St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-14
DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF.
| The Senate and House Will Fight
Over Pension Bill.

ONOE a ChSAOtt AtLAAs
WASHINGTON, May 49, Senator
Davis, with the unanimous concurrence
of the other members of the senate pen
sion committee, to-day submitted re-
port recommending that the senate do
not agree to the amendments made by
the house to the senate dependent pen
sion bill. The differences between the
two bodies are radical, and the men,
bers of the senate committee announce
their determination not to agree to the
house bill under any conditions. The
bill as it passed the senate was de-
pendent pension measure, Identical to
that vetoed by President Cleveland.
The house amended the bill by pass
ing substitute meaSuTe-the Nor
rill bill-which is both de-
pendent and service pension bill.
Senator Davis makes a long written re-
port upon the differences between the
two houses. 1t says that IN the opinion
Of the senate committee the two meas
ures are entirely irreconcilable, and in
the commlttee'S Judgment the house
bill is wholly inadequate. The house
provision benefits those who do not need
a pension at the expense Of those who
are in absolute need. 1t is the
opinion of the senate committee, that it
is the duty of the government, before
entering upon any other pension legis-
lation, to provide for the needs of the
disabled and dependent soldiers In the
most liberal manner possible. The
senate bill was framed upon this theory.
Its object is relief to the necessitous,
and not to those who do not need it.
The report then says that the service
fa1, u
involved with disability bill. A serv-
ice pension is matter requiring the
most careful consideration in order that
Justice May Be Done.
both to the soldier and to the country.
Estimates prepared by Capt.Ainsworth,
of the adjutant generals office. show
that the approximate aggregate cost of
a service pension, upon a basis of sixty
two years as the age limit, will be
81, 1872, ,095,525. Upon basis of sixty
years the cost will be 81, 333. 100. S2O. Of
this amount, S1,079,617.024 5 must be paid
before the end of the year 1915. and the
average annual payment would be ST.
523, ,752. 1t should be stated, however,
that these estimates are subject to an
annual reduction of S1,174, ,036, due to
22,595 Of the pensioners who are already
Oh the rolls at $4.33 a month, on the
average. These estimates are materially
greater than those of the house COM
mittee; but the senate committee adopts
them because they seem to be based on
valid reasons, and because all expert
ence has shown that pension estimates
have heretofore invariably fallen below
the actual cost. The committee does not
believe the service pension would give
satisfaction to soldiers. 1t is preferen-
tial and invidious. 1t is tom
tine measure. 1t places the man who
served ninety days upon the same foot
ing with him who served four years. It
oompels the youth who enlisted at eight
cen, losing his opportunity for educa-
ton, and who was discharged veteran
at twenty-three, to wait twelve years
before his claim for recognition will be
entertained. 1t is the committees opin-
ion that whenever it is deemed wise to
inaugurate a system of service pensions
it should be done for the benefit of all
living soldiers who are honorably dis
charged and that the rate of pension
should be graded according to length of
service.