The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-12-10

W Jho burden Df the education " liii
children.
TIfE PENSION BUREAU.
The administration Of tho pension
bureau has been characterized during
the year by great diligence. The 10
tal number " pensioners upon The rob
on the goth W june, I-Jl WI cas-, 100
There were lowed during o." 'arp
ECar 90 TAM ,ilr -,y,yJ1 Caso5. ~
this number lO2, 1888 were allowed un
der the law Of June u, 1890. The
! Issuing Of certificates has been pro-
ceeding at the rate of3O, 900 per month
about seventy-five per cent being cash
under the new law. The commits
sioner expresses the opinion he
will be able to carefully ad.
! judicate and allow 3d. 900 claims
during the present fiscal year
The appropriation for the payment of
pensions for the fiscal year l6J0-0l
was Sl27 ,G3j, 500. 50 and the amount ex-
pended Sll8,530, G49.2O, leaving an un-
expended surplus Of -, l55, 144.G4.
| The commissioner is quite confident
that there will be no call this year for
a deficiency appropriation, notwith-
/ standing the rapidity with which the
/ work il being pushed. The mistake
[ which has been made by many in
! their exaggerated estimates of
/ the costs Of pensions is in not taxing
account Of the diminished value OF
/ first payments under the recent legis-
/ latiOn. These payments under the
general laws have been for many
I years very large. as the pension when
allowed dated from the time Of filing
I the claims and most OF these claims
had been pending for years. The first
payments under the law of June. 1890,
are reluctantly small, and as the per
cent Of these cases increases and that
Of the old cases fiminishes. the annual
aggregate Of first payments is largely
reduced. The commissioner, under
date Of Nov. %, furnishes me with the
statement that during the last four
months l13,175 certificates were is-
sued, q, S93 under the general law,
and s., 282 under the act Of June y,
1870. The average first payment
during these four months was Sl3l s..
while the average first payment upon
cases allowed during the year, ending
June 80, 1891, was S239.11, being a re-
ductiOn in the average payments
during these four months Of SG7.43.
The estimate for pension eXpendi-
lures for the fiscal year ending June
3, 1893, is Sl44, $4,000, which, after
careful examination Of the subject.
the commissioner is Of the opinion.
will be sufficient. While these dis
burSements to the disabled soldiers of
the civil war are large. they do not
realize the exaggerated estimates Of
those who oppose the beneficient leg
islation. The secretary of the inter
Tor shows, with great fullness, the
care that is taken to exclude fraudu-
lent claims and also the gratifying
fact that persons to whom these pen
sions are going are men who rendered
not slight, but substantial war service.
THE RAILROADS.
The report of the commissioner Of
railroads shows that the total debt Of
railroads to the United
States was, on December 81, 1890,
l12,512G13.0G. A large part Of this
debt is now fast approaching maturi-
ty with no adequate provision for its
payment. Some policy Tor dealing
with this debt with view to its Ill
innate collection should at once be
adopted. 1t is very difficult, well
neigh impossible, for 80 large
a body az congress TO conduct
the necessary negotiations and inves-
LEGATIONS. / therefore recommend that
provisions be made for the appoint
ment Of a commission TO agree upon
and report a plan for dealing with
debt.
THE CENSUS.
The work Of the census bureau is
now far in advance, and the great
bulk Of the enornous labor involved
completed. 1t will be more strictly
statistical and less encountered by
than its immediate predeces-
sOr. The methods pursued have been
fair, careful and intelligent, and have
secured the approval Of the statisti-
clans who have followed them with a
scientific and nOnpartizan interest.
The appropriations necessary to the
early completion and publication Of
the authorized volumes should be
given in time to secure against delays
which increase the cost, and at the
same time diminish the value Of 5he
work.
The report Of the secretary EXHIBITS
with interesting fuliness, the cOadf-
ton of the territories. They have
shared with states tie great increase
Of farm products ana are bringing
large areas into cultiya-
ton by extending irrigating canals.
This work is being done by
or local corporations and
without that system which full
Of the water supply OF the
irrigable lands would enable thea to
adopt. The future Of the territory Of
New Mexico. Arizona and Utah in
their material growth and in the in
crease, independence and happiness
Of their people, is very largely de-
pendent upon wise and timely iegis-
lation, either by congress or their own
regulating the distribu-
ton of the water supply furnished by
their streams. If this matter is much
longer neglected private corporations
will have unrestricted control Of one
of the elements of life and the paten-
tees Of arid lands will be ten
ants at will of the water companies.
POLYGAMY.