The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-10-15
PENSION MEASURE
WILL Be DEBATED.
Executive Order Has Caused
Decided Deficiency
URGE RIVERS AND HARBORS
National Convention Will Be Held In
January to Urge Appropriation
Next Congress for vari-
Gus Improvements.
URGE RIVERS AND HARB0RS

washington, October 14.-(Special.) PEN
sion order No. rs, which came into noto-
riety as a precedent for evading congress
sional legislation through executive Or
der and was vigorously opposed by Repre-
sentative Underwood and others, will be
the subject of further debate in the next
Congress, the secretay OF the interior
finding 1t necessary to ask Congress 10
make a deficiency appropriation OF over
three million five hundred thousand dol
lars to meet the demands for pensions
made through that order.
The fact that there is deficiency In
the current pension appropriation became
apparent some time ago. The number
of applications for pensions under the
old age order has far exceeded the ex-
pectations of the officials of the bureau,
but when the order was made 1t was
stated on the floor of the House that
1t would bring about just such condi-
ton as now exists Commissioner War
ner stated this morning that there was
no possible way of estimating the In
crease, owing to. the impossibility OF get
ting at the number Of people who would
apply for increases by reason of coming
within the age limit during the year IL
is comparatively an easy matter to esti-
mate how many persons that nave been
on the pension rolls will be entitled to the
old age increase in addition, but as to
the remainder of people who have never
been on the rolls and who come within
the provisions of the law during the year
there is no way of determining.
On top of all this is the agitation Tor
the increase of all civil war pensions
from six, eight and ten dollars per
month to twelve.
Money for Rivers and Harbors.
Nearly every commercial organization
in the country will be represented here
in January when the National Rivers and
Harbors convention meets. The meet
ings will be watched with more than
ordinary interest, because of the reported
intention of the House leaders not to all
low a rivers and harbors bill at the COM
ing session. The purpose of the con-
vention will be to induce Congress to al
low larger appropriations for river and
harbor work than it has In the past, and
to convince members here how essential
such appropriations are to the CONNER
cial progress of the country. The chair
man of the executive committee, Robert
Ramsey, has sent out invitations to all
commercial bodies, and from replies al
ready received there Is every indication
that the meeting will be successful
one 1t Is generally realized that a big
rivers and harbors bill depends largely
upon a public demand, the small bills Of
last year, the Fiftyseventh Congress
having been justified according to the
congressional leaders by the condition Of
the treasury.
Ship Subsidy Bill.
While Senator Frye Of Maine and Rep
resentative Grosvenor Of Ohio may get
some encouragement out of the indorse-
ment by the bankers association of their
ship subsidy bill, there is nothing to in
dicate that the bankers Endorsement will
materially assist the measure. The bill
promises to become very much less of a
factor in legislation than 1t has in the
last five years.