Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-02
DEAD PENSIONERS
Pimns Tor Purging Pension Rolls of
Dead Wen md Dishonest Dencnd.n,s

Washington Letter To St Iouis Globe D,u,.r,t
i believe there are hundreds. If no; thou
sands. of dead pei sioners still carried on
the rclls,' a high official of the govern
Hntht SAYS Pensions which should have
btei stopped instantly with the deaths of
the pensioners are still being paid,
ms Is only ore species of a number of
Hauds winch the present administration is
satisfied should be met by n thorough n,,rs,-
ns VI 'he ilsts- There is no disposition 10
p'IiINe single pensior.er of mis- lust de
s.ftS- But there is a growing convection
That the conditions demand :, ,.;an,
o'tIhdullng Of the rolls The evidences
mat 'ht generosity of the goverrment =
imposed upon accumulate. The movement
M it SINS l" DE- at hand is so clearly in
IN interest OF the honest pensloner ne
Wei as of the public generally that II
ought - meet with commentator Not :,
f'l.e 'lll be raised against the movement
~ ,i"p TIE lanes 81 these VINO have died
@hd 10 punish the fraudulent beneficiaries
OF p'nSiOrs of that class But there il an
othtr species OF pension dishonesty which
Is even greater in what it costs the gov
eminent To remedy it will arouse some
opposition The spirit of the depend.n.
peisi"n act of half a dozen years ago has
been shamelessly violated That law vas
enacted to help out old soldiers whose ordi-
nary sources OF livelihood were not suffi-
Gent 1t provided for pensioning Veterans
WHO really needed the monthly 80 for tnsir
support. Inc Application of the act has
DetA distorted so that it has put upon the
foits many thousands to whom the allow
ahCe = IN no sense {. necesSity but = pra.
tulty added quarterly to their wealth The
violations of the spirit of the Dependent
pension act are scarcely less dishonest than
t-e continued drawing of pensions in the
naIErs OF dead pensioners But thu efforts
OF the administration to wipe. ont this sne
cles OF fraad will be met with contests
Men who have falsely sworn that they
it"q the VI month TO live upon will nm
Hoihiedly hight against exposure and the
loss of the pensions. The first step in con-
temptation to carry through the reform go
greatly needed is the publication ana cir
cuia ton OF a complete list of pensioners by
states and counties. The theory is that
Widespread publicity will brin. To tbe
knoWIedge OF the bureau many cases IN
which pensions are still drawn for pension
ers who have died. 1t may seem strange
To those who do not understand the mac
nltGde OF the pension business that il is
possible for pe1Siors to Continue after
deaths or pensioners But the bureau is s.,
Ditch confronted with such cases that the
oihcIais cannot help believing that many
More exist There are thousands of pen-
sloHers living in foreign countries Thu
quarterly checks are forwarded Willingly
uiShonest relatives or friends can conceal
the deaths of such pensioners and through
iorSei Endorsements can draw the pensions
after the pensioners have died In this
country the practice is little more diff
cunt but sui the officials believe IL is being
followed The publication of the complete
lists. informing every community of .he
men who are drawing pensions would il
Is argued, shame some of the weIl-to-do
dependents on government bounty into the
surrender of what the law was not intend
ed to give them.
But second step. more important than
the publication of the names of all pension
ers. is contemplated. II is proposed that a
force of inspectors or special agents shall
be organized to Inv
and verify the lists, reporting all cases
where men of means have obtained pen
sions under the dependent act This would
be an enormous work, but the bureau Off
Gals believe results would justify it, There
are now 100000 pensioners on the rolls
veterans who do not come within the in
tent OF the dependent act seeing how
easily their neighbors, vino are as well Off
as they arc, have added the SD month to
their Incomes, are now applying for the
same recognition. To reject these thou
sands Of new applications and to permit
those who have no more right to dependent