The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-04
FACTS ABOUT BUSINESS.
How the Present 'Age'' Law Operates
at Present.

AS the old soldiers of the country
are passing out of existence they are
receiving more and more recognition
from the United States government
and today they are receiving in
some cases 100 per cent more PEN
sion than twenty years ago. and al
| most so per cent more than ten years
ago.
In 1890 and before that time only
those soldiers who had contracted
disabilities or received wounds while
in the army service were eligible for
membership on the pension rolls. The
government was very strict concern
ing the seriousness of these injuries
and wounds and every soldier had to
go through the hands of a surgeon be-
fore he could pass the examination as
a pensioner. But this was twenty
years ago and some of the old soldiers
them being in the midst of their bust
ness activities. However when the old
soldiers began to pass on they passed
with alarming speed. For good
many years they set the country to
| thinking and plans were made at
| once for their comfort and their
| happiness during the remaining days
| of. their existence in the country for
which they had fought.
On January.27, 1890, a new bill was
| presented to congress and passed
without the least objection. It pro-
vided that the old disability and injury
| rule should be abolished and for the
| first time the "age" law was put into
effect This was the foundation of
the present pension law and the sal
walton of the old soldiers of the coun-
try The January law gave Sc a
month to those who We're one-haIf
disabled for manual labor; So to those
who were two-thirds disabled for
manual labor; $40 for a five-sixths
disability and $12 for a totally dis
abled veteran warrior. However this
| law did not remain satisfactory very
long. 1t still required the physical
examination and the government was
anxious to do away with this and
| make the age law more complete so
AFTER about five years of this dis
ability test they instituted the first real
age law. 1t was Sc for man 81 years
OF age; So at IS; SO at IS, and $12
at 20 and over This law did not re-
depended wholly upon the age of the
veteran. But the government still felt
that the old soldiers were not re-
celvlng the rewards that were due
year they passed the new law that is
| now In effect and is the cause of such
a radical increase in the payments of
the pension bureau. This law has but
| tween the ages of 81 and 70 gets a
monthly payment of $12. Between
| the age of 20 and Is he receives SIS
and at 20 and over he gets $40
| month. This big increase can be
seen at once and was the main cause
for the big November payment in the
| Topeka pension office.
The November payment was the big
gest in the history of the pension de-
partment of the United States. Never
before has the United States govern
ment given out such a vast amount of
money for pension purposes This pay
ment was exactly 81, 504, 713. So In the
table submitted by Chief Clerk James
P. Howe in the Wednesday evening
State. Journal, the mistake of emitting
the gain on pay rolls during five years
which amounted to 20,493, was made by
the reporter Also the item labeled
gain in five years" should have been
met loss in five years. In the last
five years of the pension business at
vouchers paid each year. And there
We're 26,54S losses on the pension roles
during the year which included deaths.
remarriage, minors becoming Is years
| of age, etc.
| According to the big gain in the pen
| sion payments and the loss during the
year of pensioners there must have
been a large number of birthdays dur
! ing the last year. For instance when a
| man becomes 20 years of age his pen
| sion jumps from $12 to SIS At the age
| of rs it leaps from SIS to 500 1t can
be seen that few birthdays in this i'm
| mense district will have an effect upon
| the pension rolls. This proves that in
| some cases a year added on to a mans
| age is a benefit to him.