CARD INDEX OF RECORDS AND REMOVAL OF USELESS PAPERS.

In my report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1910, I stated that 3,067,611 of the estimated 7,000,000 cards that would be required for the card index of the records of this bureau had been written, compared, arranged, and filed. During the fiscal year just closed 1,040,554 cards were written, compared, arranged, and filed, bringing the total number of completed cards now in use in lieu of the old, worn-out books to 4,108,165.

The carding of the old war and the Navy records has not progressed as rapidly as the carding of the Army records. It is more difficult. to get complete records of sailors than of soldiers for the reason that they were often transferred from one ship to another, and the card index will indicate the ships on which they served.

As stated in my last annual report, on the fourth floor of the building are stored all admitted claims. Nearly all of the space on this floor is utilized, and more will be needed in the near future for admitted and abandoned claims. An estimate of the papers filed there was made, with the result that it was found there were 910 long tons weight occupying 27 rooms. Congress, at the request of the Secretary, gave permission to take from the old cases the waste paper. There have been removed from the cases and turned over to the contractor 423,210 pounds, or more than 180 long tons of waste paper. Eight rooms have been vacated.

The papers removed from these cases are calls for evidence which have been returned with the evidence, orders for medical examination, printed and written instructions to examining surgeons, letters of inquiry as to status, duplicate jackets, file slips, congressional and attorney call-up slips, old envelopes, old canceled pension certificates, powers of attorney and substitution, transfers, fee agreements which have served their purpose, and credibility replies from postmasters. The instructions are that no paper of present or future value for historical purposes, or for any other purpose, shall be removed from these cases; and I have every reason to believe that the instructions are carefully carried out. Many misfiled papers are found and returned to their proper places. As stated in my last report, this work can be appreciated only by those who know the existing conditions.

CHECKING THE PENSION ROLL.

Last fall it became apparent from letters received in the bureau and certain press articles that the impression obtained in some parts of the country that the pension roll was honeycombed with fraud. To settle the question beyond all controversy by determining whether the pension roll was a roll of honor or otherwise, I obtained verbal

permission from those in authority over me to check up the pension roll. I mean by that, ascertaining whether every person drawing a pension is the person entitled to it. The task is no small one, as the bureau must first get the names and last-known post-office addresses of the pensioners from the pension agents, and then field men must go from pensioner to pensioner to learn whether the proper persons are drawing pension.

This work was begun last December. The Washington agency roll is practically completed and the examiners are now working on the Knoxville roll. Up to this date 47,181 pensioners have been seen and questioned as to their identity and their certificates examined. As a result of this checking up 5 widows' names have been dropped from the rolls for violation of the act of August 7, 1882, 1 on the ground that she is not the legal widow of the soldier, and the names of 2 invalid pensioners because it was shown that they deserted from former services and received bounties for reenlistment. There are now under consideration with a view to dropping the names of 10 widow pensioners for violation of the act of August 7, 1882; 2 on the ground that the pensioners are not the legal widows of the soldiers; 3 who have remarried and have continued to draw pension; 1 invalid pensioner found to have been a deserter; and 2 invalid pensioners who served in the Confederate service and enlisted in the Union Army subsequent to January 1, 1865; making 18 more whose names will probably have to be dropped, a total of 26 in all out of 47,181. There are a few other cases where doubt exists as to title which will have to be specially examined to determine the facts.

The special examiners on this work have succeeded in causing the arrest of two bogus special examiners, as well as in ascertaining the names of two others, for whom a thorough search is now being made.

Up to date it has been found that 210 pensioners are dead whose names had not been reported to the bureau. In none of these cases had the pension been drawn.

A few irregularities in executing vouchers were discovered. A large number of pension certificates with blank vouchers were found in the hands of a pension attorney. While he declared that his purpose in holding them was in the interest of the pensioners, it was discovered that for executing vouchers his fee ranged from 50 cents to $3 each.

It was decided to check up the rolls of the Washington and Knoxville pension agencies and by the result to determine whether the rolls of the other agencies should be looked into. I am of the opinion that should Congress permit the payment of pensions direct by check, further checking up of the agencies would not be necessary. The safeguards to be thrown about the payments, as contemplated by the

bureau, would make it very difficult for anyone not entitled to pension to get possession of a check and to obtain the indorsements required to secure payment thereon.

The special examiners employed upon this work have paid particular attention to the marital relations of the pensioners and have reported thereon, and the data so obtained will assist greatly in disposing of widows' claims when the same are filed. Whenever it has been ascertained that a pensioner is known by any name other than that under which pensioned a full investigation has been made to prove identity and age at enlistment, which will also be of benefit in adjudicating claims which may hereafter be filed.

It may be added that the department commanders and the commanders of Grand Army posts throughout the country, who heartily approve of this work, have rendered valuable assistance to the special examiners by giving information relative to pensioners.

REVOLUTIONARY WAR RECORDS.

There have been placed in flat files the papers in 59,890 claims based upon service in the Revolutionary War. Approximately 20,000 claims in the rejected files and 2,507 bounty-land grants remain to be disposed of. There are 13 clerks employed on this work and on that of writing letters giving the military history during the Revolutionary War of the ancestors of those who now seek to join the Sons or the Daughters of the Revolution or other historical societies connected therewith. This correspondence is increasing rapidly and will soon necessitate the assignment of more clerks to this section.

HISTORICAL.

There are now no pensioners on account of the Revolutionary War on the roll, the last pensioner of that war having died during the last year. Mrs. Phoebe M. Palmeter, who was pensioned by a special act of Congress as the daughter of Jonathan Wooley, who served in a New Hampshire company, died at Brookfield, N. Y., April 25, 1911, aged 90 years. The last widow pensioner of that war was Esther S. Damon, of Plymouth Union, Vt., who died November 11, 1906, aged 92 years. The last survivor of the Revolution was Daniel F. Bakeman, who died at Freedom, Cattaraugus County, N. Y., April 5, 1869, aged 109 years 6 months and 8 days.

The last surviving pensioned soldier of the War of 1812 was Hiram Cronk, of Ava, N. Y., who died May 13, 1905, aged 105 years and 16 days. The names of 279 widows of the War of 1812 remained on the pension roll June 30, 1911.

Mrs. Brittannia W. Kennon, who died during the last year at Tudor Place NW., in this city, probably drew a pension as a widow

longer than any other person. person. She was married to Beverley Kennon by the pastor of Christ Church, Georgetown, D. C., December 8, 1842. Her husband was a captain in the Navy, and was killed February 28, 1844, by the bursting of a cannon on the U. S. S. Princeton, two members of the Cabinet of President Tyler having been killed at the same time. She was granted a pension under the laws existing at that time at the rate of $50 per month from the date her husband was killed, and she received such pension from that time until her death, January 27, 1911, a period of almost 67 years. She was a great-granddaughter of Martha Washington, wife of the first President of the United States. She was born January 28, 1815, and was 96 years of age at the time of her death.

MISCELLANEOUS.

There were 1,512 claims for reimbursement for expenses of the last sickness and burial of deceased pensioners pending at the beginning of the year, 7,417 such claims were received during the year, and 72 which had been formerly disallowed were reopened, making a total of 9,001. Of these, 5,808 were allowed, 1,166 disallowed, and 600 abandoned, leaving 1,427 pending at the close of the year.

The mail received during the year numbered 1,694,236 pieces, and the outgoing mail aggregated 863,069 pieces, making a total of 2,557,305 pieces handled, an average of over 8,300 daily.

During the year 124,319 pension claims were adjudicated, of which 92,274 were admitted, 30,980 rejected, and 1,065 approved in which no certificates were issued because they would not have benefited the applicants. There were also 40 claims for military bounty-land warrants adjudicated during the year, of which 3 were allowed and 37 rejected.

Out of 2,962 appeals decided by the department during the year the bureau was reversed in only 187 cases, being 6.31 per cent of the number disposed of.

Since the passage of the act of March 3, 1899, providing for the division of pensions of resident pensioners of the United States who desert their wives or minor children, or who are inmates of national or State soldiers' and sailors' homes, 13,423 claims have been filed thereunder, 7,209 of which have been allowed and 5,987 rejected, leaving 227 pending.

During the year 147 pensioners were dropped from the roll for various causes after due legal notice had been given. The pensions of 20 persons were reduced, and reissues were made in 56 cases to recover erroneous payments.

Most of the surgeons appointed to examine applicants for pension or increase of pension are organized into boards of three members each; but it is sometimes necessary to have single surgeons or spe

cialists make examinations of claimants who can not go before a board, or who require the attention of a specialist. On June 30, 1911, there were 4,631 examining surgeons, and during the year 26,220 examinations were made at an expense of $206,768.33.

During the year 120,814 new applications for pension, or increase of pension, were received in the bureau. There were also received 6,523 applications for accrued pension due at death of pensioners, 7,417 applications for reimbursement for the expenses of the last sickness and burial of deceased pensioners, 713 applications for division of pension, and 52 applications for military bounty-land warrants. The number of cases for special examination on hand July 1, 1910, was 2,823, and the number referred for such examination during the year was 5,813, making a total of 8,636. Of these, 5,710 were disposed of, leaving 2,926 on hand June 30, 1911. The average number of special examiners in the field during the year was 121.

Very respectfully,

The SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR.

J. L. DAVENPORT, Commissioner of Pensions.