The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-04
CONGRESS FEARS COST
OF SERVICE PENSIONS
AND MAY REFUSE THEM
May Not Grant More Than SI2 a
Month to All Soldiers Sixty
Five Years Old.
ESTIMATES OF BUREAU
Which May Result in Defeating
Some of the Bills Now Be
fore the House.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.


WASHINGTON, Feb S.-The probable
cost of a general service pension bill is
being carefully investigated by the COM
mittees of Congress, and by the officials of
the Pension Bureau. The estimates already
made clearly demonstrate that a general
service pension BILL increasing the rate of
soldiers whose names are already on the
roll and those who would be entitled to a
pension would so swell the aggregate pen
sion payments that it is practically certain
no such bill can pass Congress at the pres
ent time 1t is variously estimated that
the cost of such bill to the country might
be as much as s5O,OOOOOO, in addition to the
$14OO0o,OOO now annually paid for pensions.
The proposition in regard to a service pen
sion bill, which finds the most favor among
those who are informed on the subject, is
one for paying a straight pension of $12 a
month to all soldiers who have reached the
age of sixty-five years. 1t is believed this
plan would increase the aggregate pension
payments from 100000 900 to $l2OO0OO0.
The Pension Office has prepared some in
tereSting tables bearing on the service PEN
sion bill, showing what the aggregate cost
would be for increasing the pensions of
those now on the rolls who draw less than
$l2 month up TO $12, and paying $12 to
those not now on the rolls, but who would
De englDie TO pension payments. 1t is FOUND
that there are 80, 430 pensioners on the roll
under the general law drawing less than $l2,
and ,939 on the rolls under the act of 1890.
known as the dependent pension law, who
draw less than $l2 a month. The estimate
Is that to increase up to $12 all soldiers
drawing pensions less than that amount
under the general law would cost $4,93l, 701,
and to increase the 2S2, 931 drawing pensions
under the act of 1890 would cost 81, 402, $50.
There are 153 persons drawing pensions
less than $l2 a month under special acts of
Congress. To increase these to $12 month
proposed increases of pensioners already on
the rolls shows a total of $19,3475l1.
In view OF the apparent disposition on the
part of leading members of both houses to
pass some kind of service pension bill dur
ing the present Congress-, special efforts
being made to secure accurate esti-
mates of the probable number of soldiers
in the country not now on the pension rolls
who would be eligible to receive a pen
sion under such bill. The committees of
Congress estimate this number from 10000
TO 175O0O. The officials OF the Pension Bu-
reau make this number 125, 600. A payment
of $12 month TO all Of these, or $144 each,
would mean gross annual payment of $751;
100000 for the first year, Thus the aggre-
diers now on the rolls at less than $l2 up
to that rate and paying s12 month to each
soldier not now on the rolls would neceSSi-
tate Al. annual expenditure Of SS7,347 ,511, in
addition TO the $l40000,0O0 now annually
paid.
1t is this estimated heavy increase in the
aggregate payment of such service pen
sion law that deters the legislators from
favoring such a bill, and it is believed that
If any agreement is reached upon a service
bill at this session ii will be upon a meas
ure which limits the payment of S12 a
month TO such soldiers only as have reached
the age of sixty-five.