Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-10-19
TANNERS REPORT.
The Corporal's Objections to
the Pension Laws.
IMPORTANT CHANGES ADVOCATED.

Law Proposed to Pension Eve>y Veteran
Now or Hereafter Di-abIed-A Large
Increase In the Pension Force Asked for
Pensioners ON the Lists-A Chance for
Trade with Chni-Argentiferou. Lead
Ores Not Dutisbie-Notes-
WASHINGTON CITY, Oct lg-The annual
report Of the commissioner of pensions pre-
pared by Commissioner Tanner has been
made public He recommends new legisla-
ton TO rectify inequalities III rates.
Eighteen dollars a month";" he says, sis the
highest rate OF pension which may be pro-
portionately divided for different degrees of
disability, If such disability or disabilities are
not equivalent TO the loss of hand or foot
l., however, a pensioner has lost hand, for
which existing law now provides the rate OF
ESQ per month. and has also received in the
SCI vice and line OF duty an injury of the
back, for example, which would alone en-
title him to pension OF ga per month he
ON receive no rate in excess of $50 a month
from the combined disability resulting from
the loss OF his hand and his said
injury, unless 10y reason OF them, he is
totally helpless OF so nearly so as to require
the constant uid aud attendance OF another
person, for which degree OF disability the
rate of $50 a month can now be granted IL
will be seen that the pensioner In such a
case actually receives nothing for said in
jury, as the loss of his hand alone entitled
him 10 the rate $500, which is the highest
allowable rate under the law for 10th disa-
bilities Numerous other instances could he
cited to show the unfairness i'm rates now
provided by law, aud / think this statute
should be amended so as to permit the rate
Of S72 per month to be proportiOnatsly di-
vided for all disabilities which are shown to
have been incident TO tho service and line OF
duty"
Another Ci,se of Inequality.
An adjustment OF rates for total helples s.
ness is recommended The IN Justice and I'M
fairness caused by the law OF June IL, 1880,
should be corrected. This act he saws, lin
I the right of pensioners to receive 81 per
month 20 those who were receiving $50 per
month at the date Of the law. "No provision
Is made Tor grading this rate" he says, "for
persons who were perfectly helpless on that
date, but MT receiving $50 at the time, and
none foI those who have become totally help
less since that date The anomaly is pre-
senie OF two men. equally disabled, posi-
bly living side by side the ons receiving S72
per month, ard the other So per month To
state this case is to make all the argument
necessary 10 show the absolute necessity OF
an amendment OF this act"
Pensions for All Disabled.
The commissioner also proposes to pension
| all soldiers who were disabled On this point
he says AS the war period rece les from
| US aud age and its attendant infirmities
| afl C; the veteran who served bis country
faith ully and well quarter of a century
4
| government does him justice in limiting the
application OF the pension laws to those dis
abilities only which were contracted in the
service and line OF duty. | earnestly recon-
| mend that a pension be gauted t. every
| honorable discharged soldier and sailor who
is now, or may hereafter, become disabled,
| and without regard to whether such disabil-
lily is chargeable TO the service of the United
States, or has been contracted since dis
charge therefrom"
| Three Hundred Clerks Wanted.
The commissioner earnestly renews the re-
| quests made by bis predecessors for adli-
tional clerical force, asking speci tirslly for
SO additional clerks, aud in Justification of
this request adds: Considering That there
are now pending AS, 0OO claims of all classes
and that it is twenty -four years since the
| war closed, il seems TO me there are suffi-
/ cient reasons for asking that additional
force he put upon this work to enable those
entitled to pension to get the benefit OF it
while they live"
| Tue report says that the number of pen
sioners on the rolls at the close of the year
was 4s9, 725; additions during the year were
53 675 but il, 5OT were dropped, making the
net increase over last year 81, les The av.
erage annual value of each pension was
| kl3l Is