The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-03
PENSIONS.

The United States has followed the ex-
ample of other nations and granted PEN
sions and passed other laws for the bene-
fit of the soldiers who have fought in its
wars from 1775 to the present time, and
the widows, orphans and dependent pa
rents have been made bene6ciaries of this
legislation. Pensions were first granted
for wounds and other disabilities incurred
in service and in the line of duty. Next a
service pension was granted to the survi-
vors of the war of 1912; in 1887 law was
passed granting service pension to the
surviving veterans of the Mexican war, and
last year congress passed the law
known as the disability bill," under
which more than 100000 claims have
already been filed. To the soldiers of the
war of 1912 and of the Mexican war were
granted land warrants amounting to 3d.
100000 acres, being 1900. 900 greater than
the area of Illinois and Ohio. The ma
tional gratitude to its soldiers has also
been shown by the erection of Federal SOL
diers' homes at Togus, Me-; Hampton, Va. !;
Milwaukee, Wis. Dayton, o.; Bath,N. Y,
and other points, including one recently
founded in California. at least half of the
Northern States have established state
soldiers homes.
The disability pension act of June q,
1890, grants pension of not less than Sc
nor more than $l2 per month to all honor
ably discharged soldiers who served ninety
days or more, and who are suffering from
mental or physical disability of perma-
nent character, not the result of their own
vicious habits, which incapacitates them
for the performance of manual labor in
such degree as to render them unable to
earn support. 1t also grants a pension
of s. per month to the widows of deceased
soldiers who are without other means of
support than their daily labor, and 50
each per month to the children of soldiers,
Ender I6 years of age. Pensions granted
under this act begin with the date of filing
the applications.
The execution of this law is disposing of
great mass of claims filed under former
laws, and has already reduced the average
first payments on pension certificates
from s4s5, the average of last year, to
about $120, and the average monthly al
lowance TO claimants now is less than 50.
The total payments for pensions this year
will be about Sic, 600, 900, or about $1,000
600 less than was estimated and appropri-
ated for by Congress. The appropriation
for the fiscal year beginning July /, 1891,
is 1927 $40. 79i, an amount believed to be
sufficient for the next fiscal year.
Allowing for the number of pensioners
who will be dropped from the rolls by
death and other causes, it is believed that
$4,000 new pensions can be granted next
year without creating deficiency in the
appropriation. General Raum, the COM
missioner of pensions, believes that the
maximum number of names will be placed
on the pension rolls during the fiscal year
of 1898; that the maximum annual ex-
penditure for pensions will be reached
that year; that the amount will not reach
$l5O, 0oO 600 and that from that time forward
there will be a reduction in the expendi-
ture for pensions. Accepting these esti-
mates as correct, our pension bill
in 1893 will surpass the annual cost of the
hIaNulnS armies OF ellner france, with
so. 900 men, or Germany with $4,000
men, or Russia with $40, 600 men. The an.
nual cost Of the French army is about
sl35, ooG, 600; that of Germany about
s9S, Co. 600; that of Russia is about 1925.
ooo,ooo. Our present army of pensioners is
about $4,000 strong. There was an esti-
mated total Of :. 065, S91 men who were in the
Union service during the war; The deaths
in the army from all causes during the
war are estimated at 359, SOS. There were,
therefore, about Loo, oOo living at the end
OF the war. Estimating the deaths
since the war at 10000 there must
be about 1,2oo,0O0 soldiers of the Union
war living. OF the survivors about
40 per cent. are actually on the rolls and
| In receipt of pensions, and allowing for
| S4s, iS9 new claims, more than two-thirds
OF all the surviving union veterans are
now either in receipt of pensions or are
applicants for pensions. The applicants
are getting provided with pensions at the
rate OF $1,000 month or SO, 900 a year. II
| looks as If no additional pension legisIs.