The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-14
PENSION PLUNDERING.
CONGRESS SPLITS ON THE DE-
PENDENT BILL.

The House Substitute for the Senate
Bill Reported Back to the Senate
With an Unfavorable Recommends
tion-The Differences Between the
Two Houses Extremely Radical.
WASHINGTON, May 13.-In the Senate
to-day Mr.. DAVIS. from the committee on
pensions, reported back the House substi-
tute for the Senate dependent pension bill,
with written report. and moved that the
House substitute be non-concurred in, and a
conference asked. This was agreed to.
Mr.. Sherman remarked that the report
inst presented was very important public
document, containing information desired
by the people all over the country as to the
cost of the various propositions pending.
The people were now taking great interest
in tbe question. He thought that large
number of extra copies Of the report ought
10 be printed.
Messrs. Cockrell and Cullom expressed
their concurrence in the suggestions, and a
motion to print 80, 600 extra copies was re-
ferred to the committee on printing.
Messrs. Davis, Sawyer and Blodgett were ap-
pointed conferees on the part of the Senate.
THEIR DIFFERENCES.
The differences between the two bodies
are radical, and the members of the Senate
committee announce their determination
not to agree to the House bill under any
conditions. The bill as it passed the Senate
is a dependent pension measure identical to
that vetoed by President Cleveland. The
House amended the bill by passing sub
stitute measure-the Morrill, bill-which is
both dependent and a service pension
bill Senator Davis makes a long written
report upon the differences between the two
houses. The report says that the Senate
bill provides that the beneficiary must be
dependent upon his daily labor or upon the
contributions of Others not legally bound
for his support, while the House amend
ment makes pensionable all persons who
can bring themselves within its require
ment irrespective of their pecuniary means.
THE RATES PROPOSED.
The Senate bill fixes the rate of the PEN
sion at S12 and the House bill at S. a
month.
The Senate bill makes provision for de-
pendent parents, which is omitted in the
House amendment.
The Senate bill provides that disability
shall not be the result OF vicious habits.
This is omitted in the House amendment.
The House also provides for a service
pension, which the senate does not.
In the opinion of the Senate committee
the two measures are entirely 1rreconcilable.
In the committees Judgement the House
bill is wholly inadequate. The report
says that service pension is
matter which should not
be involved with disability bill. Service
pension is a matter requiring most careful
consideration in order that justice may be
done both to the soldier and to the country.
FEARFULLY EXPENSIVE.
The estimates prepared by Capt. Aims
worth of the adjutant generals office show
that the approximate aggregate cost of a
service pension upon the basis of GO years
as the age limit will be 81, ,lS2, ,095, ,525.
Upon the basis of 60 years the cost will be
81, 1888, 109,S2 OF this amount S1,079, ,617,-
024 must be paid before the end Of the year
1895, and the average annual payment
would be $4l, ,563,712. These esti-
mates are subject to an annual
reduction of S1,174, ,O36. due to 81, 2,595 PEN
sioners who are already on the roll at $4 33
month on an average.
A CONFLICT IN THE ESTIMATES.
These estimates are materially greater
than those of the House committee, but the
Senate committee adopts them because. they
seem to be based on valid reasons and be-
cause all experience has shown that pension
estimates have heretofore invariably fallen
below the actual cost. The committee
does not believe a service pension would
give satisfaction to the soldiers. 1t is
preferential and individual. It is a
tontine measure. 1t places a man
who served ninety days upon q footing
with him who served four years. 1t com
pels youth who enlisted at 49, losing his
opportunity for education, and who wa.
discharged veteran at %, to wait twelve
years before his claim for recognition viii
be entertained.
THE COMMITTEES IDEA.
1t is the committees opinion that when
ever it is deemed wise to inaugurate a sys
tenn of service pensions it should be dont
for the benefit of all living soldiers who art
honorably discharged, and that the rate o
pensions should be graded according to tht
length Of service. The estimates submitted
to the committee respecting the average
term of service vary from eighteen tC
twenty-six months. On this basis, the an
nual average would be S6S, ,628. .595, the esti
mates, however, being largely conjecture
With regard to the proposed repeal of The
arrears act, the committee states that thu
Secretary of the Interior estimates that i
would require S216, 800. 200 to pay the claims
allowed between the date the arrears O
limitation went into effect and Jan. l. 1886
and 1855, 145, 200 to pay arrears on all claim
still pending. These estimates do not apply
to claims filed since the beginning OF 1890.