New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-01


TALK WITH THE ACTING CHAIRMAN OF THE
SENATE MILITARY coMsuTTEE-RAPID INCREASE
IN THE PENSION ROLL
BY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRfBrSE.l
WASHINGTON, July Ex-senator Ferry intro
duced resolution this morning. nstructng the
Senate Committee on Pensions to report bill in
troduced by him early in March, providing that the
rate of pension for the loss Of All arm or leg shall
be 800 per MONTH if the limb was amputated so
near the shoulder or hipiolnt 20 render the use
Of an artificial limb impossible $40 per month If
the arm or leg was removed above the elbow or
knee and $50 in all other cases Of loss Of arm
or leg. total loss of hand. foot, arm or
leg Senator Ferry made a short speech in
support OF his resolution. to which Senator Platt
who, since Secretary Teller left the Senate, has
been acting as chairman Of the Pensions Commit
tee replied briefly Senator Patt said the Pensions
Committee was a very hard working COMMITTEE in
evidence Of whic h. pointed to the fact that more
than one-half of the written reports made TO the
Senate during the present session came from that
committee He said that. if the resolution was TO
be understood as mandatory, he desired to make
statement showing the probable effect of the bill to
which it related. Senator Ferry said he meant no
reflection upon the Pensions Committee, and the
subject was dropped for the day without action.
A TRIBUNE correspondent subsequently called
upon Senator Platt and made inquiry about the
matter receiving the following interesting state
ment in reply:
a bill similar in general purport' said Senator
Platt. to that introduced by Senator Ferry has
already passed the House. 1t is known as House
bill No. 1.4lO and it increases the pensions Of
soldiers who have lost leg arm. or who sufcr
from an equivalent disability, to $40 a month. Yon
see the loss of leg is taken as a stand ard
of a,rJ
other Kinds are estimated accordingly by COMPARE
SON. T he present pension for loss of limb below
the elbow or the knee is SIS month"; and above the
elbow or knee Is ga month, the latter amounting
10 a total disability for manual labor. Great
pressure has been brought TO bear upon the
Senate Committee TO report the House BILL
which differs from Senator Ferry's in
that il provides foran increase, not only to those
who have lost a limb. but to all who have suffered
an equivalent disability and there Is reason in
Justice or equity why the latter class should not be
As well treated as the former. Owing to the con-
servative action of the Pension Office it is safe to
say that no Is getting any SIS pension, on the
ground that his disability is equivalent TO the loss
of "a limb below the elbow OF knee, who is not in
reality more disabled than the average who have
suffered such loss of limb.
"Thc direct effect of passing the House bill would
Here are the figures: Tue number of those who
have lost one arm or one leg is 9,s53 the annual
increase for whom would be $2.246,4S4. Those
who are pensionec for equivalent disabilities num-
Der 1910 requiring addition 10 the annual
pension appropriations of $780,. $50. Then the
committee, with the ali received from he Commit
tee on Pensions. estimates the number Of those
classes among the cases now pending and unadjudi-
Gated which will be pen+ioned for 81 or S24, suf-
fcient in number TO add 81 100 600 more 10 the
nual pension appropriations making in all, as the
direct result of the passage of the House bill,
nual additional outlay of 5000 ~. There are
other classes Of pensioners, however, whose claims
are equally strong and for whom no provision Is
made either in the House bill or IN that Of
Senator Ferry. They are those whose disability is
estimated at a fractional part Of the SIS
unit; that is at SO SIP. $14 or SIG
per month There would be no justice in
passing a bill Of this kind without remembering
these classes and If such bill passed Congress
would doubtless hear from the neglected classes at
once Their pensions should he increased pro rata
as much as those mentioned in the pending bill
10 effect this would cost S2,S64,7J5 annually,
which does not include pending cases before the
Pension Office. THIS increases the annual add
tional outlay ~. SOB 500.
-. have SAID there has been a very strong pressure
brought 10 bear IN favor of the House bill The
soldiers who have lost one arm OF oIe leg have or
ganIZed all over the country In every place OF any
importance what they call manned soldiers leagues,
and have Systematically gone 10 work 10 exert
pressure upon Congress III support OF the House Dul
The committee, while DESTROYS OF dong justice 10
any class of soldiers who are lnsuihtenty pen
stoned feel that the sentiment of the coun-
try Will not Justify the In recommending any
increase of pension without being able to inform
tne country what the effect of such measure VIII
he both in its immediate and consequential results.
They have therefore, been considering the question
A TO whether these pensioners are more
odequatcv pensOnrd than other CLASSES
of pensioners. and they find that other
classes of pensioners would III justice have 10 be
increased # an increase was made a. proposed IN
The bill For instance, the pension for the loss OF
An eve is II month"; and for the loss OF hearing IN
one ear IL II per month. For the partial loss Of
hearing IN one ear II Is II month, ana Tor the
Dartlal loss of hearing in the other ear
the pension is graeed up from 81 10 Sl3waien Is the
ne slou for total dea Ii certainly ncaplttcs
a man from getting MS LIVELIHOOD a. much as tue
loss of an arm, but IL l. not DcuslOned 80 hgh.
Again until $50, the hIghesi toiai stability
pension was D Tor puyateS, not only III
TINS country out the world over. The
minimum total was assumed to DE-
the loss of an arm, which WAS adopted rs the unit
of measurement. II man by disease was a. much
tuc9paclfated ~ he would he by tine loss OF an arm
he Was rated at - If half "a much. ut II. In
ISG6 the pension Tor the loss of an arm was III
creased 10 ST.. then 10 80, ana finally TO Tl-,
If below the elbow and to 81 II above Ihe stand
ard .l total disability thus taken away Dy law,
and another standard vas duOPted, Wh'ch was me
aucholosed elbow. If the loss of "A arm /, TO be
ra sod from what II formerly was IS 10 $40 II Is
difiiculf TO see upon what ground the
fractional equivalents ali could Dc kept
down To where they now are. Indeed, from the eX-
rsr,encr we have had IN the increase of PENSIONS 10
bv IN. senate 10 would be only snort time before
nj thor ucn-lOuers would secure "A corresponding