The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-05-22

mittee, open to the gravest objection, and 10
will surely be productive Of the utmost dis
satisfaction in nearly every community
1t is TO be observed that in the two bills the
measure Of disability is different. The Senate
bill requires iuCapacity for the performance Of
labor in such degree as to render the appli-
cant unable to earn support, while the pro
vision of the House amendment is that the
applicant must be suffering from mental or
physical disability equivalent to that now es-
tablahed by the Pension Office for the rate Of
50 per month.
Within the past few years it has become
fixed conviction with nearly everyone who has
considerably studied the subject, that the SOL
der who has become disabled from any cause
Whatever, whether in the service or since, in
such degree to disable him for earning q
support. ought 90 be pensiOned, provided ne mas
no other means of support than his own labor.
Bills TO this effect have repeatedly passed the
Senate. They have not, however, been ths
subject Of favorable action in the House Of
Representatives except once namely. in the
second session of the 49th Congress, when such
a bill passed and was disappr0ved by President
Cleveland. 1t is the opinion Of your COMMITTEES
that it Is the duty Of the Government, before
entering upon the consideration Of any Of the
pension legislation classified above, to provide
for the needs Of the disabled and dependent
soldiers in the most liberal manner possible.
The Senate bill was framed upon that theory
and IS by design bill pensiOning for disability,
accompanied by dependence. It's object is re-
lief to the neeessitOus and not provision for
those who have no need.
The report then recapitulates its previous
estimates as 70 the cost of its bill, which ara
thus summarized:
A invalid SI4 10000
As To the increase Of pensions OF those
soldiers who are now drawing pen
sions below tine sum Of sI2 per month sos 800
~ to these soldiers now unDsnsIOued.
dying annually aud leaving widows,
IL l. estimated that the annual Increase
upon that account will be..-..-......, I.7s.0o0
As To those having pensions dying
Hually and leaving widows, who would
not be pensionabIe under present iegis-
IatiOn, but who are psu5iOuabie, Of
course, under this bill, the annual ex-
pensc IL estimated to be..-..--.--...-.... $1,000
As 20 the widows whose claims are
pending, have been rejected, the bill
calls tor an expense Of ..,:---......---- IosooOo
IS to the children Of widows in cases
heretofore allowed. whose claims
are pending and viii be allowed, the
raises an item Of, 1saso0o
As to the children who viii become pen
siOnabje under the pending bill, and
who are not PensI0uabi under present.
legislation the Increase S.. $4,000
Making total Of......... .....--....@5 555soo0
Concerning service pensions, it is the opinion
Of the committee that this is a matter 70 Be-
separately considered, with which the passage
of a disability bill should not be involved Il
is a measure which will require the most care
ful consideration, TO the end that justice may
be done both to the soldier and the country.
This consideration viii necessarily involve the
time when such relief should be extended, the
amount thereof. ways and means By which ths
expenditure Is 10 be borne, and, above al,
whether it can be granted with a due regard 70
he rid - Of -tnfe h. 81
disability incurred in the service. or who are
peusiOnable by reason Of disability incurred
since the expiration of their term OF service
Much embarrassment has resulted and must
result from an attempt TO combine measures Of
this character.
The report then goes on TO anaIyzs certain
tables submitted, which were prepared By
the War Department, showing probable num-
Der OF survivors, and the estimated cost Of
service and per diem bills These show that
the approximate cost Of 4 service pension with
a 62-year age limit would be 81 IS2 095 525.
On Cougar limit the aggregate cost Woald
reach 81, 1888 Joe, $50, of which 81, O79 6I7O2A
would be paid before the year 1915, and the
average annual payment S4l525. 732. These
estimates are considerably higher than those
made by the House committee. The report
continues:
Your committee are Of opinion that the serv-
ice feature Of the House amendment viii noe
give satisfaction to the soldiers. It is prefer
entail and invidiOus. 1t IS a TOntins measure.
It places the man who served % days on ths
same footing with him who served four years.
IL COmpels the youth who enlisted at Is ard
who was discharged veteran at %, who
thereby lost his opportunity for education, and
who IS now IS years Old 70 wait II years be-
fore his claim for recognition viii be enter
tanned. IL IS well known that the enlistmeB5s
during the first two years OF the war were
largely from among the youth Of the country
that thereafter, under the imperative necessity Of
disaster and OF the eXertiOa OF the full military
/ force Of the Nation, the older meu went gen
/ orally as volunteers, sometimes as substitutes,
/ and many cOmpulsOrIiy as drafted men, into
l the service These men served for much
/ shorter periods than their comrades who were
veterans when they Joined them. Ii IS the
/ opinion Of your committee that whenever is
/ IS deemed wise 70 inaugUrate a system OF serv-
/ ice pensions, il should DC done for the benefit
/ of all living soldiers who are hOnOrslbly dis
/ charged. It IS urged, with great force, that
the pension should be graded in proportion 20
/ length of service.
/ Your committee have made an estimate Of
I the cost of per diem measure upon the basis
\ of the number not on the rolls. being 10000,
aud the number now on the rolls at less than
/ Si0.95 month, being pa, 900, on the basis Of
/ many cents per month Is days he served. This
I estimate, which IS approximate and largely
/ eoniectural as ali suCh estimates must be- shows
/ that If the average term Of service were three
years, the annual charge would be Sis, i94 500.
I If such average service were two years, the an
/ nual charge would be So, 363,g56-
/ The estimates which have been submitted 20
| your committee respecting the average term OF
service vary from Is 10 20 months. On this
/ basis the annual charge wOBld be Sos, SIS, $50.
/ The whole subject lies largely IN conjecture,
I and the above figures are of course mere ap-
I ordinations.
! The report concludes with pointing out that
a service pension was not allowed 70 the sur
yivors of the Revolution until Is years after
that war; to those of 1912 until 90 years, aud
50 years for the Mexican veterans. It also re-
cites that the Secretary of the Interior esti-
mates that it viii cost S49l 500, 400 to repeal
the limitation to the arrears of pensions.
MUSTERED OUT.
oTIs.-At Denmark. y. Y, April Is Of disease