The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-15
GOLD PENSION BILL WILL BE
FAVORABLY REPORTED TO-DAY
Senate Finance Committee Endorses This Plan for the
Distribution Of 100000 Among Vrginia's Vet
erans---Sone Of its Provisions

of Office, and also that the Common
wealths Attorney shall thoroughly and
minutely. explain to them the provisions
of tho law under which they are to act.
The members OF the Finance Coumit-
tee were OF one mind in their desire to
be as liberal as the finances of the State
would permit to all worthy Confederate
soldiers who are disublcd and needy.
Their long consultation over the law had
rather to do with providing safeguards
that would Keep rnwcrthT applicants off
the lists. MI recognize that the present
Parks law has not, i'll all cases. operated
successfully. Captain Parks himself,
who has been in constant consultation
with Mr.. Gold in the framing Of the pro-
posed new law, stated before the COM
nittee that, i'll his opinion, in half of
the counties OF the State the County
tension Boards had been unduly lax in
their Interpretation and applica ton Of
the law. The problem of properly adj
ministering the law is an extremely dif-
fkkllt one, thinks Captain Parks He
recognizes that under the present law
unworthy applicants here and there have
gotten on the rolls. The Parks bill, un-
der which the State has been conduct
ing its pension operations for two years
PROVIDES 1or the appropriation of about
$l35,0o0 a year. Under its operation about
1000 names have been added to the State
pension lists. Previous to tho enactment
OF the Parks law there were Confed-
crate pensioners upon the State pension
list who had become recipients Of State
assistance. either BIZ reason of private
pension bills. passed by the Legislature
from time to time, or through the ope,.
alton of the old law of 1883. which nut
the matter of pension-Srantinc in the
hands OF the County Court and the State
Audltor. BY reason of these two cir
f~J1 tom I,
of the Parks bill two years ago, there were
between two and three thousand State
Confederate pensioners. This number
the Parks law has increased to between
hlne thousand and ten thousand, Often
about Two thousand are widows.
The number Of those who will be eliei-
Ole, under the more liberal provisions
OF the Gold bill. its friends are una BILE
to accurately forecast
The appropriation bill will carry thc
item Of SSCoooo for pensions. 1t can be
safely forecasted that the Gold pension
bill, providing fer the distribution of
this sum- Will pass both houses OF the
Legislature with but few dissenting votes
One of the points OF objection to the
operation Of tho Parks law is the
inequality or the distribution of tho
pension fund. among the counties Coun-
ty pension boards differ Some>interpret
IiiS Id" 9Ii-ttiS ana IlStQlE ana turn
down a large number of applicants. 9th
ers interpret the law in lax and liberal
fashion and let pretty much everybody
through. The result is that in adjoining
counties Of the same population and num-
be:' OF Confederate soldiers one may have
four times as many State pensioners as
the others.
Captain Parks has called attention to
small counties, which have on the PEN
sion roll a much longer list of names
than much larger counties. 1t is to cor
rect conditions Of this character that the
friends of the law have given it careful
consideration and revision.
The bill will be reported in the Senate
fo.day.