New-York tribune., 1904-09-20
No RAID on THE TREASURY
PENSION ORDERS EFFECT.
Cost Only $50, 900 a Month Demo
cratic Predictions Proved False.
IFRoM TIE TRIBUNE BuREAr.l

Washington Sept I9-Of the S1.JOooOO ap-
Propriated ny Congress for the payment Of pen
sions under the order peusioning veterans Of
the Civil War who have reached the age ot
sixty-two only $4,000 was expended up 10 the
close - the last fiscal year. and the remainder
S1.4l0oOO. was covered back into the Treasury
This Is unprecedented I'm the history Of pension
legislation and adjudication. and is a source of
grave concern 70 the Democrat critics Of the
administration who We're preparing to manu-
fscture lurid campaign material from the lh-
erality 81 the Republican party 70 the old sol
dier. II shows that instead ~ the governments
being compelled to spend S5o0oo a month for
pensions under the age limit order. $4,000 a
month FOR that purpose appears 10 be approx
mateiy the correct figure.
IN order that all claims for pensions under the
order might he promptly met the Commissioner
of Pensions asked and obtained from Congress
the appropriation OF S1.5G0Goo. which Became
effective on the day the order went into effect.
The order promulgated March T.. 1901.
and 70 the astonishneut Of the officials who had
made the estimate only 1900 claims vere
fled up 10 and including June 3o the end m
the fiscal year. or these there were adjud-
Gated in April. May and June i 627 claims.
which called for the payment Of approximately
$4,000. There was neither haste nor delay in
the examination o. the claims fled and at no
time did the applications become 50 numerous
10 interfere At all with the ordinary routine
work Of the Pension Bureau
OF the certificates issued. 3. $50 we're for orig
inal pensions. granted because the veteran had
reached the age Of Sixty-two or upward. and
IA res were increases allowed 10 a claimant vino
was receiving pension for disa hility less than
the amount 70 which he was entitled under tho
For s..-t .rFf
creases were for only So a month. which indi-
Gates that there viii be "A substsutia. reductior,
in the original estimate OF the amount necessary
FOR the payment % these claims II clearly
demonstrates. according 70 the pension officials
that a large proportion OF the veterans entitled
10 the benefits q the age limit order are now
drawing pensions. and the expenditure under
the order VIII be correspondence, reduced.
Il is estimated that By the end Of september
twenty thousand more claims viii have been
passed upon and that the same relative pro-
portion OF increases and original issues riN be
observed. The applications which average two
hundred = day. are receiving attention as n
part OF the regular routine work of the Office.
and being disposed OF with gratifying dis
patch. Much OF The proof necessary 10 estab-
llsh claim is already on record, either I'm the
Pension Bureau or in the War Department
making q reiuvcstisatIon OF the cases unneces-
sary IN most instances. Although il is impossi-
bic accurately to estimate the number OF vet
erans who are entitled 70 or who VIII apply for
pensions under the ruling. il is thought that
fully three years viii have eIs psed before ali The
claimants are on the rolls This work viii be
prosecuted with all other cases demanding the
attention OF the bureau, and all are now prac-
tically up to date
This showing OF the results of a beuedcent
order issued by the administration earnest
OF its lberaIity 10 The veterans Of the Civn
War efTectuaIly disposes OF the Democratic
predictions Of wholesale pension raids on the
Treasury and robs that party OF one of It's
most prolific sources OF criticism. officials de-
clare that the order is accomplishing what
intended when it was promulgated to a most
gratifying degree. and that is the placing on the
pension rolls OF the names OF those now wholly
or in part incapacltated who deserve recogni-
tion from the government they helped 70 pre-
RerVs