The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-27
PENSIONS SWELL,
PLEDGES BREAK.
Democratic c Congressman Point
Out Gaping Joints in the
Republican Armor.

The house today began consideration
of the sundEy civil appropriation bill.
Chairman Hemenway, of the appro-
priations committee, and Mr. Benton,
Democratic member, filed statements
on the bill. Mr.. Hemenway summed
up the fiscal condition for the next ifs
cal year, showing that after all legiti-
mate expenses had been paid there
would be $22,OOO,0OO surplus for the
year.
Mr.. Hemenway estimated the annual
expenditures for 1905 to be $780,, 1924;
to this sum must be added the interest
on the public debt, estimated at $84,-
971,S2O. The revenues for the year. he
said. are estimated at $704,472,06O
The total estimates for the department.
ments for the expenses of the govern
ment for 1905 aggregate 747,317.922, or
an excess of $42.S45,S62 over the reve-
nues. By scaling down the estimates
and emitting to pass river and har-
Dor and public buildings oppropria-
ton bills, the expenditures have been
reduced $22,0O0000 less than the esti-
mated revenues. This estimate. Mr..
Hemenway said, contemplated all rea-
sonable additions that may be made to
the appropriation bills and is also suf-
fcient to cover all legitimate def1cien-
cies that may have to be provided for
next session.
Mr. Benton complimented the Re
publicans on the bill, saying that 1t
was altogether the best Republican
bill he had seen come from the COM
mittee in years. 1t, however, did not
meet with his approval from a Demo-
cratic standpoint.
criticises Pension Order.
Mr.. Miers Qnd.), referring to the re-
cent order of Pension Commissioner
Ware granting pensions to soldiers of
siXty-tWo years and over, said that he
had waited for several days for some
member of the majority to make an
explanation of the effect Of the order,
but none had been made, and he would
do so himself. In estimating what 1T
would cost to place the order in effect,
Mr.. Miers divided the soldiers into
three pensionable classes: those who
are not receiving any pension, those
who are receiving pensions under the
service pension act and those receiving
pensions under the general pension
law.
OF the first class,'h said, there were
between 900 and 100000. Subdl-
per cent, being sixty-two and entitled
to the Sc pension, would require 81 1906
900: SO per cent are sixty-five years of
age. which would require $1,632,000; 40
per cent are sixty eight, which would
require $1.167 900; 20 per cent are sew
enty years of age, which would require
S592,OOO making a total of $lO,7O4,O O0
necessary for those who are not now on
the pension roll.
Increase of pension under this or
der to those who are now drawing pen
sions under the act of June II, 1880,
would require the following sum:
Increase to those sixty-two years OF
age $1,453,S96; to those s1xty-flve
years old. S1606, $50; increase to those
sixty-eight years old, $376,040, or to-
tai of $S,470, 500; making a grand total
of $14174,568.
The third class, Mr.. MierS said, was
composed of twenty soldiers, who are
drawing less than SIS for disabilities
actually received in the service. TO
bring these up under the order Woulu
only require $500, while 1T would re-
uuire $4,000 to execute the order to
those soldiers who had never been able
to prove any penSionable disability
Whatsoever. The only precedent that
was cited for the order was the execu-
tive order pensioning the Mexican vet
Grams at $12. This was an unfortunate
L.
diers met the responsibility for one
year only while Sc was to be given to
soldiers who fought for four years dur
ing the hardest war of history. Mr..
Miers said he thought legislation by
congress would be necessary to make
the order effective.
In Bad Taste.
He said it was not right to enact
such legislation against Which~he con-
tended, but the manner in which 1t
was done Congress had been prepar-
ing to answer the great demand for
service pensions, and inasmuch as it
was the function Of the congress to
legislate for the country, the executive
order, whether issued through the in
terror department or by the president
himself, was in very bad taste, to say
the least"
Mr. Miers read from reports Of the
pension department to show that the
cost of the order on account of the
veterans who held their claims to be
of such origin is only $1,S74,176 and
would cost for those who could not
prove disabilities $14,174578. He de-
clared the figures to be wrong end to-
Referring to a published report of a
recent meeting Of the senate steering
committee looking to an early adj
journment of congress, Mr. Miers said
members VINO 1nQOrSeQ InaL plan were
afraid to say how they stand on labor
service pensions and other measures
which were discussed in the steering
committee. He declared that if that
was the situation he for one would
insist upon congress remaining here
and meeting them.
MrsPow IN. Co. reviewed the failure
of congress to enact legislation to cor
rect specified evils, particularly the
trusts. He referred to President
Roosevelt's attitude on trusts before
and after his election as president. Mr..
Pow minimized the effects of the
Northern Securities decision, because,
he said, it did not prevent the two
railways from cooperating and charg-
ing their own rates for passengers and
freight.
Party Is Pledge Breaker.
He said the feeling that the ascen-
sion Of Roosevelt to the presidency
would result in changing the Repub-
lican party from the servant to the
oppressor of trusts had proved a fall
lacy, and that the party was still de-
pendent upon monopolies and the mon
ey they pour into its campaign funds.
1.-THE Republican party" he said, sin
q few short months, would beg money
for the election of your strenuous
Inoralist candidate, who, as governor
of New York, was denouncing the cor
porations to which he is now looking
for support"
7 liberal laws on irnnoi grafton Uare