New-York tribune., 1907-05-28
PENSION ROLL SMALLER
SURPRISE TO OFFICIALS.
Erpense of Nezc .SerCice Lac Much
Less than Expected.
IFron The Tribune Bureau J

Washington, May 27.-Jhe pension roll and Its
pelse TO the nation have begun to decrease. not
withstanding the service pension of the last
Congress. which temporarily added less than sl5,
O11000 to the expenditures.
Officials Of the Pension Bureau, legislators and
others interested in the new law expressing
surprise at the remarkably small number of old
soldiers applying for pensions under It who have
not been drawing pensions previously. SO small is
the number that the law will prove far less
pensive than was expected at the time of its
passage. Commissioner Warner believes that of
the money appropriated for the coming year there
viii be a balance turned back into the Treasury.
and that he will need less money each year here
after.
The service pension law, which was approved in
February, provided that any person who had
served ninety days in the army or navy in the
Civil War and had received honorable dis
charge should. when he reached the age of sixty
two, receive pension of Sl2 a month: at seventy
SIS a month. and at seventy-five or over 500 a
month Il became effective Immediately on its
passage, and the pensions are TO be paid from the
date Of the approval of the papers FLED The fling
Of papers was Immediately invited. They have
come in rapidly, and have been as rapidly ap-
proved. To provide for new or increased pensions
until the end of the fiscal year S.OooOOO was ap-
propriated. and is being used
Up to date $4,000 applications under the new
schedule have been filed. and probably half of them
have been approved. and the work of placing the
names on the new rolls IS going forward at the
Of 5000 a day. OF those so tar filed 9sla per
sions al rate lower than that provided by the
new law There are great numbers who have
drawn 50 month Ghe lowest rate) and who will
go into higher class depending on age There
many in the IS and $40 classes. while there are
in higher classes who get the advance be-
cause OF great All these rapidly fling theiI
papers and will get advance of about 50 a month
on an average. The remainder able bodied vet
erans. who have applied for a pension be-
fore, or whose applications have been refused.
The smallness OF the number embraced in this IL
per cent is great surprise to the pension officials
and goes to show that practically all the Civil
War veterans have been drawing pensions already
from disability and other causes.
AZ 'he time the law drafted II was est-
mated that 1t would cost approximately $4,000 600.
If all the applications far made be
granted. the increase would amount some 81 Oe0-
90 less than that figure It is held that practically
all the applications in already. that certain
per cent will be rejected and that. result tbs
sum included for this portion Of the service
in TIE allowance will by no means be exhausted
OF the special appropriation OF 100000 to defray
the expense until the end OF the fiscal year Com
missioner Warner feels confident OF saving a
siderable portion.
i do not believe that the service pension" said
the Commissioner today, will make 1t
sary 70 increase the appropriation for pensions
ahoTe what IL has been for the last few years
Further than that. / believe that from now on
will ask annually for smaller amount OF money
This will be occasioned by the passing away OF
CivE War veterans. they making the great mass
Of the pensioners The figures for the month OF
Ap-h show that in that month 3.sl6 OF these old
soldiers died. In the same month there added
70 the pension rolls $50 names. This gives very
great decrease, and the percentage OF that de-
crease viii be greater each year The maximum
number Of pensioners in the history OF the bureau
was reached January 81. 1895. the number being
l@o4ls5. There was decrease OF only 1900 in the
eighteen months that followed. In the last eleven
months. however. the decrease has been 1900 and
the figures for the month OF April are appalling
the net decrease being 2.S77 This leads me 10 be-
leve that will be called TO ask for no more
money because of the law. and, further that
there VIII be very material decreases within the
next few years"
The fact that the pension appropriation has not
decreased in the last two years has been due to
the Increased size individual pensions. The new
law Increases the pension OF many veterans but
these all old and dying rapidly and
the Increase will be effective only 2 few years at
most. More than two-thirds Of all those pensoned
are Civil War veterans, and these draw the high
est rate OF pensions Pension appropriations prob
ably VIII rapidly decrease