The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-03-24
4 sPLENDID LIBERALIZATION IN TIE PEN
SION BUREAU

a journey for lie benefit of his health.
Commissioner Ware issued the following
order. which makes n radical and highly
gratifying liberalization of the pension
system:
"Orlered: In the adjudication of pen
| sion claims under said act of June 2I.
| 1890. as amended. it shall be taken and
considered rs an eyidential fact, if the con-
trary does not appear, and if all other
legal requirements are properly met. that
when Il claimant has passed the age of
50 years he is disabled one-half in ability
to perform manual labor. and is entitled
TO be rated at ST per month: after 60
years at So per month; after GO years at
$40 per month. and after 20 years at ST.
per month.
allowance at higher rate, not exceed
ing SD per month. will continue to be
made as heretofore, where disabilities
other than age show n condition of ina
biity to perform manual labor.
This order shall take effect April 13.
1901 and shall not he deemed retroactive.
The former rules of the office. fixing the
minimum and maximum at ID years and
- years. respectively. are hereby modified
as above"
For this long step in the direction of
justice, the veterans are profoundly
grateful to Commissioner Ware and Pres
ident Roosevelt 1t is liberalization of
the pension policy directly in accordance
with well-known wishes of President
Roosevelt. and also in harmony with
views that Commissioner Ware has held.
1t will do an immense amount of good,
for it assumes at the outset that man
arriving at the age of 60 is largely dis
abled from manual labor, and thus abol-
ishes the necessity of his making proof
to that effect, which has been so grevious-
" insisted upon. 1t should also obviate
some of the aggravating examinations and
other annoyances to which comrades have
been subjected. The relief it will afford
will be very great indeed. We reiterate
the lively gratitude of the veterans and
their friends to President Roosevelt for
the order.
While this order is in accordance with
the sentiments entertained by the Presl-
dent and Commissioner of Pensions. yet
there can be no doubt that its issuance
and the liberalization of the pension sys-
tenn was fastened by the decisive action
taken by the San Francisco National En-
campment i'm favor of the Service Pension
Bill This action and the agitation in IA
vor of that measure showed clearly how
strong was the need of liberalization of
the pension system, and an increase in the
provision which the Government makes
for the care of it's aged veterans. 1t also
showed how solidly united were the vet
Grams as to what ought to be done. In
the Congress the feeling was less mani
fest A great number of bills were intro
duced for service pension and so surely
as the Executive order had not issued
some of the bills would have become the
law
All the same, this order does not take the
place of the Service Pension Bill. In the
first place, it is not law, but an act of
the Commissioner, which may be revoked
at any time by him or another Commits
sioner. The increase is given as the
judgment ~of the Commissioner on a
question of fact, viz: When does disa-
ability set in? and not the execu-
ton of law granting a right. 1t is
thus rather gratuity, than the payment
of debt. We have contended that a serv-
ice pension was a proper recognition of
the services of the comrades by the law
making power of the land, and when such
recognition was made, the pension became
vested right in the man who fulfilled
the conditions, and would be independent
of the will and discretion of any official.
Under the service pension a man who
had served so days and been honorably
discharged would be entitled to a pension
upon application and the production of his
honorable discharge, without any delays
or technicalities whatever. 1t would be
given to him because it was rightfully
his and not because any Commissioner
granted it.
Therefore, The National Tribune will
continue to advocate the passage of the
Service Pension Bill with all the zeal
which it has hitherto manifested, believ-
ing that this is the only real, honorable
and satisfactory solution Of the pension
problem, and that it is an act of good
faith by the Government, which should
show no Partially in it's treatment be-
tween the veterans of the war of the re-
bellion and their predecessors Of previous