The Portland daily press., 1893-12-05

authorized the building OF one or more
vessels, and the secretary of the navy
presents an earnest plea for the contin-
uance of this plan. He recommends the
authorization Of one coast OF battleship,
and six torpedo boats. While I am
distinctly in Favor of consistently pur-
suing the policy we have inaugurated of
building up a thorough and efficient navy,
/ cannot refrain from the suggestion that
Congress should carefully take into ac-
count the number OF unfinished vessels
on our hands and the depleted condition
OF our treasury, in considering the
propriety of an appropriation at this time
to begin work.
The method of employing mechanical
labor at navy yards through boards of
labor and making efficiency the test by
which laborers are employed is producing
the best results and the secretary is
earnestly devoting himself to its develop
ment. Attention is called to the state
ment in his report in regard to the work.
ings of the system.
Pensions
The secretary OF the interior has the
supervision of SO many Important sub
jects that his report is of especial value
and interest. On the 30th day of June,
1888. there were on the pension rolls $685.
012 names an increase Of 80, 944 over the
number on the rolls June so, 1892 Of
these there were II widows and daughters
of revolutionary soldiers, Sc survivors of
the war of 1872, 425 widows of soldiers of
that war; q, 51S survivors and widows of
the Mexican war, 1882 survivors and
widows of Indian wars, 2S4 army nurses
and ,645 survivors and widows and
children of deceasedsoldiers and sailors of
l,o .f.fr Iar Iatt
Der represents those pensione on account
of disabilities or death resulting from
army and navy service. The mum Der of
persons remaining on the rolls June ~,
1888, who were pensioned under the act
of June ~, 1870, which allows pensions
on account of death and disability not
chargeable to army service was, 453, 1855.
the year was 123, 634, and the number
dropped was 1850. The first payments
on pensions allowed during the year
amounted to $50, 756, 549.@3. This in
cludes arrears, or the accumulation be-
tween the time from which the allow
ance of the pension dates, and the time
Of actually granting the certificate.
Although the law of 1890 permits pensions
for disabilities not related to military
service, yet as a requisite to it's benefit
disability must exist incapacitating APP
plicants from the performance of man
ual labor to such degree as to render
them unable to earn support" The ex-
ecution of this law in its early stages
does not seem to have been in accord
with it's true intentions but toward the
close of the last administration an
authoritative construction was given to
this statute and since that time this con-
struction has been followed. This has
had the effect.of limiting the operation
of the law to it's intended purpose. The
discovery has been made that many
names had been put upon the pension
rolls by means of wholesale and gigantic
frauds. The commissioner suspended
payments upon a number of pensions
which seemed to be fraudulent or I'M
authorized pending complete examina-
tion, giving notice to the pensioners in
order that they might have an oppor-
tunity to establish if possible the justice
of their claims notwithstanding ap-
is the practice which has for long time
prevailed in the pension bureau but after
entering upon these recent investigations
the commissioner modified this rule so as
not to allow, until after complete ex-
animation, interference with payment of
a pension apparently not altogether void
but which merely had been fixed at a
rate higher than that authorized by law.
l am unable to understand why frauds
in the pension rolls should not be ex-
posed and corrected with thoroughness
and vigor. Every name fraudulently put
upon these rolls is wicked imposition
upon the kindly sentiment to which
pensions have their origin; every fraud
ulent pensioner has become bad citizen.
Every false oath in support of a pension
has made perjury more common and false
and undeserving pensioners rob the
people not only of their money, but of
the patrioJic sentiment which the sur
vivors of a war fought for the preserva-
ton of the union ought to inspire.
Thousands of neighborhoods have
their well known fraudulent pensioners,
establish appalling conspiracies to ac-
complish pension frauds. By no means
the least wrong done is to brave and
deserving pensioners, who certainly
ought not to be condemned to such
association. Those who attempt in the
line of duty to rectify these wrongs
should snot be accused of enmity OF in
difference to the claims of honest
veterans.
The sum expended on account of
pensions for the year ending June 80,
1888, was 81 Sc, TAO, 467. IA. The commits
sioner estimates that $165. 200, 900 will be
required to pay pensions during the year
ending June 80, 1894.
The Indians.
The condition of the Indians and their
ultimate fate are subjects which are re-
lated to sacred duty Of the govern
ment, and which strongly appeal to the
sense of justice and sympathy of our
people. Our Indians number about 24s, :
600. Most Of them are located on 161
reservations, containing Sc, 1861 acres
of land. About ITO, 900 of these Indians
have. to large degree, adopted civilized
customs. Lands in severalty have been
allotted to many of them. Such allot-
ments have been made to 10000 Indians
during the last fiscal year, embracing
about 100000 acres. The number Of
Indian government schools opened during
the year was 1876, an increase of 10 over
the preceding year. Of this total ITO
were OF. reservations. Twenty boarding
schools and five day schools supported
by the government were not located on
reservations.
Agriculture.
I especially commend to the attention
of Congress the statements contained in
the secretary's report concerning forestry.
The time has come when efficient
oh I.