The sun., 1898-09-19
PENSION FUNDOF THE NAVY
co1rnTIsTONER EVANS ISSUES 4 STATE
NEWT as TO ITS CONDITION.

| The Fund No Longer Adequate 70 the De-
mands Made Upon It-Arrears Paid on
Pledge OF the Public Falth-Resume OF
Pension Laws for wars Before 1851.
WASHINGTON, Sept 18 - Commissioner Of
Pensions Evans has issued an addendum to his
report, giving summary OF the pension laws
allowing service pensions and some facts re-
RardinR the navy pension fund. OF the latter
he says:
Tho money accruIng to the United States
from sale OF prizes constitutes q fund which
must remain forever fund for the pay
ment Of pensions to the officers. seamen and
marines who may be entitled 10 receive the
same. The law provides that II such fund be
insufficient for the purpose the public faith Ii
pledged TO make up the deficiency.
"It does not appear that there was any navy
pension fund in 1851. but In 1882 It amouted TO
81 .35o, 900. and In 1884 to S6.055.5s5. It now
amounts to about $14, 100000. The interest on
the fund up to 1858 was more than SUFFICIENT to
pay navy PENSIONS and in that year q law was
passed reducing the interest on said fund TO 3
per cent. per nnnum.
Since 1870 the amount derived from the in
terest on this fund has been inadequate to pay
all navy pensions. and the provision which
pledges the public faith TO make up the de-
foiency has been brought into operation since
that date. During the past four years the In
terest on the navy pension fund available for
the payment of navy pensions has been: For
1895. $339.535; 1896. S34o.695; 1897. $780,
275; 1888. S341. .275. The amounts paid dur
ing those years for navy pensions Were: In
| 1895. $685.. .485; 1890. $3.5SS.628; 1897.
| 1896. .s02; 1893. S3.725.932
1T will readily appear that the amount OF
interest on the navy pension fund made
available for the payment OF navy pensions dur
ing the period above noted was, in fact. less
than 10 per cent OF the actual payments made
| In connection with that branch OF the service.
| In the Naval Appropriation act OF 1870 1t was
| provided that the present and all future appro-
priations for the support Of the United States
Naval Asylum at Philadelphia, Pa. should be
charged to and paid from the income OF the
naval pension fund.
This fund is also charged with the payment
/ OF the half-pay allowance made to disabled sea-
men or marines for twenty years service. and
| the allowance made by the Secretary OF the
Navy to disabled persons who have served In
| the navy or Marine Corps for period OF ten
years. These allowances are separate from and
| In addition to any pension to which these per-
sons sons are entitled under existing laws"
| Is thus summarized:
Revolutionary war: The act OF March 1S.
%s the s
| act passed granting pension for service only.
Its beneticiares were required to be in INDECENT
May is. 1898. or forty-five years after the
| war. service pension was granted to
Of ths seFUts On June 1882
forty nine years after the close OF the war. q
vfVors who a served not less than six months in
said war. On July 4. 1885. being hfty-three
years after the termination OF the war. an act
revolutionary war widows provided they were
married to the soldier or sailor before the
%Ss not ess than han SIX See months. On july &
or ftty-fve years after the close OF the war. the
sons s Where TS marrase S took place
Jan. l. 1904. On July -. 1S4S. or sixty-five
years after the var the above laws were
prior to Jan. i. 1900. On Feb. 3. 1853. or
seventy years after the, war. an act was passed
War of 1s12-The first law granting pen;
| on Feb IA. 1871. fifty-si years after the close
Of the war This act required sixty DAYS ser
unless they were married to soldiers or sailors
as s9 tae n MereS g. R
OF service to fourteen days. and made no llmita.
tion IS to date Of marriage in Sc case & e TidSEs
nine years after the close Of the war. an act was
passed providing for soldiers and sailors and md
years # aSs or disabled or dspSadbens,s JSb - :.
provided for those who served thirty days in
the Black Hawk. Creek, Cherokee and Florida
| war with Seminole Indians. from 1882 to 1872.
| and to their widows.
There has never been any law pensioning
widows OF soldiers whose death was due 70
| service In time OF peace prior to March 4. 1881.
No provision has ever been made for mothers
and fathers and brothers and sisters II the
| death OF soldier or sailor resulted from service
prior to March 4. 1851. The laws relating to
pension have been more liberal since 1851 than
| they were prior to that date.
ITO make it palmer. as an illustration OF
this fact will cite the case Of a sailor who
lost both arms In the service and line OF duty
| prior to March 4, 1881. He would be entitled
to q rating beginning at So. 80 per month and
| to the various rates provided from time to
time to Feb. IL. 1889. when he would receive
500 per month"