Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-08
PENSION OFFICE CHANGES.
A Proposition to Turn Over the Whole BUSH
ness to the War Department.

A Proposition to Turn Over the Whole BUSH
ness to the War Department.
A lively pension fight is on in the House Of
Representatives. Unless all indications fail
there will be some very interesting debates and
some sharp msneuvering on the floor Of the
House when the pension appropriation bill
is taken up for consideration. A radical
change in the pension policy is pro-
posed. The change will be backed up BIZ a ma
jority Of the committee on appropriations and
will be fought tooth and nail by the republican
minority, assisted by Representative Holman,
chairman Of tine committee. who is ord inarily
the most strenuous advocate in the com mittee
Of a reduction Of expenditures.
The proposed change In the pension policy
has in view q considerable reduction OF the
pension rolls and Of the enormous amount
now paid out for pensions by purging the
lists Of the names of some Of those now on it
and by making more difficult the procure
ment in some cases of pension under the laws
1t is proposed to change the laws in some re-
spects and new policy is to be inaugurated SO
far the administration of the laws is con-
cerned by turning over 'he whole pension
bureau TO the War Department.
These changes with some notifications are
the same as were originally proposed by the
subcommittee which framed the pension sppro-
priation bill, but which in fun committee
we're stricken out by majority of one vote.
The committee has now by a narrow majority
reconsidered that action.
There was a meeting OF the committee this
morning and the fight for a new pension policy
was renewed by Mr.. O'Neill Of Massachusetts
and others. BY yea and nay vote the COM
mittee decided to report n number of amend
ments to be offered to the pension bill
when il comes It is proposed that the PEN
sion bureau, with all its records and employees
except the commissioner and two deputies.
| shall be transferred to the record and
pension division of the War Department with
| power in the President to designate an army of
fcer to act as head of the division. While so
acting this officer shall have the rank and pay
Of colonel in the army. The President
shall also designate two army officers,
| to rank as captains, to act as first and
second deputy commissioners of pensions.
| One Of the two amendments heretofore offered
| by Representative ONeill of Massac husetts and
rejected bv the full committee adopted
with notifications 80 as to provide that here
after no widow who married q soldier of the la te
war shall receive pension where she married
| the soldier more than five years after his dis
charge, thus making it apply not only to the
war Of the rebellion, but to Indian and all
other wars.
The amendment was changed SO as to exclude
from pensions under the disability act all per-
sons not disabled from manual labor and in re-
csipt of an income of more than $500 year.
On motion OF Representative Mutchler of
providing that 1.-The rating Of pepsions for
the same class Of pensioners for like dis
abilities shall be uniform and that all
pensions heretofore or hereafter granted in
pursuance OF the dependent and disability act
shall be rated upon the inability Of the pen
sioner to earn living by manual labor
The object Of this amendment is to correct
inequalities which have arisen in adninistra-
ton Of the laws.
The present boards of medical examiners are
abolished and are to be reconstructed with one
member each, instead of three as at present
One hundred and twenty special medical ex-
amiuers to be detailed from the bureau are
provided for to act In connection with these
new boards of medical examiners.
There were several votes in committee, but
on the whole the vote stood follows: Yeas
Messrs. Sayers. Breckenridge Of Kentucky,
Dockery, Mutchler. Breckenridge Of Arkansas,
O'Neill Of Massachusetts,, and Livingston of
Georgia. all democrats. Nays-Messrs. Hol-
man dem and Cogswell, bingham, Dingley
and Circuit (reps.) Messrs. Forney and Comp
ton (dems.) and Henderson of Iowa (rep.) were