The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-12-14

curacy. Great guns, rapid fire guns,
torpedoes and powder are being
promptly supplied.
The following vessels Of the new
navy have been completed and are
now ready for service:
The double-turreted coast-defense
monitor Niantonomoh, the double
turreted coast-defense monitor Monte
reg, the armored cruiser Nep York,
the protected cruisers Baltimore,
Chicago, Philadelphia. Newark, San
Francisco, Charleston, atlanta and
Boston, the cruiser Detroit. the gum
boats Yorktorn, Concord, Bennington,
Nachias, Castine and Petrol, the dis
patch vessel Dolphin, the practice
vessel Bancroft, and the Dynamite
gunboat Tesurius. Of these the Ban
craft, Nachias. Detroit, and Castine
have been placed in commission during
the current calendar year.
The following vessels are in process of
construction: The secOnd-class battle
ships Name and IerdS, the cruisers Mont
g0naery and Mubtehead and the coast de-
Tense monitors Terror, Puritan, Amphirite
and Lonodaock all OF which will be COM
pleted within one year; the harbOr de-
Tense ram Katahdin and the protected
cruisers Columbia, Minneapolis, Olympia,
Cincinnati and Raleigh, all of which will be
completed prior to July 1, 1895; the
frst-class battle ships Iosra, Indiana,
Massachusetts, and Oregon, which will be
completed February l, 1896, and the
armored cruiser Brooklyn which will be
completed by August l of that year. 1t
is also expected that the three gunboats
authorized by the last Congress will be
completed in less than two years.
Since 1886 Congress has at each session
authorized the building OF one or more
vessels, and the Secretary of the Navy
presents an earnest plea for the contjn-
uance of this plan. He recon mends the
authorization of at least nine battle ship
and six torpedo boats.
While | am distinctly in favor of con-
sistentIy pursuing the policy we have
inaugurated of building up thorough
and efficient navy, can not refrain from
the suggestion that the Congress should
carefully take into account the number
of unfinished vessels on our hands and
| the depleted condition of our treasury
in considering the propriety of an APP
| preparation at this time to begin new
| work
The method of employing mechanical
labor at navy yards through boards of
| labor, and making efficiency the sole test
| by which labOrers are employed and con-
tinued, is producing the best results, and
| the Secretary is earnestly devoting him.
| self to its development. Attention is
| invited to the statements OF his report
in regard to the working of the system.
| THOUSANDS OF FRAUDULENT PENSIONERS.
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 Both day of June, 1898, there
were on the pension rolls 96G, O12 names,
an increase of 1914 over the number
on the rolls June 30, 1892. OF these
there were I widows and daughters Of
revolutionary soldiers, Sc survivors Of
| the war of 1912, ), 425 widows OfsOldiers
of that war, 81 ,51S survivors and wild
OWs OF the Indian wars, 2S4 army nurses
and i1o, $40 survivors and widows and
children Of deceased soldiers and sailors
of the war of the rebellion. The latter
| number represents those pensiOned on
account OF disabilities or death result
ing from army and navy service. The
number of persons remaining on the rolls
June 30, 1898, werepensoned under the
act of June 81, 1890, which allows pen
siOns on account of death and disability
not chargeable to army service was 1885,
| 155.
The number added to the rolls during
| the year was 1913, 634, and the number
| dropped was 33 $50. The first payments
on pensions allowed during the year
amounted to 1913, 1855, 549,9S This in
| cludes arrears, OR the accumulation be-
| tween the time from which the allowance
| OF pension dates and the time of actually
| granting the certificate.
Although the law of 1890 permits pen
| sins for disabilities not related to mill
! tary service, yet as a requisite to its
| benefits a disability must exist incapac-
itating applicants Z" from the performance
OF manual labor to such a degree as to
render them unable to earn a support"
| The execution of this law in its early
| stages does not seem to have been in ac-
cord with its true intention; but toward
| the close of the last administration an
| authoritative construction was given
to the statute, and since that time this
| constrcution has been followed This
| has had the effect of limiting the opera
| ton of the law to its intended purpose
| The discovery having been made that
many names had been put upon the
| pension roll by means OF wholesale and
gigantic frauds, the commissioner sus-
pended payments upon number of pen
| sions which seemed too fraudulent or I'M
authorized pending a complete exami-
| nation, giving notice to the pensioners
in order that they might have an oppor-
| tunity to establish, if possible, the Justice
| OF theirclaims Notwithstanding apparent
| invaldity.
This, [ understand, is the practice
which has for a long time prevailed in
! the pension bureau, but after entering
| upon these recent Investigations the COM
missioner modified this rule SO as not
to allow, until after a complete examina-
| ton, interference with the payment of
a pension apparently not altogether
void, but which merely had been fixed
at a rate higher than that authorized by
| law.
am unable to understand why frauds
| in the pension rolls should not be exposed
and corrected with thoroughness and
vigOr. Every name fraudulently put
upon these rolls is wicked imposition
| upon the kindly sentiment in which pen
sions have their origin. Every fraudu-
lent pensiOner has become bad citizen :;
| every false oath in the support of pen
sion has made perjury more common,
and false and undeserving pensioners rob
| the people not only of their money, but
OF the patriotic sentiment which the sur
vlvOrs of a war, fought for the preserva-
| ton OF the Union, ought toinspire Thou
sands OF neighborhOods have their well
known fraudulent pensioners, and recent
| developments by the bureau establish
! appalling conspracies to accomplish
| 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 not be
accused of enmity or Indifference to the
claims OF honest veterans.
The sum expended on account of pen
slons for the year ending June 30, 1898
was 81 oG, 14O, 467 il
ThecOmmissiOnere estimates that S1G5.-
OOO,O vii! be required to pay pensions
during the year ending June 80, 1894.