Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-12-08

THE PENSION ARMY
Almost a Million Pensioners on The Gov
eminent Rolls

-
Almost a Million Pensioners on The Gov
eminent Rolls
The annual report of Green B.
Raum, commissioner of pensions.
made public recently shows that there
were on the pension rolls June 30,
1892, 876,06S pensioners, an increase
during the year of 1879, 90S. There
were added to the rolls during the
year 222, 973 new pensioners, and PAT
pensioners previously dropped, were
restored to the pension list. During
the year %, 306 pensioners were
dropped from the rolls. The total
amount expended for pensions during
fiscal year was S139, OBS, 6l2. For the
present fiscal year S144, 956, 900 is
appropriated, and taking the cost OF
the pension allowances during the
first four months of this fiscal year as
a basis of calculation, the commits
siOner estimates that a deficiency
appropriation of &c. sos, 62l will be
necessary to supplement this years
appropriations.
An estimate of Sl65, 900, 900 is sub
mitted for the next fiscal year, but
Commissioner Raum says that If as
many allowances of pensions shall be
made during the fiscal year ended
June 30 last, this amount will not be
large enough. He says, however,
that it is difficult to forecast pension
payments so far in advance, and that
inasmuch as congress will be in
session, no embarrassment will arise
if his successor, in the light of actual
cost of the work for the first six
months of the next fiscal year, finds
that a further appropriation will be
needed.
Under the dependent and disability
pension act 900, 957 claims have been
filed, of which number 400, 859 have
been allowed. The pension payments
under the law up to Sept. 80, 1892,
amounted to $40, 494, 443. The COM
missioner heartily commends this
disability act.
Commissioner Raum's estimate
that Sl65, 600, 900 will be necessary to
pay pensions during the next fiscal
year, aud the estimate OF the house
committee on appropriations that it
will take between $3.50, 000,O 900 and
300, 600, 900 to meet the pension
requirement during the next fiscal
year, have had the effect of renewing
talk about revising the pension roll
in such a manner as to cut down the
total expenditures as much as is
possible and not do any violence to
pensioners who are actually in need.
Representative O'Neill, of Massa-
chusetts, who is a member of the
subcommittee of the appropriations
committee charged with the
preparation of the pension bill, says
he has been making a study of the
subject with a view to = sharp
revision Of the pension list and
collating opinion in congress, from
which to make a proposition to go
into a law, and it is his idea that the
pension list should be pruned down
so as to stop the pensions of all
soldiers, widows and orphans who do
not actually need them in order to
live. This would take away the
pensions which such menas cX-Com-
missioner of Pensions Black and
W. w. Dudley, Gen. Dan Sickles
and Mrs. John A. Logan and tens of
thousands of others are receiving.
SecOnd-StOp the pensions of
soldiers widows who married with a
view to finally drawing pensions,
having married since the war.
Third-Make the pensions uniform
for really uniform claims.
Mr. O'Neil believes both political
parties are responsible for failure to
correct pension errors, but he thinks
the time has come when the brave
and honest men in all parties will
vie with each ether in taking hold
Of ppuSiOn revision vigorously.