The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-08-12
STARTLING Pension FIGUREs.


A number of times in suggesting the
advisabiity of investigating the PEN
sion roll of this state for the purpose
of finding out whether the pension acts
are being complied with strictly, we
have called attention TO the fact that
In some of the counties the number of
pensioners was startlingly large, while
in others it was so small as to excite
comment. For some reason or other,
however, the Legislature has never
thought the fact that counties which
furnished comparatively few of the
soldiers credited to Georgia in the
Southern armies have many more PEN
sioners than counties which furnished
many times as many was worth inves-
tigating.
1t seems, however, that there are
members of the Legislature who have
taken notice Of this fact, and have
wondered whether or not all who are
on the pension roll are entitled to pen
sions from this state. In the discus
sion on Wednesday of the item in the
appropriation bill making provision for
the completion of the roster of all of
the Georgia soldiers and sailors, Rep
resentative Grice of Pulaski. presented
some figures that ought to arouse a
suspicion as to whether frauds on the
pension bureau have not been COM
mitted.
In the course of his remarks he said
the First congressional district, which
probably sent more soldiers to the
army than any other in the state, re-
ceives only $25, ZOO, while the Thirty
third senatorial district. composed of
the counties of Banks, Jackson and
Hall receive 1856 425. Banks county,
which has about one eighth of the pop
ulation of Chatham county, and prob
ably didn't send one-eighth as many
men to the war, receives $10,465 in
pensions, while Chatham, which sent
to the war more men than any other
county, receives only $5,755. Mr.. Grice
also called attention to the fact that
the Second congressional district re-
ceives in pensions only $61 1886 and the
Eleventh only $56,S55, while the Ninth,
the least populous district, and which
probably sent to the war the fewest
soldiers. gets $11S,435.
Mr.. Grice gave other figures, but the
foregoing are sufficient, in his opinion,
to justify a suspicion that there is
something wrong. 1t seems to us that
most people, after an investigation,
would come to the same conclusion.
Just where the wrong is. if there is
wrong, the Legislature doesn't seem
to care to find out. If it did it would
have ordered an investigation long ago.
If we are not mistaken there were
bills in the last Legislature asking for
an investigation, but they met with no
favor. 1t is doubtful if the present
Legislature would order an investiga-
ton if the matter were placed before
1t, though one of it's members has
presented figures indicating something
wrong that does not seem to be ex-
plainable.
The Legislature, at every session, is
put to it to find money sufficient to
meet the pension and otehr charges. If
lhefe as Soou srounu LOT thiilklHk
much larger amount is being paid in
pensions than there ought to be, it
would seem as if steps would be taken
to purge the pension roll. While we
believe in paying every pensioner to
whom the law gives a pension. we are
sure every citizen will agree with us
that no person should be paid a pen
sion who isn't entitled to it. The state
cannot afford to give pensions to those
rot entitled to them. 1t has use, in
other ways, for every dollar of its rev.
enue.