The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-07-03

Congress Remembered the Old
Soldiers in Bill Passed
at Last Session.
PROVISIONS OF THE LAW
THOUSANDS OF APPLICATIONS
RECEIVED.
Special to The Herald.D


Washington, D. c., July THE
United States pension bureau, to use
a somewhat hackneyed phrase, is now
doing a land Office business This is
caused by the fact that the recent
congress passed a service pension law,
which went into effect on Feb. Z, the
date of its approval providing for the
payment of pensions to all survivors
of the civil war and of the war with
Mexico upon their reaching the age
prescribed in the law. The law pro-
Vfdes for the payment of pensions to
hOnOrably discharged soldiers of these
wars at the rate of S12 per month to
persons who have reached the age OF
50; $15 TO those who have reached the
age of seventy; $40 to those who have
reached the age of 20 or over. 1t also
provides that no person shall receive
a pension under any other law at the
same time that he is receiving a pen
sion under this act: that rank in the
service shall not be considered in
granting pensions under the act. and
that no pension attorney or claim
agent shall be paid any compensation
for services rendered in presenting
claims for applicants for pensions
Thousands of Applications.
Since the passage of the act the PEN
sion bureau has received to date 327 .213
applications for pensions or increases
Of pensions under its provisions. I'm
mediately after the act passed there
was a flood OF applications received by
the bureau, the number sometimes
running up to 20, 600 a day. The rate
At which they pour in has diminished
somewhat of late, but the average
daily receipts of applications between
Feb. and June Il has been 3,146. It is
estimated by the officers of the bureau
that at least 300, 900 additional applica-
tiOns will be filed in the course of sub
sequent pension history. There are at
present 100000 survivors of the civil
war and $4,000 pensioners. leaving
100000 survivors not pensiOned. nearly
AL of whom are, or soon will be- elig
ible for pension under this act. Add
TO these the large number Of pension !
ers who are or will be entitled to an
increase under the act and the i'm |
mense number of expected applications
undoubtedly viii be reached.
Prodigious Amount of Work.
In considering the applications re-
ceiVed the pension bureau during the |
past four months has performed an |
amount of work unexcelled in magni- |
tude during the history of the pension |
service. During the month of FebTu |
AIRY 1855 pensions were allowed under /
the new act; in March, 1926; April, /
3. 635: May, 81. AS: June. l to II. %. 800, /
an average Of 1000 day, and this. it
must be remembered, in addition 10 the
regular voluminous work OF the bu-
Teau. Definite figures are not obtain
able al this time TO show the money /
increase involved in carrying the new
law into effect. 1t is believed, how
ever. that the estimate made by Com |
missioner Warner that $4,000 0OG |
would be required will he found cor
rect.
While there will be an increased |
amount paid for pensions by virtue of
the service pension law, the aggregate
amount to be appropriated for pension |
payments is decreasing, the deaths of
pensioners increasing with rapidly
enlarged ratio every year. During the |
month of April of the present year
. 4OS pensioners died. 1916 of this num-
Der being civil war soldiers.
RooseVeIt's Executive Order.
The service pension act is in line with
the provisions of an executive order
issued March Is, 1904. by President
Roosevelt, which directed that in the
adjudication of pension claims under
the act of June -, 1890, 1t should be
considered an evident fact. if the con-
tTary did not appear. that when a
claimant has passed the age of 81 years
he would be disabled One-half in abiI-
lty to perform manual labor. and would
be entitled to receive Sc per month;
after 65 years IS per month"; after 6S
years, 10 per month, and after 20
years. at So per month. There was
some criticism of the president in
duIged in on account Of this order. his
critics holding that he was undertake
n inFFp1 nRnSInn without |
warrant of legislative action. The JUS
tice of increasing many pensions and
of placing all survivors of the civil
and Mexican wars on a pensiOnable
basis after reaching a specified age
was not questioned and the question