The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-03-23
LIMIT OF PENSIONS"

Undoubtedly the ablest economic thinker,
writer, and statistician in this country Is
Edward Atkinson, Of Boston. For over 80
years now he has been engaged in this class
of study, and has won for himself more
than National reputation. What his politi-
cal views are we know not, but rather pre-
sumo that he belongs to no party, for his
search for absolute facts will not allow him
to bind himself TO any party's creed or plat
form. The conclusions that he arrives at he
presents with entire disregard to their eff
fects upon any party's doctrines or utter
ances.
Recently Mr.. Atkinson has been studying
the pension question, with reference to the
revenues and expenditures during the four
years of President Cleveland's Administra-
ton. He has gone into the work with his
customary thoroughness, and the publlea-
ton of his conclusions is the most imports
ant contribution to the pension discussion
which has been made for a very long time.
Mr.. Atkinson begins his statement by say
ING that facts are now In possession of all oy
which the entire receipts and expenditures
during Mr.. CleveIand's Administration can
be definitely forecasted and results arrived
at with absolute certainty.
He first takes up as the most important
item in this forecast the expenditure for
pensions He deduces the following from
the report of the Commissioner of Pensions:
March /, 1889. 10 Dec. 81, 1892:
Mum her of peasion claims presented l.EiIii
Nur7ber rejected ..,..... 50J026
Numbar allowed. ............. $685. Is
First payments, or back pay on claims
allowed. 80, iso,oVo-io
Number of pensions roll Dec. 81,
1892. soiiZzs
Amount OF pension roll Dec. 81, 1872,
computed in round fgures-......-. l21 O0O,OOo
CLAIMS NOT YET AUDITED.
Number a'V,i-o
And claims which may yet come in and The
estimate Of Commissioner is that before
Dec. 81, 1894 the claims which will prob
ably be allowed viii mum 5s4,461
In this computation there viii be original
applicants whose names are not now
the roll....-..- 10000. dio,.yo
| Number OF additions under new Law To PEN
sioaers now on the roll s7,Sl
Number of increases TO be allowed under
other acts E3l,3sO
Total 5i4.4Sl
The average Of the first payments, or back
payments allowed from June 80, to Dec 81,
1892, was s176.572 each, which would make
the total amount of all first payments to be
made in 1893 and 1894 to be S96, 135, 1877.
| This sum evil substantially be the end of
this obligation under existing laws on final
adjudication of all claims"
The highest point that the pension-roll
viii reach Will be on Dec 81, 1894; but be-
| fore considering this, Mr.. Atkinson turns his
attention TO the decrease of the pension-roll
| through the operation of death. This aver
aged 50 of 1000 per annum during the last
four years, and assuming that this rate of
mortality will continue, the case roll viii
stand as follows Dec. 81, 1894:
Number of pensions on roll Dec. 81, 1892 s3I. 22i
| Number dropped in 1928 at IS in each
/ Iooo ................................ 1882
Remainder s9s, 68a
| Number dropped in 1854 at IS in each
Io0e 81 45o
| Number now rolls who will remain
| Dec 81. ISL se1, iso
| Number of persons to be added
| In 1888 and 1894 as compnted..3l5.79o
| Number dropped from same In
two years ....--....--..------......-.l i,o5z
Remainder on roll Dec. 81. 1s94-......-. 364. 73s
| Msxim am number on the roll Dec 81.
lssa........ ......... LII
| Average of each pension, as estimated
| by the Commissioner at that date...... sI3s
| Total pension-roll at it's maximum,
Dec. 81 $50 09f
Mr Atkinson does not deal with the cues
ton of how much the mortality rate of 81
per 1000 pensioners per annum viii be in
creased by the advancing years Of the pen.
sionerx That is work for a life insurance
actuary.
Incidentally be mentions that the length
of service of 473,913 pensioners on the roll
was as follows:
Three months and 9e2
SIX months and over three. .-.-............. 422T
Seven months and under T.. 81 So
One year and less than two. 1863
Two years and over 222 Sc
TotaL....s. Eo,yL
He arrives at these conclusions:
| The pension roll of the calendar years 1883 ans
1884 vii rise from SI25 coo 600 the beginning
sI55 o09 coo at The end. After 1894 the annual obi
|. | CATION will diminish.
The FIRST payments, or back pensions computes
from the date of application the time of auditing
/ will amount to $50. 10000 in two years. whci
these claims Iiquidated that will be substantially
the payment Of the existing public debt under pre-,
, | ent acts which viii DE final.
The Sum of this obligation for hack pensions an
| pension roll is sgd, oO00 600 for 1888 and 1884.
According to previous practice and experienc,
| this may be divided between the two years abou
| follows
1885, Back $40 600 0t
Pension 10 600 of