a sig29.952.486.64 198.686 nature on them in the name of the government, 29.381.871.62 207.495 of putting the checks in the envelopes and 29.752.746.81 30.703.999.81 232.229 addressing them and finally mailing them is 26.982.063.89 27.985.264.53 238.411 accomplished so that over half a million vet30.206,778.99 31.173.573.12 236,241 | erans. widows and dependents receive their 1870.. 29.351.488.78 1871.. 28.518.792.62 70 pensions promptly on the fourth day of every month. Up to 1922 the United States paid its pensions every three months and it was then found to be a big job getting out the checks. With the change in the law by congress providing for monthly payment the undertaking was practically tripled. The disbursing division of the pension office, however, was equal to the added labors and has not failed since to dispatch the checks on time monthly to the pensioners. During the month of July. 1924. 520,102 checks were issued. The total amount aggregated $18.440,354.27. Up to February, 1913, payment of pensioners was made by regional offices, numbering eighteen, throughout the United States. Each regional office was headed by a pension agent and it was his duty to make out and sign each check personally after the pensioner had filled out a voucher. the abolition of the regional offices the work was centralized in the pension bureau and since then all pensions have been paid from Washington. For the month of July, 1924, the sum of $489,749.53 was disbursed to retired employes; to those separated from the service. $187,116.62. These payments were made from the civil service retirement and disability fund which has accumulated from the deductions of 21⁄2 per centum withheld from the pay of clerks in the classified service. An average of about 14,000 changes in postoffice addresses are made monthly. It is desirable that pensioners notify the disbursing clerk early in the month of any change in their address: by so doing delays in payment may be avoided. Before mailing all checks are routed by states and foreign countries, arrangement hav ing been made with the postoffice authorities to transmit them so as to reach their destination on the fourth day of each month for delivery to resident pensioners of the United States. With Nearly all foreign countries have representatives of some of Uncle Sam's veterans, widows or dependents as residents who are in receipt of pension as provided by the liberal pension legislation. To residents of English-speaking foreign countries all checks are mailed direct. To pensioners residing in non-English-speaking countries the checks are routed by countries, then by cities. and are then inclosed and addressed to the consular officer in the district or city in which the pensioner resides and forwarded to the consular bureau of the state department for dispatch to their destination. are Under the present system all checks issued over the name of the disbursing clerk and countersigned by clerks designated for that purpose: ten checks are signed at one time by the use of a ten-pen signature with which a clerk is enabled to sign 10.000 or 11,000 checks daily. The incomplete checks are furnished by the bureau of engraving and printing in sheets of five, bound in books of In the course of a year a number of checks 200 sheets. They are given a numerical se- issued by the disbursing clerk are lost or quence order and in so far as practicable destroyed, usually through the carelessness of different amounts due monthly printed the are pensioner. Appeals to the disbursing in as requisitioned by the disbursing clerk. clerk for a new check upon the discovery of In the final preparation of checks in the the loss are made with an explanation of disbursing office the greater number are the manner in which the loss occurred. The printed with the addressograph machines; the highest percentage of losses occur during the overprinting develops the name of the pen- winter months and the cause generally is that sioner, certificate number, the class under some member of the family accidentally threw which pensioned and the pensioner's postoffice the check in the stove with other papers address. Checks issued on account of first that were worthless. At times charred rempayment, increase and final payments, or odd nants of the check sufficient for its identiamounts, are completed with pen and ink. fication are mailed to the disbursing clerk, Payments to the inmates of national homes who at once issues a substitute check to the pensioner. Duplicate checks are issued under for disabled volunteer soldiers are made by the treasurers of the homes. The disbursing clerk regulations prescribed by the secretary of the upon receipt of a pay roll certified to the treasury upon proof of loss of the original commissioner of pensions by the proper of- check and the execution of a bond of inficer of the home that the pensioners are in. demnity. mates thereof and are still living issues his check for the total sum due as shown by the pay roll. The check is drawn to the order of the treasurer of the United States and transmitted direct to him. The amount represented by the check is then placed to the official credit of the treasurer of the home. who issues his official check for the amount due each pensioner. Of the ten national homes, the Pacific home at Sawtelle. Cal.. during the fiscal year 1924 had the highest monthly average of inmates. which was about 2.700. The disbursements of pension to inmates monthly averaged approximately $116,000. Particular attention must be paid to the accounting system and all avenues which are open to financial loss to the government by making erroneous payments. as well as that of safeguarding the interests of the pensioner. for which a most excellent system has been devised for verification of payments due with proper records, checking computations, and the examination of all checks as to their completeness. In the issuance of checks to retired employes and refunds to those separated from the service. the disbursing clerk follows practically the same procedure as required in issuing pension checks. A miniature postoffice has been established within the disbursing division of the pension bureau. Several postal clerks are assigned there by the postoffice department. who are engaged continuously in postmarking letters to pensioners containing checks, routing them to their proper destination, sacking them and dispatching them direct to mail cars at the railroad stations. Through this arrangement the half a million checks mailed to pensioners are not delayed in going through the local postoffice in Washington. CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENT ANNUITIES. Under the act of May 22. 1920, providing for the payment of annuities to civil service employes retired because of age or disability, there is in the treasury what is known as the civil service retirement and disability fund." This comes chiefly from an assessment of 2 per cent of the basic pay of each emplove to whom the retirement act applies and the income from interest-bearing securities in which part of the funds are invested by the secretary of the treasury, The payments of annuities, refunds and allowances are made by the disbursing clerk in the pensions division of the interior department and the commissioner of pensions reports annually all the receipts and disbursements on account of the retire Treasury settlements .......... Total disbursements........... Department. Superintendent state, war, navy buildings United States veterans' bureau....... $18,134,263.91 Library of congress......................................... 33.289.873.19 All others...... 4,964.001.92 2.785.755.97 29.826.33 7.779,584.22 Surplus July 1, 1923.......... 25,510,288.97 Less than $180.. ANNUITANTS ON ROLL JUNE 30, 1923. No. 18 5 1 6 10 5 119 9 ..... 3 86 46 District of Columbia. No. Between $432 and $504. 812 Between $504 and $576.. 750 8 980 Between $576 and $648.. 693 954 Between $648 and $720.. 819 ........................ 13 Receiving maximum ($720).. 3.436 Government printing office.. 139 Value retirement roll.... 48 356 $551.64 .$5.149.007.76 Note-The annual value of the retirement roll is reached by multiplying the number of annuitants by the average annual rate and it represents the amount necessary to pay such annuitants for one year. ANNUITANTS BY VOCATION, SEX AND CAUSE OF RETIREMENT. -Women. Average rate -Men. Vocation. Mechanics No. Age. Disability. Age. Disability. 23 Postoffice clerks R. R. mail clerks... City carriers .......... ........................... 82 27 .......... 2,183 12 INTERNAL REVENUE RECEIPTS. Comparative statement showing the receipts in the United States during the fiscal years from the several objects of internal taxation ended June 30, 1923 and 1924. TAX ON PRODUCTS FROM PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. Increase (+) or Articles taxed. 1923. 33.48 1924. decrease (-). $953,075.32 $755,413.38 4.458.95 648.95 2.421.00 12.24 3,305.10 71.55 2.458.00 -21.24 -1,153.85 960,637.70 761,260.27 -577.40 +37.00 -199,377.43 Note-The above receipts, with the exception | treasury of the United States to the credit of of the internal revenue collected from sale of the treasurer of the Philippine islands. documentary stamps. are covered into the TAX ON PRODUCTS FROM PORTO RICO. Distilled spirits (nonbeverage). Cigars (large) Cigars (small) Cigarettes (large) Cigarettes (small) Documentary stamps Total WITHDRAWN FOR CONSUMPTION AND ON WHICH TAX WAS PAID. Pet. In crease (+) 1924 decrease (-) 9,836.916 1923. 12,049,970 33 56,677 68.880 2,692.264,025 2,564,008,130 1,644.900.913 1.487.417.728 -18 -100 +22 -10 Class C. No. 2,637.229 049 2.581.207.993 Class D.. No. 119.477.245 128.122.632 Class E.. .No. 34.149.627 33.391,311 |