Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 October 1891 — OTHER NEWS ITEMS. [ARTICLE]

OTHER NEWS ITEMS.

Taking their cue from the onslaught being made upon the Pension Bureau, and tho changes which have been made in the administrations of it during the past few months and those anticipated, some enthusiastic service-pension advocates in Congress antiounce their intention to make an effort, at the approaching session of Congress, to pass a universal pension bill. They are fortifying■ t hemselves with an argument that is interesting to every reader, be ho friend or foe of the proposition. - It is contended now that It would cost the government less in the long run, and help nearly twice as many deserving claimants to adopt a universal or servic pension law, treat every soldier, his widow or dependent heir alike, and put a stop to pension litigation. To begin with, it is estimated by theCommisslonerof Pensions that the pensions and expenses of running the business will cost the government the, next fiscal year, beginning with July, 1892, about $135,000,000. It costs for pensions alone just now in round figures 8120,000,000 a year. There are about 1,208,707 soldiers of the Union now living. Of these in round figures 550,000 are on th pension rolls already, and the others are going upon the rolls at the rate of some thing like 125,000 a year. Each year there are dropped from the rolls, by death or unnatural causes, about 29,000 names. A* $8 a month a universal pension law would cost the government, it is estimated, in round numbers, SIBO 0)0,000 a year, provided every man who , served lopg enough asked for the pension, but it is not believed -that more than 85 per cent. of those entitled would ask or receive a pension, and therefore the annual payments might be cut down to something like $100,000,000. One of the strongest arguments being used for the service or unt-_ vcrsal pension law is the delays befalling honest claimants and tho expenses attach ed to the pens!on machinery. If there are allowed 125,000 a year tho fees amount tU $250,000 unde) - the law. Most of the claimants pay from four to six times that amount in notary and other ( fees in getting up the testimony. This Would run up tho extraneous expenses to the claimants alone to over $1,000,000 a year, not to speak of the time given by claimants in hunting np testimony. It costs the government for pension examining boards at the various cities over Fl,200,0)0 a year; and for special examiners about $325,000 a year, and for running the various agencies and the Tension Office here probably $3,500,0)0 annually. It will thus be segn that the direct expenses to the claimants and 1 the government for the pension business is something like 4 per cent, of tho payments. It Is said that 15 per cent, of the claimants die before their .pensions are avowed, and 50 per cent, of -the payments ar' avoided by the government by tho delay 8 In reaching and adjusting claims. This, cannot be helped. TUe business is pushed* with all possible vigor, and twice as many claims are allowed every day as were passed upon only five years ago. It is held that under a service or universal bill all claimants would have their cases passed upon within six months at most, and only a little skeleton of the Pension Bureau would be necessary; that 80 per cent, of tho expense in running the business at present would be dispensed with and only a few rooms in the War Department would bo necessary in which to run the entire pension business, as a muster-in or muster-out paper would sufficiently prove or disprove a case. It would all be record testimonyand it is all on file at the War Department. The mere fact that those who are as much entitled to pensions as any one cannot get their dues because their papers cannot be reached, and the honest must suffer with the dishonest claimants proving a telling argument, and also tho statement that after six months there would, be little expense attached to the pension beyond the payments, and so many more wduld receive assistance under a universal bill, cause men in Congress to stop ana think. Whether anything will come Of the movement or not, ills getting much serious agitation among Congressmen sine® the recent visit to Washington of Governor Hovey, of Indiana,ls at the head of the Service Pension Association of the United States. The Governor still thinks his fight for unlwsal pensions will win. Commander-in-chief Palmer, of the G A. R., gives notice that after the election he will issue an order prohibiting the G. A. R. men from marching In procession’ , where confederate flags are carried.