Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-02

(By Telegraph to -Pilot.)
Washington, Jan. 1.-For many years
the country has consoled itself with
the hope that some day the great bur-
den OF the pension system would be
lightened. With the annual payments
35 years after the end OF the Civil
war in the neighborhood of $3.50, 900, 900,
it would seem reasonable to conclude
that the time for h reduction had arr
rived. Commissioner Evans says,
however, that ut the present rate Of
filing claims for widows and orphans
of soldiers in the Civil war, and claims
for pensions arising from the war with
Spain, the payment of pensions at the
rate of s150,000,O COO annually is likely to
continue indefinitely. With the rev.
enues of the country increased by
nearly s20OOO0,000 from the war rev
enue taxes, the expenditures for pen
sions still amount to % per cent. of
the gross annual income of the coun-
try.
Multitudinous bills have been intro
duced In Congress to provide addition
al pensions, and 1t would not be sur
.prising IL even the most undeserving
of them should pass, as, after the Act
of June 80, 1890. anything is possible
in pension legislation. Some unique
ideas are advanced in pension bills al
ready introduced this session. One by
Representative Gibson. (Tennessee),
is ito do justice" to all Union soldiers
and sailors confined in Confederate
prisons. It Is proposed to give these
prisoners Il lump sum equal to 81 for
every day of confinement, and S12
month for the remainder of their lives.
TRANSFERS ARE INCLUDED.
Mr.. Gibson also wishes to pension
teams ers employed with the Union ar
mics, and injured or othNrwise disabled
in the lire OF duty, ut S12 Il month. Mr..
Gibson, not content with this, intro
duced IL bill to pension all helpless SOL
diers and sailors suffering from total
or partial blindness. or the loss or both
hands or feet, at $50 n month, whather
their injuries were received in the war
CT since. Mr.. l. t2gerald, of Massachu-
sets, hns bill to grant pensions to
survivors OF the Civil War VINO have
RIA he'd the age OF Go years. He would
give them $l2 n mouth.
NIr. Gibson Is rainc1 that pensioners
who found their diElbili les did not pre-
vent their enlistment as sound men in
the war with Spain have been dropped
from the pension rolls. He advocates
restoring them TO the rolls on their
written application. lie also stlpulates
that service in the Spanish war shall,
not prejudice claim for a pension for
former service. Under this act man
ply Sly sound enough 10 serve in the
Sranish war viii be cnabled % draw n
pension for disabilities incurred between
1861 and 1865.
r presentat've Graham presents bill
10 give to all officers anil enlisted men
OF the Union Army n monthly pension
OF cent per day for each day III the
service in addition to any invalid PEN
sions they may be receiv ny Senator
Gull m has a b II to pension all veterans
over 20 years Of age who served ninety
days in the Civil War: all widows OF
such veterans who are 10 years old TO
be prns'oned. and the rate for veterans
or w'd-,ws to he $50 a m nth.
Representative Berry wishes all
widows and survivors OF the Mexican
and Indian wars who receive pensions
to be paid at the rate OF s12 month.
SERVICE PENSION ADVOCATED.
Representative Cochrane. of New
York, has n bill TO give all honorably
discharged enlisted soldiers and sailors
of the Civil War service pension of
IS n month. Representative Grosvenor
has bill to grant pensiona BILE status
TO the SIG commissioners and surgeons
of the enrolling boards. who examined,
enlisted and mustered more than n mill
lion volunteers and 26S,0O0 soldiers by
draft.
a bill presented by Mr.. Cochrane, of
New York, provides that no pensions
shall be stopped without due process of
law. He also desires that pensioners 70
years of age. totally disabled as far as
manual labor is concerned, and whose
pension is the only means of support,
shall receive Si5 month. Represent
ative Grosvenor has a bill which de-
fines the limit of income for widow
which would bar her from receiving
pension at $500. The same bill stipu-
lates that where pension has been
stopped and the pensioner Is later re-
stored to tho rolls, he shall receive all
his back pension from the time 1t was
stopped TO his restoration to the rolls.
a bin introduced by Representative
De Nrics provides that all soldiers who
Continued on Page IL.