The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-06
BoorH-rUcKER ON PENSIONS.


It may be said that the pension greed
has become q chronic ailment in this
country, and it is apparently growing
worse all of the time. Now more than
thirty-five years after the ending Of the
Civil War, the government is paying Sl4o,-
900 a year to the veterans of the
Union army-nearly five times as much
as 1t paid ten years after the establish
ing of peace; and the demand is constant
ly for more pensions. Commissioner Evans
has been made the target of all manner OF
attacks, for the sole reason that he has
followed the law and declined to allow
unworthy and unwarranted pension appli-
cations The states of the late Confederacy
have inaugurated pension systems, and
every one of them is finding the burden
heavy and growing heavier. In Georgia
the load of pensions is taxing the ingen-
uity of the state officials, and annoying
complications are arising because of the
pension payments ordered by the Legis-
lature. And it is practically the same in
other Southern states. Meanwhile the
demand is for more and still more pen
er payments. For number of years
there has been an effort to commit the
national government to a policy of civil
service pensions. It has up to this time
been defeated, but the growing greed for
government largess may eventually re-
suit in it's adoption. Many municipalities
pension their policemen and firemen, and
in some of them there has been agitation
in favor of pensioning school teachers In
short, it seems to be the idea to put ev-
cry person who performs any sort of pub
lie service upon pension roll, after a GER
tain period
Many corporations, too, have establish
ed pension systems. The Pennsylvania
Railroad pays over $1,000 a year in pen
sions. The Northwestern Railway ex-
ponds a similar amount for a like pur-
pose; and there are other great business
establishments with pension systems.
The difficulty in respect to the pension
system in this country is that the bene-
factor pays out money to the beneficiary
who gives nothing back for it. Does not
this free giving, this gratuity without
to encourage pauperism? The Salvation
Army management thinks that it does;
therefore the Army gives nothing away.
1t requires all who accept it's charities to
render consideration for what they re-
ceive. The return may be small, it is not
always expected that there shall be full
value return, but the rule is that there
respect Of the person aided is preserved,
and the suggestion of pauperism is dis
couraged.
Commander Booth-Tucker argues that
the benefits of pensions without consider
alton on the part of the pensioner are not
permanent, but only temporary, and the
general result is to encourage the recip-
tents to seek living without labor on
their part. He thinks the plan of making
the pension in the nature of an invest
ment for the beneficiary would be much
better Under the present system the pen
| sion stops when the pensioner dies; and
| that is the time when the family most
needs it, If the pension were in the ma
| ture of an investment, not only the PEN
sioner but the family would have an in
| centive to labor and a stimulus to their
ambition. Commander Booth-Tucker has
worked out his scheme in detail, and
hopes to have some of the great railroad
and other corporations cooperate with
him and put it into practice. He suggests
the purchase of homes for pensioners, in
colonies or otherwise.
! I he found somewhat moro diff
cult to apply Commander Booth-Tucker's
idea to the cases of state and national
| pensioners than to those of corporation
pensioners; nevertheless the fact remains
that our public pension system as it is
at present, is a dangerous one-one calcu-
lated to embarass treasures, promote idle
ness and mendicancy and load taxpayers
with unjust burdens. A solution for it
! is sadly needed.