The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-18
THE ENORMOUS PENSION BURDENS
Hsw They Have Grown and why Den-
cheney HIS Are Inevitable.

|
WASHINGTON. Nov. 1.-THE announcement
] OF probable pension deficiency OF $50. OO0.0 00
| which meets Congress rs 1t prepares to come
together for q new session. seems to be n stag
! Eerer to some membcrs. But there ia really
| little occasion for bcwildcrment. Congress
| cannot cat it's cake and have 1t. Session after
session that body spends n great part of Its
| time in planning and executing now schemes
Of pension expenditure. and then is ustonishcd
that the outlay needed is 80 great.
| At every session there Is a pension def
| cheney to bc met. in spite Of the prodigious
| current appropriations. and little reflection
will show why such a deficiency is sure to
| come. Tho annual estimates OF tho Commits
| sioner are based on existing legislation only
with the flgurcs OF the preceding fiscal year 10
| guide him. But tho session which provides
for the new fiscal year invariably adds new
pension laws. Each Friday night IN the House.
during u large part OF tho session, is devoted
to putting new names on tho roll. and the
! Senate turns Off such measures with remark
able celebrity Among the noted records of the
House are ll3 private pension bills passed
the rssoris o, "na the s aai ana arc "?pi
hs II y mnutss a and 50 bs IN sSy
minutes But those sources u new pension
expenditures arc trivial comrared with tho
blty I'LL and tho Increase in tho individual
ratings rating Of great classes OF Ien, ions. It Is
are based on previous Legislation only. aud
Congress-. while nominally shocked at tho
henviness Of pension burdens. industriously
| passes new laws making them heavier and
henvlef deilc iency is always inevitable and
much tbat deficiency viii Hi be. ."'' 40 Nv"
second point to remember is that attempts
20 H, Synue the CONCENTRATIONS ealeL for by tho
the see,is for ~ heavier crop In the deficiency
bill Last winter II determined effort was
"A Hnh n In IA hat fyn
made up to show the current pension require.
ments, After this performance had been
abandoned. and the lionss Substantially" g ae,
plain truth OF the whole i"' mater Hrte Il is thnt
the time for etlecting pension economies
Ner Gin e9i Xxx tho anS fnr dds Is
pendent pensions. or the various bills which
arc arc ~ russeLd ye4r after yssr for increas,
the statute book. it is too late tocry out against
music. The. obligations have been incurred.
the nations faith Is pledged. and whether tho
deficiency Is s3O.ooO,uOo or slOu.oooOOo it
j., The course Of pension Legislation during tho
Ea rn h,tr ,in years has been extraordinary.
passed TO wild aud b"und!ess system OF dis.
nnrseincnt. II which our army Of pen-ion"r::
We ind that tie outlay Tor pensions. which
fsrsa,ssl il ls7Ste s$a:4%;?Io; tic; yssr IA.
sM'7s to n SgG IN i@3 tn, Il, ngx' ye"T to s1
eording to ,mne mode II calculation. to *2,;:
SsH44,4l'. VI This was the natural course Of
thhln;s. tn" war ha! then been over for more
sion agents had secured the country in search
OF those who were entitled I" the Govern.
the number Of survivors steadily decreased,
OF course. by death n@pnears that the total
the next yenr. 23b,24l for the next. 23l. s2l:
t %r the reyt, Es-l3I; tor the ngXt. 23?.lo4;
Then. as has lecn sail. came tile change.
The Arrears III was passed. with its enor-
TS rs ys Of ner %s
1h T"ss on 2s Isl ns ,sy Of
red out year after year T Tho Mcxi"a "n and and
Bs%Hbi IL ni,Is wr5c passed In short by ~
as many as in tie year 1878 in spite Of the
roll from death various other causes dur
inG the long interval. The expenditures. also.
nSSut ys win mhat e h%y wrs IN in rates
Ant noWt mnE pc , thaS cti anoher ster
.r IT , ysr conn" o ne
| j. Raum was credited with announcing that
hee expected his inInstri9Gs mills to grind "ut
knsx !; that W to tie Hfst q My tns roll had
year at tho rate of 1900 = mouth. this rate ate
prcscn. time more than .NjnOpU names on tho
| roll. and the first OF January will see fully
How. under such circumstances. Congress
can expett to gel Of with less than slru'oo,.
co. for the tsn s NH hs GE h9M
| tho $2uU,O"u.oVO mark Is passc' 1t is difficult
to see. And some Of IFS m"nhers have tn"
onciiinG their woes in making such p-odi:-
ious pension expenditures n"rrssIry with
their promises to smash tho tariff that l. tho
main source Of the Governments revenue.
The Chicago MuEvump Party In = .s~Ion.
from NE 'h;o,go Ne,-~R,c,rh
The MuGwumn rary Of Chicago met Mt tho
University Club last saturday noon. A cnll nf
the roll brought out the inct that Gen 4. {.
mcclure WAS the only m",lbrr pres ent: So III"
General presided. and. at The same. time served
4 letter was read from Mr.. elason Thompson
announcing. that Eentlemnn,s formal lrtro-
stop until it became evident That Cleveland
would be elected: convinced Of THIS. his duty
and lie could no, >tu!tify, his record to the en-
tent Of being with the Alminist ration.
s%.ahSs Mr"s " r tna n S n
nscy isvers% y,Gs MsHuh:a"s %%s Re T%y
fiery Evanston an. ! cast my ballot for Ear.
Tison and h;iL ard an H. pow IN position t,
ms Justify rs | have fired ut the present ~.
ministralion and all preceding ii. You will
tth,Sr"iotS, acrsEt my resignation from the
Before accepting this resignation. Gen. Nc.
Clure passed n few cIo0ucnt tr! uios Of re-
spcrt to the memory Of decreased. as Il" arh"ti.
cHlly termed Mr. Thompson. and thea hu sun 6
the line old hymn beginning:
We shall meet hut wc shall mtss him.
There will be one vacant char
Upon molten OF Gen. Me, lurG it was unnni
mously determined to send cnnGratuiatu ry
telegram to Grover Cleveland also one to IT.,
editor of Pick.
Gen. McClars asked whether il WAS truo. n
! reported that i,oVrrnOr-clr"t AItEc!u "untepl,
pla.cd recognizing tho Mu.wump lHrty :"