The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-03-22
SIMS WAGES
PENSION WAR
TENNESSEE CONGRESSMAN CHAR
GES DISCRIMINATION.
QUOTES TELLING FIGURES
STATES WITH MEMBERS on INVALID
PENSION COMMITTEE FAVORED.
Page Morris Adopts Unique Plan for
Distribution of Flower
Seeds.
WASHINGTON, d. c., March 20

WASHINGTON, d. c., March 30
making a campaign against pension
legislation and charges recklessness
and discrimination by the house in the
passage Of private pension bills. Fig
ures show that at the short session or
the last congress- in four days 7O1 pfi-
vate pension bills were passed, OF
which 467 were for increase, and that
the average Of the increases allowed
was above 200 per cent.
Colonel Sims holds that there should
be a general law regulating the In
crease Of pensions so that one man
should not be given double the amount
given another of like disability result
ing from like service. The methods
that obtain in legislation in the grant
of increase Is thus described by Mr..
Sims:
"A man goes before the pension bur-
eau with an imperfect title. If he had
a good title he would get $12, but he
cannot make it, and he does not get
anything Than he comes here and
out of kindness of heart and liberality
the house gives him s24, when he would
not have gotten over $12 if he had
good title.''
Referring to the fact that three of
the members Of the committee on in
valid pensions come from Michigan and
two from Indiana, Mr.. Sims says:
Take the state of Indiana, the num-
Der of pensioners in that state is &C.,
974, and the gross amount paid by this
government to those pensioners is $780,
POI, S9675 per annum. The great state
of Illinois, right beside it, and I sup
pose that state furnished pro rata as
many soldiers as Indiana did; that
state has on the pension roll 70,4S1,
greater number by several thousand
than Indiana, and these pensioners re-
ceive 1878 ,003.75. Let us take Michi-
gan with three members on the COM
mittee. There are on the rolls from
Michigan, 44,050 pensioners, who re-
ceive $685. 101.55. The state of Penns-
ylvania has on the pension roll 104,345
and they receive 13,3S7,371.
''The average annual value of pen
sion in Michigan is, in round num-
bers, $3.50, while the average value in
Pennsylvania is but $125. The average
value in Indiana, in round numbers, is
$3.50, while in Illinois it is $137.''
Cuban Sugar Figures.
THE wal. department hog received
from Havana interesting statistics In
regard to the sugar crop, which is con-
tended by the beet sugar advocates,
has been largely purchased by the
American sugar refiners. The statistics
are from an official source and con-
firm General Woods denial that any
considerable quantity has been dispos-
ed of
The figures show that the present
crop will average not over 70O 900 tons
of sugar, Of which one-half has been
harvested. The production from Jan.
to March did not exceed 100000. OF
this 100000 tons is stored in Cuban
warehouses and $4,000 tons has been
hypothecated for loans advanced early
in the season. OF the remainder, 24O,-
900 tons is held by owners and specula-
tors In Cuba. 1t is asserted that of the
total amount grown already harvested
10 per cent is the property of the sugar
growers.
Morris and Flower Seeds.
Representative Morris has adopted
unique plan for the distribution of the
d1lO "duCS VI ScSc1S anu pldnCS WHICH
the government gives, from the agri-
cultural department and botanical
gardens, to each congressman.
He has secured the names of all the
school teachers in his district, and the
seeds will be sent to these teachers, by
whom, according to Judge Morris, the
packages of seeds will be distributed
in the same manner, and when all the
school children will have successfully
cultivated flower gardens the country
school will be thing of beauty.
Bryan After Senator's.
The most important feature of the
recent visit Of Mr.. William Jennings
Bryan is his earnest advocacy Of the
ancient idea of popular election of the
United States senators. He called upon
many congressman and urged energetic
action In this direction. AS is we'll
known, there has never been any diff
Guilty in the way of the house on this
proposition, but the senator's always
shy at it. Time after time a resolution
amending the constitution to provide
for the election of senators has passed
the house. but the senate always had
the dope for it.
IL IS clear Indl popular vote of
senators would destroy the character
of the senate, as some of the opponents
claim. In many Of the states the sena-
tors are practically elected by the peo-
pie now.
The argument OF Senator Hoar is
that the senate should be free from
the influence Of popular revolution, and
that election by legislators, some Of
whom have been chosen in elections
previous to political tidal waves, would
not tend to preserve its ancient dignity
and conservatism.
Hanna and Roosevelt.
Senator Hanna recently called at the
White House and held lengthy con-
ference with the president He was
closeted so long, indeed, that the cab
met meeting was delayed nearly half
IN hour.
The subject of the conference was
the appointment of a number Of South
ern postmaste9b whose time is about to
expire. They have, as stated in these
dispatches, a news censor at the White
House now, and everything pertaining
to the president passes through this
oonoorsa ha yHdR