New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-22
THE PENSION DEFICIENCY.
COMMISSIONER RAUM REFUTES SEVERAL
STATEMENTS.
THE USUAL DEMOCRATIC COMPLAINTS ABOUT
REwARp1Ne THE UNION vETERAN-woRK'
1Ses OF THE DEPENDENT ACT.
NV rrtsGRAPu TO TIE TkiBUNE.1

rELEGRAPH 10 1Hk IhbCNEsi
w..,,ncon Nov. 2l.-one Of the favorite stoek
caascs of complaint BY the Democrats Is the largo
awount of money appropriated annually for the pay
o. =, uons;ons Each year az the Democratic men,
,. comes 10 WASHINGTON in advance oi the assembling
- Congress he walls over the cost Of pensions TO inc
r,,t.a States Treasury and insists that the GoVcrh
r, &, on the verge OF bankruptcy. This, OF COURSE
is when as now, there is Republican Administrator"
,y,. Mr. Cleveland was President the same Demo-
cratic prowl about the cost OF pensions was heau o'
:, was not so loud as at this time. for 1t has now
reached the proportions OF ho~l rensone.' NJ
baalv under the Democratic Administrator. MT.
cleveland vetoed most OF the private pension bis ana
,, trecpent occasion insult the claimant Tor nav
,no bean Union soldier. Physical wreck biach
a, the head OF the Pension Bureau discriminate"
in the adjudication OF claims as well as !"
tho administration of his Office generally ana Deno
crats reapcd the benefit. When the RepuohcsnS TO
turned 10 power the getcrans OF the Union ret .s' ,
uo,d receive fair and Just treatment. They did not
49,, In gain and the Dependent Pension bill was
uass.d aespite the almost united opposition OF the
Tocra,,c minority That this act would Involve inc
exnendture OF a good deai Of money every ono hne"
who voted for IT, but everybody also Knew ""' vi.
MON who tonight TO preserve the Union fully mer'on
On. racornition that this law gave them. The hrs'
Democrattc member OF the House Appropriations Con'
tes To arrive in the city Is Representative Sayers OF
TEXAS and ne has INDUCED In some reckless esser'o
T., rrrard to the deficiency which VIII DO asked for by
the Commissioner OF Pensions ana sso soS"' '''''
matters in the Pension Bureau.
Commissioner Raum said tonight:
have admitted my estimates to the Secretary Of the
Treasury and Of DO not feel at liberty 70 give W
exact figures. but In order 10 'efuee eotan ssS'oo.
that have been made in the newspapers w1il say uA
tho ds0ency asked wiz be less than ana
M. $40 600 600 as has been charged. AZ 70 inc
assertion that the annual Of pensions VIII ever rescn
1000 600 OO0 think can show you In rev "onus e
IL 4, utterly without foundation. The average !eefS
~ mansion under old law last year was So3 oo nc
,n,mu rate under the hw 90 per month"; ana inc
maximum s $40. Now $40 per month 10 hiRh aIaee
that Will make Q yearly average OF slEo' Inc i'o I've
w,dows under the Dependent" law Is 500 per year
Now YOU can that these averages are mueh less '
under tho old law. I think the Census bureau mas
discovered THAT my estimate that there "er No"
living a million and q quarter OF ext mon No'n'is
was about correct. Some OF these men WI. ".''
anplv for pensions Now suppose that 12oooOo OF hese
or the widows Of those who die should be paeeu
- ,no n.ns,on ro,ls: that would be the maximum
number wouldn't ~ Now suppose we give them pen.
s,ons at an average yearly rate OF $3.50 for survivors any
so8 for wdows-that Is above what 1t wouid Dc ior sur
vivors Init we will lake hat-the yearly pension wouu
then be only for survivors and for
40, nov an the rolls And this amount wolo decrease
vc.r bv deaths and from other causes Last
dropped q 900 from the rolls ana a'er ne e
wear or two OF the operations OF this Dpenoeh' foo
act the number annually dropped WIZ moro " ,,,
number Of new names edusily added 30 u Is imposse
,h., the sum for pensions should ever reach
Last yenr ISL 600 cases were settled. Now my est
80. ,o ne,, wear with the additional clerical force
allowed are on the basis Of the settlement OF zoo ooo cA
100 900 more than last year. mat appo.' y, "o -.
49,. ,h., the clark. were working TO their fun limit the
deec,encv would be s75o0o,ooO. During the month oil
october there were issued 10000 esrncsses Tor claims
under the old law while up TO last Saturday night hfe
had been issued under the new law only TOO eer''noe
patti sweep
aor the new law and are getting large number ready
To send out for but there is no neglect OF cases
filed under the old law.
AS to the charge pension certificates Issued In one
fiscal year nre paid out of appropriation msoe ior INV
next wear will say that At the close OF the last hsca
aor there WAS over half million dollars that went back
into the Treasury from the appropriations maos tor Una
wear because 1t could not be utilized in time.