The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-01-14
G. A. R. DRAF is
A PENSON BILL
Plan to Give Each Veteran
SD a Month.
TO SOLDIERS OF CIVIL WAR
Committee Drawing Up Measure to
Present to Congress-Will
Urge Its Passage.

Unless the efforts of the Grand Army
of the Republic are futile. every one
of the remaining $4,000 men VINO serv-
ed in the Union army in the civil war
and who is not on the pension rolls
viii be taken care of by the Govern
ment. All of the men who are re-
ceiving less then SO a month win have
their payments raised to that amount
1t is the Intention of the Grand Army
TO try to have Congress pass a ser
vice pension bill similar to that gov
erning the veterans of the Mexican and
other wars. Under these laws any sol
der who served a stated time in the
army and was honorable discharged
became eligible to a pension.
For a Service Act
At the encampment of the Grand
Army, held at San Francisco last Au-
fust. a resolution was adDoted calling
for the passage Of a service bill. and
A committee was appointed to come on
to Washington, draw ND a suitable
measure. and submit II to Congress.
This committee has arrived. and it be,
gan it's sessions at the Ebbitt House
this morning. The members Of the COM
mittee are: Charles G.. Burton. chair
man, of Nevada, No: A A Taylor, of
Cambridge Ohio: John c Linehan, of
Penacook. n. H.: H. E. Trainor. of
Hartford. Conn: Bernard Kelly. of To-
peka, Kan; l.. B. Raymond. of Hamp-
ton. Iowa. and James Owens. of New
York city. All of the members of the
committee, with the exception of the
latter. are at the meeting in the Eb-
bitt House today. Mr.. Owens is ill.,
Will Draft Bill.
1t was said this morning that the work
OF drawing up a bill will have been COM
pleted by the end of the week. There
are now between twenty-five and
thirty service pension bills before Con-
gress. but none have the support OF
of any large body Of veterans.
The committee is now scrutinizing
these measures. If one embodies in il
the provisions Of the law asked for by
the Grand Army 1t may be adopted in
its entirety. This is the first time the
Grand Army. as such. has come for
ward and sought a service pension bill
The service pension matter has been
before the country for years. but the
Grand Army took no action until thirty
nine years had elapsed since the civil
war, this being the lapse of time from
the conclusion of the Mexican war I'M
~ ttfN Art-octbt VI TIE service Dill LOT
the veterans of that struggle Now the
Grand Army is going TO try to force
action.
Pensions are now paid under two gen
err laws. one passed by Congress in
2os2 and the other in 1890 Under the
former any soldier wounded or disabled
by disease contracted i'm the army was
granted n pension OF from IS to $50 a
month, according to his disability I'm
der the 1890 law any old soldier who
had served ninety days in the army and
who has since become disabled is en-
titled to a pension. II the service bill
is passed every soldier who served in
the war and was honorably discharged
is to receive S12 a month. This meas
ure is not going to affect any other
laws except to increase all pensions Of
the civil war which are under SO a
month.
This morning the COMMITTEES members
were the guests of Commissioner Ware
at the Pension Office Several important
cases were taken up and discussed.
These were the affairs OF individuals
which had been adjudicated or were still
being considered and were taken up by
individual members Of the committee
with Commissioner Ware.