The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-03-13

The Amount Required by the
Dependent Bill.
OVER 4 MILLION SURVIVORS



tee. has devoted several days. with the as-
sistance OF two men from the pension bu-
re2u, 70 the collection of statistics on pen
SONS They are valuable and of general
interest
Taking the number Of the survivors OF
the rebellion 1t 200; OF these there
were on the pension rolls on June 30, iSss.
l.4A Dealing in round numbers for the
purpose OF conveniencs and clearness of
expression. we find, therefore. that about
10000 Of the survivors are not pensioned.
OF these 5000 l67. o0 or to be precise,
i66sO4. have claims pending under present
laws in the bureau of pensions. of which II
Is estimated that 50 per cent. are likely to
be allowed under the laws - they now are.
leaving S, 400 to Be rejected - not being
able 70 connect disability with line Of duty,
or from other defects Of proof OF these
50. 400 il is estimated that IS per cent. or
25.000 in round numbers, can claim under
the pending bill.
This leaves in round numbers, 81. 900
unpensioned. OF these il is thought that
1t least aO0.00o Will apply. either under
present laws or under the pending bill, and
that 50 per cent. or 100. are likely to Be
allowed under present laws. and that of the
other 10000, Is Per cent viii Be pension
able under the present bill. So We have
these Is 900 and the 5000 present appli-
csnts under the Law IS il now stands.
namely 10000 in al, claimants pension
able by this bill, or l0o.0 900 pensioners at
$l44 per year each. S1l, 400.0 900 the annual
expense for this item.
As to the claims Of widows likely to arise
under the provisions Of the proposed meas
ure, they have been estimated as follows:
There are on file 66.0l4 rejected claims of
widows. OF these IL Is estimated that 49,
600 win be pensioned under this bill. There
are about II ,5S3 pending widows claims
not yet determined. OF these about 50 per
cent viii Be allowed under present laws,
leaving IS. 792 cases. Of which IS per cent,
or q 900. are likely 10 become pensionable
under the pending bill This. with TIE 49,
600 heretofore rejected. gives total OF 49,
900 cases ct $144 per year each, IN item Of
so. 900 annual expense.
There remains 70 be considered that
class Of pensioners who ara now upon the
rolls 1t less than $i2 per month. the an
nuA amount provided by this bill. OF
these there are 346. 200 ct from - to ST. IS
. month. OF the 660, 600 surviving soldiers
who are not pensioners the present death
rate. - estimated from the vital statistics
Of the pension bureau, il 1900 annually.
Assuming land think IL is assuming too
muchD that I'll these win leave widows or
dependents Who can have relief under this
oct, thtumOunt of this account WIN Be an.
nualiy 81, 72s 900 OF the Invalid PEN
sioners now on the roll. the number Of
which I stated few moments ago, the
present death rate Is 500 annually. As
Stunning land / think it is assuming too
muchD that all these leave widows or de-
pendents. IL 10 estimated that :, 900 of these
widows and dependents would be entitled
to pensions under the Ia ~ IS they now are,
leaving 1900 pensionahle by this bill,
which. ct Sl44 per year, is $se4. 0oo
Assuming land Of course 1t is . mere
assumption and far beyond the bounds Of
probability that these widows have Il 900
children under the pensionahle age, these,
1t - Per month-for this bill increases the
pensions Of children from s. to s. . month,
amounting to$ le per year apiece-this item
viii produce charge Of 1870, 600.
There are % 600 children OF widows now
on the rolls whose pensions viii Be in
creased from e to - per month - to the
children. or $2l per year. making an item
of expense Of $s72.0oo
OF the pending and rejected widows'
claims. numbering 5000. likely to be
allowed under this act, II is estimated that
there viii be 5000 children at 81 per
month, or $4s per year. being $3.50 ,0o0
There are 34,47s dependent mothers and
fathers on the rolls ~ the present time,
equal to about 10 per cent of the invalid
vsensioneys II II difYfcnit IN estimate What
the percentage Of increase Will be, II any,
under this bill as 70 these persons, but
think IL viii not add materially to the
annual expenditure. These dependent
fathers and mothers are now. most Of
them, very old: the rate of mortality
among them IL very great: IS 600 now upon
the rolls are dying very rapidly. and this
process win probably keep the number.
even II this dependent bill becomes oper-
alive. about where Il IL At present