The National tribune., 1904-08-25
PUSH SERVICE
PENSION.
The GAR. Pension Committee
So Recommends and the Ma
tional Encampment So Decides.

The following is the report in full of
the q. A. II. National Pension Committee,
which was adopted by the National En-
campment
Commander-n-C Chief and Comrades:
Your Committee would respectfully sub
nit that the first session of the 5Sth Con-
greSs enacted but two laws of Il general
character applicable to pensions; namely,
the act of April 3. 1904, which increased
the pensions of those who lost both eyes, or
have become totally blind, from causes
originating in the military or naval service
of the United States, to 500 per month;
and the act of April %, 1904, which pro-
vides that no part of any accrued pension
shall hereafter he used to reimburse any
State. County or municipal corporation for
expenses incurred by the same under State
law, on account of the last sickness or
burial of a deceased pensioner.
WORK OF TIE PENSION BUREAU.
AS the Commander-in-Ch Chief in his ad-
dress has set forth Il concise statement of
the work of the Bureau of Pensions we
do not deem it necessary to tax your time
or attention by reiteratiOn thereof, but
will simply add that we have received few.
very few. complaints concerning the ad-
ministratiOn of the pension laws, and we
congra tulate the survivors of the war of
of those deceased upon the prompt, faith
full and efficient management of the Pen
sion Bureau by the Commissioner thereof,
Eugene l.. Ware.
SERVICE PENSIONS.
AT the last National Encampment the
following resolution was unanimously
adopted:
Resolved, That the Committee on Pen
siOns to be appointed for the ensuing year
be and they are hereby directed to pre-
sent to Congress, for passage, n bill which,
while not disturbing the benefcent provi
sions of existing law, shall provide that
every survivor of the war of 1S61-1S65.
who served for a period Of 80 days. and
who was honorably discharged. and who
has passed the age of 62 years shall be
pensioned at the rate of $12 per month,
and that q pension of the same amount be
paid to the worthy widow of such soldier,
when deceased, who was married to such
soldier prior to the 9th of June, A. ID.
1890.
In obedience to that resolution your
Committee met at Washington, ID. c., on
Jan. ~, 1904, and formulated a bill, which
was introduced in the Senate by Senator
Dolliver, of Iowa, and in the House of
Representatives by Hon. William A. Cal
derhead, of Kansas. Said bills are respec-
lively known as Senate Bill No. 345S and
House Bill No. 1OO24, and were referred
to the respective Committees of the SEN
ate and the House Of Representatives.
The Commissioner of Pensions promptly
furnished us with statements, statistics
and estimates, and We received a cOur-
teous and attentive hearing by each OF
said Committees, the Chief
joining your Committee and rendering val
liable service upon the hearing before the
Senate Committee.
The amount Of money necessary to pay
annually the increase which would inure
under the provisions of the proposed law
to those already on the pension roll was
| susceptible of mathematical calculation,
but the amount that would be annually re-
Quired to pay those not then on the roll,
but who might be placed there under the
provisions of the proposed law, viz, 'the
unknown army was matter largely of
speculation.
MAJ ted the unknown army" at 10000, of
whom $1,000 were under and 1H 900
were over So years Of age.
Upon this basis the Commissioner esti-
mated that the proposed law would re-
quire about $34, 600, 900 for the first year.
Your Committee are Of the opinion that
"the unknown army" was largely over
estima ted and that a much less sum, prob
| ably not more than $25 900, 900, would he
law for the first year, and that consider
able reduction would occur with each sue
| ceeding year, owing to the greatly in
creased number Of deaths.
Your Committee at one time was hope
| full of the enactment of the law at the first
session of the 5Sth Congress.
Many Senators and Members of the
House assured us Of their support. How
ever, owing to the necessarily large appro-
| priations, occa stoned in part by the pur-
chase Of the Panama Canal and other
matters of emergency, As well as the I'M
| certainty as to the amount that would be
necessary to carry out the provisions OF
| the proposed law, no report was made
upon the bill by either committee of Sen
| ate or House, and it went over to the next
Session of Congress.
| In this connection your Committee would
add that on March Is, 1904, the Bureau Of
Pensions issued the socalled Age Order,
which is as follows:
| "(Order No. 49,
| "Department of the Interior,
| Bureau Of Pensions,
| March Is, 1904.
| "Whereas the Act Of June u, 1890, as
amended, provides that claimant shall be
| entitled to receive a pension not exceeding
$12 per month and not less than Sc per
month proportioned to the degree of in
| ability to earn a support, and in determn-
ing such inability each and every infirmity
shall be duly considered, and the aggregate
of the disabilities shown to be rated; and
Whereas old age is an infirmity the
average nature and extent of which the ex-
perience of the Pension Bureau has estab-
lished with reasonable certainty; and
Whereas by Act of Congress in 1887,
when 80 years had elapsed after the Mex
lean War, all soldiers of said war who
were over G2 years Of age were placed on
the pension roll; and
Whereas 30 years will have elapsed on
April Ii, 1904, since the civil war, and
there are many survivors over 62 years of
age:
"Now, Therefore,
Ordered: 1) In the adjudication of
pension claims under said Act of June 27,
1890, as amended, it shall be taken and
considered as an evidental fact, if the con-
trary does not appear, and if all other
legal requirements are properly met, that
when claimant has passed the age of 62
years he is disabled one-half in ability to
perform manual labor and is entitled to be
rated at So per month; after 65 years al
S. per month after 6S years at $40 PEI
month, and after 70 years at $12 PEI
month
"(2) Allowances at higher rate, not ex.
| ceeding Xl2 DER month will continua IN he