The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-10-26
IfCongress Would Substitute Service Law for
the Present One. II Is Claimed, the Expense
Would Be Less in the Long Run.
President Harrison's Efforts to Secure
Enactment of the Reciprocity Law.
Senator Blackburn Opposed to Either Cleveland
or Hill for President-What Free Coinage
Would Do-hr. Blaine Ready for Work.
PENSIONS FOR ALL Ex-sOLDIERs.


Renewal of the A citation for the Passage of q
Universal Bill--A New Argument
Special the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25.-Taking their cue
from the onslaught being made upon the
Pension Bureau. and the changes which
have been made in the administrations of
it during the past few months and those
anticipated, some enthusiastic service-pen-
sion advocates in Congress announce their
intention to make another effort, at the ap-
preaching session of Congress. to pass q
ing themselves with an argument that is
interesting to every reader be he friend or
foe OF the proposition.
1t IS contended now that it would cost
the government loss in the long run, and
help nearly twice az many deserving
claimants to adopt universal or service
pension law. treat every soldier his widow
or dependent heir alike, and put stop to
pension litigation. To begin with. it is es-
tinated by the Commissioner of Pensions
that the pensions and expenses of run
ming the business will cost the gov
ernment the next fiscal year, beginning
with July, 1892. about S135, coo, 900. 1t cos Is
for pensions alone just now in round fig
ures $40 100000 year. There are about
1,20S. 70z soldiers of the Union now living.
OF these In round igures $4,000 are on the
pension rolls already. and the others are
going upon the rolls at the rate of some
thing like La, 600 year. Each year there
are dropped from the rolls. by death or nm
natural causes. about 10000 names. At IS
O month q universal pension law would
cost the government. it IS estimated. in
round figures SlSO,OOO,000 year, provided
every man who served long enough asked
for the pension, but il is not believed that
more than s5 pes cent of those entl-
tied would ask or receive a PEN
sion, and, therefore, the annual pay
ments might be cut down to some
thing like Sl60.000oo0 One of the strongest
arguments being used for the service or
universal pension law is the delays betall-
ing honest claimants and tho expenses at
tached to the pension machinery. If there
are allowed 125, COO pensions a year the at
torneys fees amount to S250. 200 a year
under the law. Most of the claimants pay
from four 20 six times that amount in
notary and other fees in getting ND the
testimony. This would run up the ex
traneOus expenses TO the claimants alone
to over 81 600, 900 a year, not TO speak of the
sine given b. elL.mants in hunting mp
testimony.
1t costs the government for pension
examining boards at the various cities over
Sl,200.000 a year: for special examiners
about S325 900 year, and for running the
various agencies and tho Pension Office
here probably S3.500000 annually. 1t will
thus be seen that the direct expenses to the
claimants and the government for the
pension business is something like per
cent. of the payments.
1t is said that 10 per cent. of the claimants
die before their pensions are allowed, and
90 per cent. of the payments are avoided by
the government by the delays in reaching
and adjudIcating claims. This cannot be
helped. The business is pushed with all
possible vigOr. and twice as many claims
are allowed every day as were passed
upon only five years ego. 1t is held that
under service or universal bill all claim
ants would have their cases passed upon
within SIX months at most. and only little
skeleton of the Pension Bureau would be
necessary; that so per cent. of the expense
In running the business at present would
be dispensed with. and only few rooms
In the War Department would be necessary
in which to run the entire pension business,
as a muster-in or muster out paper would
sufficiently prove or disprOye case. It
would all be record testimony, and it is all
on file at the War Department..
The mere fact that those who are as much
entitled to pensions as any one cannot get
their dues because their papers cannot be
reached, and the honest much suffer with
the dishonest claimant, is proving q telling
argument, and also the statement that after
six months there would be little expense
attached to the pension business beyond
the payments, and so many more would re-
ceive assistance under o universal bill,
cause men in Congress to stop and think.
Whether anything will come of the move
ment or not. it is getting much serious ag-
itation among Congressman since the re-
cent visit to Washington of Governor
Hovey, of Indiana. who is at the head of
the Service Pension Association of the
United States. The Governor still thinks
his III CHIT for universal pen sions will win