The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-30
ELUCIDATES NEW
PENSION ORDER
Secretary Hitchcock Sheds
Light on the Science of
Ratings.

WASHINGTON, d. c., March 29.-
The secretary of the interior today
sent to the senate a communication in
response to Senator Overman's resolu-
ton, directing the secretary to furnish
the senate a copy of the order issued
by the department enlarging the pen
sion act of June 81, 1890 and amend
ments as to the disabilities ofsappli-
cants for pensions and to report by
what amount the order will increase
pensions annually.
In regard to the increase of pension
appropriations needed to carry the or
der into effect, the secretary gives the
estimate of the acting commissioner
of pensions, made public with the or
der of March Is, 1904. A review of
the administration of pension laws is
given by Secretary Hitchcock, in which
he says:
AS some misunderstanding with refer
ence to the Interpretation and purpose
of this order has, existed, brief review
Of pension legislation and administra-
ton thereof In this department is sub
united for the purpose of showing that
the order referred to is clearly within
with existing law and methods which
have heretofore prevailed in its admins
tration.
Disability, partial or complete. to per-
form manual labor, is the sole measure
of the right to a pension under this act
of June 81, 1902. The element of man
ual l labor is fundamental. If, in the ad-
Judlcation of a pension claim, it shall
be determined that the applicants pen
slonable disabilities render him wholly
1ncapacited from manual labor, his PEN.
sion rating will be fixed accordingly, even
though the applicant may be then oc-
cupied with distinguished usefulness in
some field of intellectual endeavor 1t
is well understood that there is a nat
ural decay of the physical powers due
solely to age. which Impairs mans ca
pac1ty to earn support by his own
manual labor.
PensionabIe Disabilities.
Not only does the act itself provide that
each and every infirmity shall be duly
CONSIDERED but the decisions under it
disabilities due to senility alone are pen
Sionable
The secretary refers to an order of
September, 1893, when the age of seven
ty-five years entitled the applicant to
the maximum amount. He cites three
cases of this kind and continues:
Although age, in connection with other
disabilities, has always been considered
in dealing with pension ratings, there
has never been any uniform rule for rat
two classes named. That feature of
pension administration has therefore ac-
quired something of uncertainty and I'M
equality. To this fact, together with the
growing Importance of age conditions, Is
due in considerable measure the necessity
for action On the line of this order speci-
fically defining ratings from the best OBJ
talnable data for infirmities due to senil-
ity.
In the administration of pension laws
and the consideration of the immense
number Of cases that are pending under
every act it is impossible to secure uni
formity and expedition in decisions with
out laying down convenient rules for the
weighing of evidence and prirna facie pre-
sumption which long experience justifies.
This. has been the uniform course of the
pension bureau since its establishment.
The order in question merely lays down,
as convenient rule of decision and a
REPUTABLE presumption of fact, that one
who is otherwise entitled and is sixty
two years of age is partially dis
abled from earning liveli--
hood by his hands; that one who is sixty
five is more disabled for manual work;
that one who is sixty eight is in a still
greater degree incapable of earning
support by manual labor, and that one
of seventy is completely disabled in this
regard. Certainly such presumption is
justified by general experience in actual
What the Cost Will Be.
Secretary Hitchcock's letter is ac-
companied by a letter from Acting
Commissioner Of Pensions Davenport,
who says Commissioner Wares order
does not enlarge, but simply CONSTITUTES
the pension act of June 81, 1890, and
its amendments. Mr.. Davenport says:
The amount the order will increase
pensions annually and particularly when
the same shall become fully operative,
can be only roughly estimated. There
are supposed to be living today about
875, 900 ex-Union soldiers of the Civil
war. If these are pensioned under the
act of July IA, 1862, known as the gem
eral law. about 265, 000 and under the
act of June z, 1890, about 42S, 900. aggre-
eating 693, 000 which, deducted from
the whole number of survivors, leaves
1000 who have not applied for pen
sions. To state definitely how many
of this number failed to serve the re
quired ninety days and receive final
honorable discharge would be impossible.
One fourth is a fair estimate and reduces
the number to 136,500. To say that 49,,
900 of these have reached the age of six
ty-two and will apply seems a reasonable
estimate. If these $4,000 are all placed
on the rolls at Sc a month, the output for
pensions will be increased S., 100000 an
nually.
The pension roll is diminishing rapidly.
owing to deaths of benefciaries and in
all probability this decrease will offset
any gains claimed by soldiers who have