Mexico Missouri message., 1910-01-27

1
Substitute for Pensions.
OF course pensions ss such for the
volunteers will be done away with II
any OF these bills par ses congress.
because the retired pay will take the
pensions place
Likely to Carry $40 Month.
II the volunteer officers retired bill
passes It is possible that 1t will carry
with It a pension giving enlisted men
Of the civil war a pension of $40 per
month each, all present pensions be-
ing abolished except in cases Of total
or almost total disability where the
present sum paid to the disabled sol
diers exceed $40 per month. With
the officers and enlisted men and the
widows cared for with these specific
sums In each case, the trouble of PEN
sion gradations and the chances Of
fraud are minimized, but nevertheless
1t will cost huge sum of money the
first few years of the measures legal
life.
According to a classification made
by Gen. Green B. Raum, the volunteer
officers who would benefit are in
number and rank as follows: Major
generals, two; brigadier generals, %;
colonels, 151; lieutenant colonels, 1876;
majors, 309; captains, 1883; first lieu
tenants, 2,233; second neutenants,
1,166; various ranks in the navy, $50,
this bringing the total up to the num-
ber given above.
OF course full expression of opin-
ion of desirability of such retired list
bill as this is not obtainable. Soldiers
and those who take an interest in mil
itary affairs generally, are much in IA
vor of the measure. The civilians
who never saw service do not express
opinions ON the matter in letter form,
for 1t seems that few people care to
go on record as being opposed to any
thing in the nature of bill for the
relief of the men who fought in the
field, even though there may be, and
probably is, a general feeling among
civilians that the government is ex-
travagant in the matter Of pension
payments.
Rivalry for Exposition.
San Francisco and San Diego, cities
of California, each wants to be the
scene of a great exposition in the
year 1915, as a means of marking the
opening of the Panama canal. Repre-
sentative Kahn of California has In
troduced into the house a bill, which
is now before the committee on in
dustrlal arts and expositions, to pro
vide for what he designates as the
Panama-Pacific exposition. Repre-
sentative Smith of California, on be
half of the city of San Diego, desires
that It shall be the location of what
California exposition.
1t is too early yet to tell whether
congress will vote money for govern
ment participation in any exposition
on the Pacific coast or elsewhere to
be held at the time of the canal open
ing. 1t is assured, however, that there
will be a great celebration on the
Isthmus of Panama at the time that
Col. Goethals sets for the completion
of the great work. Early as the day
is, 1t is believed that the president of
the United States and both houses of
congress will go to Panama to give
recognition to the completion of the
canal. Whether or not there shall be
great exposition in the United States
is matter yet to be decided, but 1t
must be said that California shows
that it is very much in earnest in the
matter of getting the governments
sanction for a great exposition of
arts. industries and manufactures on
the Pacific coast in the year 1915,
when 1t is practically assured the
inter-oceanic canal will be open for
traffic.
Few Bills Before Congress.
Considering the fact that this is a
long session of congress comparative
ly few bills have been introduced into
either house or senate. There is a
marked absence at this session of
what is known as freak bills. Mem
bers of congress are urged constantly
by constituents some of whom are a
| little unbalanced mentally or who be-
long to the class of extreme enthusi-
asts, to put in bills which no congress
possibly could be brought to pass and
no committee could be made even to
| bO-SoiCu AACoh blAlo
are introduced by members simply to
escape the constant appeals of those
who want their measures at least to
see the light of print.
In congress there is this winter an
other determined effort to lay the
groundwork for plan which when car
ried to ultimate completion will result
| In a great houIevard running from tha
city of Washington to the battlefield
of Gettysburg. It is the intention, IL
sanction for such a great avenue can
be secured, to have it known as a
memorial Of Lincoln. A survey has
been made of road from Washington
to Gettysburg in a straight line be.
tween the capitol and the central
point of the famous battlefield. and it
has been found that the road can be-
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