The Washington times., 1903-09-11
Recommends Denial of Pen
sion to Persons Convicted
of Crime and to Women
Who Marry Pensioners.
FAV0RS ESTABLISHING
CIVIL PENSION LIST
Says Superannuated Clerks
Should Be Retired and
Provision Made for Them.
State of Pension Roll.

GeCOulInGnQaNlODE
Eugene F. Ware, Commissioner of Pen
sions, in his report to the Secretary of
the Interior, submitted yesterday. The
recommendations are sure TO attract
great attention, but 1t is thought much
difficulty would be experienced in induc-
ing Congress to enact many of them into
laws. They are as follows:
Il recommend the passage OF law
that any man that is convicted in a court
of an Infamous crime should forfeit his
pension or his right TO one.
4 recommend the passage of law
prohibiting the giving of pensions to
those women who marry soldiers after
the soldiers become old pensioners.
Civil Pension Roll.
providing for superannuated clerks. and
invite attention TO this bureau. where
there are 500 employees who are sixty
years old or over. in a force of LIZA. and
where the average of all is ffty-three
years. Some law of retirement and pro-
vision must be devised. as the present
system is too unsatisfactory and too ex-
pensive.
"As the number of employees in the
Pension Bureau and its branch agencies
exceeds over 1000 in number and The
work and responsibilities are great. /
recommend that the salary of the chief
clerk be fixed at $4,000 per annum.
"As, attorneys are not permitted 10
charge claimants for service under GER
tain acts. and as claimants ought TO have
the right TO the services at reasonable
fees. as well FOR eheir own benefit as
the saving Of expense 10 the Government
in doing the work which the attorney
might otherwise do, I recommend the
hxation by law OF a small fee for SER
vices OF attorneys under each OF the
acts.
New System Of Examination.
81 recommend a different method of
examining applicants for pension. The
present system is a most uncertain. ex-
pensive. and unsatisfactory method. he
system is liable to outside control and
political dictation. and generates an en-
ormous amount of political friction
Those who are examined for disabiIi
ties desire to have the very best medical
pathological sequences Of many diseases
and disabilities are so obscure and re-
mote that they can only be detected by
careful examination conducted by those
Of learning and experience. The Govern
I4CnJ needs protection as well.
Il suggest boards constituted of ex-
pe.ts under civil service rules. who
should go from place 10 place on fxel
days. giving examinations and receiving
testimony regarding the conditions o. the
applicants and making reports thereon.
The territory could be divided into cir
cults and the beard serve outside the
States Of their domicile.
1T viii be observed that the number
OF applicants and demands upon the bu-
reau were 25 per cent larger last year
than the annual average of the past ten
years. and that the bureau has gained
upon the current work 100, 900 cases in
two years"
There were on the pension rolls al tho
close Of the last fiscal year 996, ,5fJ
names OF these 72s,356 were soldiers
and 2e71 widows and dependents.
These pensioners received $l37. .759. =
G53-71. The operating expenses of the
bureau and its agencies were $685.
2l6.79, so that the total cost of pensions
for the year was S141. .752, ,870.5O The
appropriation for the year was sI42,-
352.O40. Because of money repaid into
the Treasury and for other technical
reasons the unexpended balance for 1905
was $685.. .3eO,I0.
The total pension cost in 1902 waf
<sl4l. $50, 42S.03. so that the system cos,
the country S3T9. .25187 more IN 1903 thar
in 1902. On the other hand, the cxpendi-
lures in 1903 were STA. .464. Is less thar
IN 1901
The total gain IN the pension roll,
during the year was 44.487. OF which
pensions 231 were by special act o.
Congress. The total loss IN the number
OF pensions was 47,3Ss, so that there
were at the end OF 1903 fewer pensioneri
on the roll by 1901 than al the end o
1902.
The number Of deaths among the sol
der pensioners for the year was % ,12a
Among these, 27.S42 of the deaths wer,
volunteers OF the civil war.
The death rate among the pensioner,
for the coming year viii be about 45 900
and the losses 70 the roll from Other
causes will be about 5000.
High Water Mark in 1907.
The high-water mark in pensions wai
reached on July l. 1902, when ! 1,O01 40
pensioners were enrolled. The loves
point for the fiscal year was reached
on April 30, 1903. when the rolls showed
s95.0sS names Commissioner War,
does not think the roll will again cross
the million line.
The number OF applications for origi-
nal pensions in 1903 was 80 ,325. and oi
these 40,l36 have been allowed. The
total OF applications fIed in the year
was 225.s7i.
OF the 1i3,794 cases rejected last
year. e0,Sl6 were rejected on medical
aud TQ- Of fbar, rt-a-. .r,lf