Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-14
OLD AGE PENSIONS
Applications Far Exceeded
the Expectations.
CAUSE A SHORTAGE
SECRETARY WILL ASK FOR DE-
FICIENCY APPROPRIATION.
Estimates for the Department for the
Next Fiscal Year Sent to
the Treasury.
CAUSE A SHORTAGE

There have been so many applications for
pensions and increases, and especially for
old age pensions under order IS of the
pension bureau, that the Secretary of the
Interior will ask Congress to make a de-
nciency appropriation of three and a half
millions to meet the deficit In the current
appropriation. The fact that there is a
deficiency in the current pension appropri-
alton became apparent short time ago.
The number Of applications for pensions
under the old age order has far exceeded
the expectations of the officials of the
bureau. Commissioner Warner stated this
morning that there was no possible way
of estimating the Increases owing to the
impossibility of getting at the number OF
people who would apply for increases, by
reason Of coming within the age limit dur
ing the year. 1t Is comparatively an easy
matter to estimate how many persons that
have been on the pension rolls will be
entitled to the old age increase in addition,
but 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 de-
termining.
The Secretary's Estimates.
The Secretary of the Interior has forward
ed to the Treasury Department his esti-
mates of the appropriations needed to main
tain the bureaus of his department for the
next fiscal year. The estimates are So, $50, :
219 rs more than the current appropriation,
and the total amount asked Is STAG 432 1886. %
The large increase is almost entirely for
pensions, So, 000, COO more being asked than
for last year. Commissioner Warner ex-
planned this additional appropriation will
make it unnecessary for him to ask for a
deficiency appropriation next year He
pointed out the causes which have been eX-
planned as those which will require the de-
ficiency appropriation of So, 5O0OV0 this year
The current appropriation for army and
navy pensions is $137 100000. and Commits
sioner Warner wants S140.000.000.
There are several new items in the 1nte-
-Fior Department estimates. Congress will
be asked to appropriate $4,000 to pay the
expenses of opening to entry and settlement
of Indian reservations. This sum will prob
ably be received back by the department in
fees.
For Freedmen's Hospital.
The District is interested In an item in
the estimates which calls for an additional
appropriation of $1ss.000 to be used to COM
plete the Freedmen's Hospital building.
Under the head of new items Is an esti-
mate for Sc, 600 to be used In making re
pairs to the Casa Grande ruin in Arizona
While the department is anxious to preserve
this ancient relic in its state of picturesque
decay as long as possible, it still becomes
necessary to occasionally repair the ruins.
The sum of 81, 600 Is asked for the MAIN
tenance of Mount Rainier National Park.
The estimates this year seem higher than
those for the year previous, but. 1t Is ex-
planned. such Is not the case. The estimates
are really about the same as the appropria-
ton for the fiscal year ended last June The
difference is found in the fact that the esti-
mates this year include what were included
in the deficiency estimates for 100.