New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-05
LEGISLATION WITHOUT INFORMATION
InY TELraRArn ro rnr rRInuNEI

=
TO pay the remaining claims for arrears of pensions
was published in THE TRIBUNE few days ago. the
origin OF AMI responsibility for the Arrears of Pen
sion bill have been the subject of universal discus
sion and inquiry. Nearly every newspaper of in
iIncnce in the country has expressed indignation
hat the bill should have been allowed to pass and
it has even been argued that it would BE- better
now 10 repeal the measure than 90 pay out the
enormous sums which it calls for Commissioner
Dudley has been aSs1Iled as if he was responsible
for the measure, and a. if the publication of
unpalatabIc truths was reprehensible. Congress-
men in Washington have been seeking some
pre,eXt behind which they could take shelter when
questioned regarding their own action. and several
have said that they were iuis!eI by statements
which th-y were gi' en to understand Commissioner
Bentley had made.
1'h- responsibility for the Arrears bill must be
share, between he RIM Of pension claim agents and
Congress, the former for the conception OF the job,
and the latter for lending itself to the scheme with
out taking pains To ascertain the facts IN regard to
the measure. The matter will undoubtedly be made
thr subject of discussion at the coming session of
Congress aud tho history of the Arrears bill and the
measures related 70 it should BE- Iairy known The
programme ol the claim agents was comprehensive,
and their plans were well laid aud sliltuliy
carried out. Tho annual payments for pensions TOR
g lew years previous 10 tlc passage oi lub ALItiH
lrl were between go 100000 and $50, ,0OO0 600,
and hey were on the decrease. With tho lapse of
few i.orc year at, the pension claims would have
ben filed and the claims agents occupation gone.
They determined upon three things which were at
tempted and in all OF which they have been sue
crs,ful They proposed, first ia plain words, to get
Congress 90 pay q handsome premium TO applicants
for pension. i'm order 10 swell the business of the
claim agents. second 10 prevent the adop-
ton of the measures for the protection for
the Government recommended b. the Commissioner
of Pensions: aud, third, 90 secure the dismissal of
Commi ssipucr Bcu,isy, vino had proved au obstacle
in their patl.
The Arr'trs bill being prepared. Representative
Rice OF ONO, was the first 10 Introduce IT. IhlS
measure was referred to the Committee on Invalid
Pension, ut the NLIEth Congress, and was never re-
ported back The clam agents prepared thousands
of petitions which were sent through the country
for signatures, aud when sigucd were sent TO Con-
.,,ess,neu. by whom they were presented, causing It
IA aupsar that there was a widespread demand Tor
tbe massage OF tho measure. Advertising sheets,
published by firm, OF claim agents here with high-
sounding titles and purlOrtng to have for their sole
junction the defence and promotion of hc In cre7tS o
the soldiers and sailors. were tlled with glowing
euloglc. of the measure aud tho good 10 was
compli,h with ienIuuaton, OF the measures in
troduccd Tor the reorganization OF the Pension Oi
Gc-, and with bitter abuse OF tho Commia.lon'r oi
Pensions q, tue enemy ot soldiers and sailors.
bill substantially ike that introduced by llf. Rice
was introduced the next session at Congress, aud
wa, likewise rcicrrc to the Committee on Invalid
Pensions Tnis bt shared the fate of It's predeecs-
sur In ~ far a- Ga, action OF tine committee was
concerned; bui the ,4u goats were no thus to be
defeated.
On Jme ~. l,5,. representative Haskell,
of Kansas. moved that the committee he
discharged from the further consideration
II tho bill. and that the rules
be- suspended and ,hr hin passed. Two or three
members vino attempted to say something were told
that debate Wa, not lr orler, auI the nl was thus
'blough, to vote and passed without receiving any
consideration by the House, and, rs far as can be
seen from the record without consideration even
by the committee. The bill reached the Senate
committee ou the same day and was reported back
aud passed 10y the senate on January TO- 1919.
The debate in th' senate consumed several
hours. aud !, chiefly roparkabin for tie fact
that Nc one sccms to have taken the pans
10 ascertain from tie usual source of informa-
ton what the possibilities OF he bill were. Senator
ingalls,. who reported the bill from the committee,
appeared to have all the Information cXt'nt upon
the subject.
The following i quoted from the record:
Mr. salsbury-I should Ike the chairman OF the Com
mitec Pensions TO indicate to s something ~ I" @ tc
amount OF mOney which Will he required 10 pay thc pei
sions here provided for We ought not l" No'c "n""'
Mr. iugails- President: In 1876, when similar
measure pending before the senate, addrtSScn a
communication to the 'onmlssnh,er %, o. which
would be required tO make the Dill operative CcJN va
from him a statement which was printed ns
miscellaneous dOcunent No. ll3 Al the lrst session .,
the NlIVth Congress, which gives IN detail "s I lar az
could bc rom the Records OF the fensioh
Ohcc tho amount that would be- required 10 pay nG ar
rcars both OF inydlds aud dependents IN taSn yh nio
the adoption OF section 700 Of the Revised statues
do not know that IL viii necessary 10 read seCihuy
annual amounts but up to tIc lSt ol Jahui d 90.
ConIn,sioner reports that there We're iodoi ~ d
cdser, to which the limitation o: the secll3 fpPeu ahu
thr estimated amount ol arr'ab At tla' ti'o No %
&9.J2o,111 The number 0i WldoNS aIL "vi.itti' -
was jlil. Tho amuLut re- luirei lo pay th' aiIe W
those would he S3Ss7,33i. making todl a' LIN tma.
time Of SiJ,il7lo9 There nave been htee s t Siioi
that date, ana Of course, can only eslias.o VIA. VA
amount would De required since thlS eoinPin"n -gn "
made but, taking thr estimate ior lslo - T S odiI
my Judgment would be that To s sum hhouid pc
not less than - QOOOoO Tor claims m sun t",e es
timotes very largely in ne nature OF n9ss srSs OT n
cause cannot tell until the bill ~ put plHc"ch9 III
operation exactly what viii be required. ., .,o,or
Mr. COnkng-MaSinSin IN all no" muon mas 'ne 'o"'''i
has it there ,-....
Mr. Ingalls-sIakng in all up to the lst OF January
1876, the OF 34l7,lO0, and that @ sho11 Jusu
would be increased by not less thah ToVVo'ooo"p W
Mr. ConEing~Which makes about $l9,oO0,0oOi ,.ou,
SIS OO0OO to S2O,OOO,0OO in round numbers num- , vi
course il s impossible to make any.Llng Ao An "''U
rate calculation upon matters OI IhlS Ainu' -
Here then, was n measure practically ohering
a bonus of a $1,000 down i'll addition 10
subsequent periodical payments 10 all per
sons who might thereafter file and prosecute 10
successful issue pension claims against tho
Government; and the only information whlch ei'nei
House of Congress its committees hau cNer
sought received in regard to the expense W po
thus incurred was an estimate made three years
before Of the amount it would require to equalne
the pensions which had been granted or applied ior
up TO that time. No Senator ventured To Oppose ro
bill in speech, and only four voted against 1t. no