The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1906-10-04
UNCLE SANS PENSION ROLL
u Now Averages ne-ousrter Of the
Total Government Receipts.

The pension roll Of the government
now averages about slf5. 900. 900 an.
naully. or one.f0urth Of the total gov.
eminent receipts,
No other nation in all history has
been so liberal with is defenders in
var and. al the same time, none has
been so well able to afford that lfber-
ality. Our pension roll Is the wonder
Of other countries. not only from its
size, but because OF its reluctance to
reach the maximum point and begin
a steady decline.
Now, however. the pension commits
sioner believes that the high point has
been touched, and that In the years
just ahead OF us the decrease win be
very rapid. SO convinced is he that
this Is 20 be the case that he is plan.
ming to reduce his ONCE force. and
vacancies in pension Office clerkships,
as they occur from time TO time, are
not TO be filled.
II has been one OF the ~paradoxes OF
American pensions that the roll. not
w~ithstanding a decrease Of from IS, 600
to 10000 names a rear by death. has
maintained q high level for eight sue
cessive years. At the close OF each
fiscal year OF that period the number
Of pensioners has fallen just below a
million. excepting in 1904. when the
million mark was slightly exceeded.
The high level Of pension expense
was reached more than ten years ago.
but the paradox aboye referred 70 has
been in evidence an the while until
this ear. This paradox IS the result
Of the law OF 1890, the dependent pen
sion law, which recognized the valid
ity Of claims for government aid on
disabilities not directly contracted in
the service. This law also pensioned
widows and minor children Of veterans
who could tot have asked support un-
der prior laws, and had the effect OF
doubling the pension rolls 50 far as
the number 81 anne Is concerned.
There were 537. ga pensioners in
1890. Next year the number was 676..
100. In 1892 1t was S76.06s. and in
I 1898, 966.Oi2, The largest annual ap-
preparation for pensions was for the
fiscal year 1928. $751; ga. O00. The
next highest was for the fiscal year
1878. SI4S.76 900.
Under this dependent pension Law
Z Of 1880 perhaps a million claims were
filed. and these accumulated IN the
pension Office greatly in exces Of the
ability OF the clerical force to examine
them. From that surplus enough
I names have been recruited year after
J year % make good the natural losses
Of from 10000 60 $4,000. But the sur.
plus Is nov disappearing There were
half a million names left In it six
years ago and to-day the number is
I $4,000.
In four or Eve years these claims
viii an have been checked up and dis.
posed Of, and then the heavy death
rate. with nothing 20 balance g. viii
make itself felt In a rapid decline not
only OF the number Of pensioners, but
OF the annual appropriations.
II IS the belief OF officials Of the pen.
sion Office, says the Chicago Journal,
that the pension appropriations are
DOT 10 Dc cut anywhere from $4,000.
GOO 10 $4,000, 600 a year.
This belief takes account Of the
Spanish war pensions and OF the addi.
lions 60 the list which will come
through the Ware resolution. which
gives a small sun TO an veterans who
have passed their slXty-second birth.
day anniversary,