The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-27
HEhENWAY EXPLAINS
FINANCIAL CONDITION
OF THE GOVERNMENT
By Scaling Down Estimates There
Will Be a Surplus of S22,-
100000 Next Year.
SPEECH BY BOB MIERS
Who Thinks Legislation Is Needed
to Make Pension Disability
Order Effective.

WASHINGTON, March 26.-The House
to-day began consideration of the sundry
civil appropriation bill. Ten hours was fixed
for general debate on the measure, but at
the end Of an hour and "a half there were
speakers ready to continue and the
House adjourned for lack of takers
In his statement on the bill Chairman
Hemenway. of the appropriation commit
tee, summed up the fiscal condition for the
next fiscal year. showing that after all the
legitimate expenses had been paid there
would be $50, 100000 surplus for the year. Mr.
Hemenway estimated the annual expendi-
lures for 1905 to be s597, S02. 1924; to this sum
must be added the interest on the public
debt estimated at SS4,971 $50. The revenues
for the year, he said, are estimated a $104,-
472,060. The total estimates of the depart
ments for the expense OF the government
for 1905 aggregate S47,3l1, 922, or an excess
of $42,S45,S62 over the revenues By scaling
down the estimates and emitting to pass
river and harbor and public building APP
preparation bill the expenditures have been
reduced to $22, 100000 less than the estimat-
ed revenues. This estimate, MIR. Hemenway
said. contemplated all reasonable additions
that may be made by the Senate TO the
eral appropriation bills and is also suffi-
cient to cover all legitimate deficiencies that
have to be provided for next session.
Mr.. Miers, of Indiana, referring to the
recent order of Pension Commissioner
ty-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 esti-
mating what it would cost 10 place the or
der 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 law. OF the first class
10 n 10 hos
estimates, between 10000 and 100000. Sub
divided into classes according to age, rs
per cent. being sixty-two and entitled to
the So pension, would require S7200,O00;
per cent. are sixty-five, which would re-
quire S1,639,OOO; 49 per cent. sixty-eight years
of age, which would require 81, 1877 900; %
per cent. are seventy years of age, which
would require $4,000. making total of
SlO,7O4,OO necessary for those who are not
now on the pension roll. Increase of pen
sion under this order TO those who are
now drawing pensions under the act of
June, 1880, would require the following
sums: Increase TO those sixty-two years
of age, S,453.S 96; to those sixty-five years
old, 81, $780, increase to those sixty-eight
years old, $37404O, or total of 49, 470 56S
making a grand total of $l4174,56S The
third class, Mr.. Miers said. was composed
of twenty soldiers who are drawing less
than Sc for disabilities actually received in
the service. To bring these up under the
order would only require 1904, while it would
require S.D0G0 to execute the order to
those soldiers who had never been able 10
prove any reasonable disability whatso-
ever
The only precedent cited for the order
was the executive order pensioning the
Mexican war veterans at S12. This was an
unfortunate precedent because the Mexi-
can soldiers met the responsibility for one
year only while s. a month is to be given
to soldiers who fought for four years dur
ing the hardest war in history. Mr.. Miers
said he thought legislation by Congress
would be necessary TO make the order ef-
fective. He said it was not the right to
enact such legislation against which he
contended, but the manner in which il was
done. He said Congress had been prepar-
ing 10 answer the great demand for service
pensions and inasmuch as it was the func-
ton of the Congress TO egslate for the
country. the executive order whether issued
through the Interior Department or by the
President himself, was in very bad taste
to say the least"
Mr.. Miers read from the reports of the
pension department to show that the cost
of the order account of the veterans
who proved their claims to be of service
origin, would be only s1,1S4.576 and would
cost for those who cannot prove disabilities
$14174,57S. He declared the figures to be
wrong end to.
Referring to a published report of a
recent meeting of the Senate steering COM
mittee looking 10 an early adjournment of
who indorsed that program were afraid to
say how they stand on labor legislation
service pensions and other measures which
were discussed in the steering committee
He declared that If that the situation
| he, for one, would insist upon Congress
| remaining here and meeting it,
A bill was passed authorizing the
Southern Indiana Railroad Company to con-
struct bridge across the Wabash river
/ i'm Indiana.