New-York tribune., 1901-08-26
NO NEW "HIGHWATER MARK"

Some decidedly misleading conclusions have
heen drawn from Commissioner Evans's recent
report on the work of the Pension Bureau for
the year ending June 80, 1901. In most of the
abstracts made of this report the impression
has been improperly conveyed that new high
water mark" in pension expenditures was
reached during the closing year of President
McKinley's first administration. feeble color
ing was given to this contention, perhaps, by
the fact that the roll of pensioners had mounted
a shade nearer the million limit than ever be-
fore standing on June 80 last at 991,13o. But
apart from this single disclosure there was
nothing whatever in the commissioners elap-
crate summary of the bureaus work TO suggest
an actual imitation in the nations pension ac-
count; and certainly II is serious error TO say
as we find one of our intelligent Philadeiphla
contemporaries doing. that thirty-six years after
1.-The close of the Civil War. and under the ad-
"ministration of Commissioner or Pensions
who has been denounced as unfriendly to pen
.sion claimants there are recorded the highest
number of pensioners and the largest money
payments"
Little or no significance attaches TO the slght
increase recorded for the year in the roll OF pen
sioners That roll has been practically station
airy for the last ten years On June 80, l9oo'
there
June 80. 1899. about $4,000. AS far back as
1898 the total had already reached 966.OoO. But
the growth of the roll has by 10 means involved
a corresponding increase in pension payments
For in 1929, when the number of pension
ers was 966O12 the disbursements for pensions
amounted TO S156.S06,537. That was the real
.'highwater mark" in the Pension Bureaus his
tory No year since then has seen as great a
iatp or
993 ia pensioners. the total expenditure was
S144 100000. But in spite of still further net
additions the annual cost of pensions has fallen
70 an even lower level in the last three years,
standing at S13S 900 in 1895 13S,462,0 900
in 1S99-19OO and S13S, sol 600 in 10000.
But the Commissioners report offers still
other evidence that no recurrence of the record
breaking disbursement figures of 1898 and 1898
is now within the range of probability. Three
years ago there were on the files Of the Pension
Bureau no less than 635,059 unsettled claims
On June 80 last there were only 403.569 claims
outstandng-a reduction of over 80 per cent
But of these 270OO0 are appeals for reratings
and Al 900 are Spanish War claims, so that Of
the vast army of claimants made pensionable
by the legislation Of 1890 comparatively few
now remain whose original applications have
not been passed on. With these remaining un-
adjusted cases once disposed OF an increasing
death rate will undoubtedly cut our pension pay
ments before many years to S130,0o0,0o0, per-
haps TO S125.00o,ooo. We may add that on the
face of the record made by the Pension Bureau
for the last twelve months, and summarized in
Mr. Commissioner Evans's report, II is difficult
TO see how the bureau management can be
charged with any possible lack OF energy in
sitting and settling the mass of unadjusted
claims left over to it from previous administra-
tions.