The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-04

OLD SOLDIER GETS HIS MONEY
From the Montgomery Journal
Much has been said and written about
the fourth quarter deficiency of the old
soldier pensions. and~as result the i'm
preston has gone out that these wards
of the state are not getting what they
are entitled to. Nothing could be more
unfortunate and the sooner the truth Is
made plain to all who think they have
been robbed of part that they should
have, the better 1t will be for the peace
about 1t.
There is nothing like the fguresN to
show the truth. For instance. during
the year 1908 there was collected from
the mill pension tax the sum of $780,
$40. A. to which was added the state ap-
preparation, increased in 1907 to 100000,
giving total of $s4ess1 Sc. Disbursements
to the pensioners in 1909 were $s46, 1881. S.,
with expense of office and collection of
S4466. TO- leaving an actual total to the
wards of the state of ss42. 41S.s6 The to-
tai is ss73 6S4 so in excess of the year
1906
The apparent deficiency comes about in
this way: Anticipating what it thought
would be the total to be raised, the leg
islature undertook to divide the pay
ments into four quarterly amounts, and
fixed them at s25 per quarter for the first
class, $40 for the second, s1s for the
third and $3.50 for the fourth. This
would no doubt have been a correct di-
vision, but for two things-first, the rather
dull times reducing anticipated taxes, and
second the transfer by subsequent act
of all over the age of so to the first
class, thus jumping more than 1000 at
one time from $50 year to $780, This
was too much, SO, with only the results
of the l mill tax and the appropriations
to draw from, the last quarter has to
be trimmed to the size OF the fund. If
more than the allotment is in hand the
pensioner profits by it. the same as he
gets less If the fund does not reach the
total of four times his allotment.
Under the act approved February 10,
1891, to look back a little. there was
dollar of the taxable property of the
state for pensions, to be assessed and
collected annually as the other taxes,
and It was made the duty of the state
auditor at the expiration of each fiscal
year after the passage of this act, that
the proceeds of such special tax must
be divided among the claimants and sep
arate warrants drawn in favor of each
applicant.
Under said act the first tax collected
was for 1891 and on the first Of October,
1892, the amount realized for this tax
was distributed. being $132, 1896.
The tax assessed and collected each
subsequent year was distributed on Oc-
tober 1, 1893, s125. 1926 95 and so on for each
subsequent year, the " mill tax was as
sessed and collected until, under act of
February 10. 1899, the special tax for the
relief of needy Confederate soldiers was
Increased to 1 mill, and under the assess
ment of mill for 1899 there was distribu-
ted on October l. 1900, $257, 439. 21 and so
for each subsequent year on the assess
meut of 1 mill there was distributed at
the close of the fiscal year of the col
1
the auditors report.
Under act approved September 30, 1903,
In addition to the amount received from
the l mill tax there was appropriated
for the year ending September 30. 1904
$50 900. And for the years ending Sep
tember 30, 1906 and September 3d. 1906,
$4,000. Under act approved March g.
1907, there was an appropriation of $4,000,
In addition to the $4,000. under act of
September %. 1903. In all the acts provi-
sion Is made that the amounts shall be
distributed at the beginning Of each fiscal
year-thus distributing the amount paid
into the state treasury to the credit Of
the fund on that date.
| 1t Is, therefore, of the utmost Importance
that there be no more difficulty about
this matter. There Is not a man who
can lay one finger on this money col
lected and set aside for the care and
keep OF the old fellows who fought the
battles of the country and are entitled to
and have the greatest respect Of the gen.
Grafton that has come along after. And
none of these figures include the N6.4ab 60
given for support Of the soldiers home
during 1903. all a part of the general plan
to see that this work 10 we'll done In all