The National tribune., 1908-02-06


3,0S1 widows, at an increase
of S4S per year. ........ 147,SS8
Regular Establishment.
172 widows, at an increase
of $4S per year. ......... S,256
Spanish, War.
1873 widows, at an increase
of S4S per year. ......... 1874
Iotal' 9,4Z5,zo4
1t is estimated that about $4,000 wild
ows may apply for pension under the
second section of this bill (having had
no prior title by reason of their non
dependence under the act of May 8.
1900. The cost of these claims at $14a
per year will amount to s2,592,000.
1t is further estimated that there
will be yearly increase in the. number
of widow pensioners (over and above
the loss by DEATH of about 5000, which
would further increase the annual cost
to the amount of S720,000, SO that the
total cost of this bill if enacted into
law will amount to about s12,741,000.
The first section of the bill, as above
stated, applies to every widow pension
er now on the rolls at IS per month,
and includes, therefore, not only the
widows of soldiers who served in the
War with Mexico. the various Indian
wars, the War with Spain, the Regular
Military and Naval Peace Establishment
and one widow of the War of 1872 re-
ceiving a pension of IS only.
The committee unanimously recon-
mend the passage of the bill, believing
that the benefits therein granted are
fully merited.
While we regret that the Committee
has chosen to retain the invidious dis
elimination against widows who may
have married their husbands subse-
quent to the 9th of June, 1890, yet we
must be grateful for the large measure
of relief that this bill viii give. 1t goes
almost as far in the relief of the wild
ows as the McCumber act did for the
veterans, and the Objectionable features
may be temporarily accepted, with the
expectation of having these removed at
some time in the near future. Congress
will undoubtedly do it, and it is only
prevented from doing so now by the
fear of expense, especially at this time,
when there is as alarm as to a big
deficit. The Committee has done wisely
Of $3.50 annual income, which. as the
Committee says, cost about as much as
it could possibly save The Committee
does not take into account the endless
irritation and frequent injustice to
widows by the Pension Office trying to
apply this restriction of $3.50 to widows
incomes. 1t involves an inquisitorial ex-
animation of every claimants income
and a bothersome weighing of this and
that item, in which it was inevitable
that there should be many aggravating
mistakes made, and these were almost
always at the expense of the poor wild
ow. When it is observed that the Com
mittee estimates that it will cost s12,-
TAI, 800 per annum to carry the law
into effect. We can have some measure
of the immense benefit that such law
as this will be to the women to whom
the country owes SO much, and whose
well-being is a source of such concern
to all veterans.
The bill came up last Monday, when
Mr.. Sulloway moved to suspend the
rules and pass it. Mr.. Sulloway spoke
briefly in favor of the bill.
Mr.. Scott, of Kansas, strongly advo-
Gated the bill, and said that he regret
ted that it was in a shape which pro-
hibited amendment as he desired to
offer an amendment removing the lin
itations upon widows who had married
subsequent to 1890. He said that that
was 10 years ago, and that the women
who had married veterans since knew
that they would not receive his pen
sion; consequently they are free from
any charge of such a motive. He pro-
poses in the future to advocate an
amendment of that nature, and also a
bill giving reasonable status to the
Kansas State Militia.
Mr.. Underwood, of Alabama, sup
ported the bill, because it carried out
n principle of legislation that he be-
lieved to be right, and would greatly
diminish the number of private pen
sion bills. to which he was opposed.
Mr.. Dixon, of Indiana. made strong
argument in support of the bill, and
said it was in response to a universal
demand for fair treatment of the wild
ows.
Mr.. Hackney, of Missouri, said that
the bill met his hearty approval, and
his only regret was that the widows
should not receive more than $12 a
month. He would make it $40
Mr.. Clark. of Florida, thoroly in
dorsed the bill, and believed that it
should have been made broader to take
in the few remaining veterans of the
Indian wars in Florida.
Mr.. Sparkman, of Florida, also sup
ported the bill. and regretted that it
did not include the veterans Of the
Florida Indian War.
Mr.. Ansberry, of Ohio, also ad-
dressed the House in favor of the bill
Mr.. Fuller, of Illinois. said that his
only objection to the bill was that it
did not go far enough. 1t would bene-
fit over 100000 worthy widows, but he
wished that it would benefit more and
give each of them more.
Mr. Bell of Georgia desired tn reg