Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-02-10
PENSION REFORM.
Veterans Want Honor Roll Purged Of
the Undeservinu.

tho Undeserving.
Gen. c. Irvine Walker was In the
city Wednesday at the request Of Gen.
B. H. Hague, commanding the South
Carolina division Of veterans, says the
Columbia State, to represent the divis-
ion and present to the legislature the
wishes of the veterans Of South Caro-
lima as to the proposed amendments to
the pension laws. So Gen. Walker
speaks with authority. When asked
concerning the proposed amendment,
Gen. Walker said:
THAT there are a large number of
fraudulent and unworthy pensioners
on the roll Is the belief Of the veter-
ans. They desire such eliminated, so
that the worthy can receive the full
amounts the state intends them to
have. Class c, and 4, the great ma
jority Of the roll, last year received
only $40, when the state intended them
to receive $36. And why? Because
the rolls are filled with those not en-
titled to the states beneficence.
There are certainly not 5000 vet
Grams alive in this state today. The
percentage Of those entitled to PEN
sions cannot possibly be over 25 per
cent, or one in four. Therefore there
ought to be only about 1000 soldiers
exclusive of widows) on the roll.
There were on the roll Of 1910, 1896
nearly two and one half times as
many as there ought to be-"
Gen. Walker says that Of his old
regiment, the Tenth South Carolina.
there are ninety names on the pension
rolls. OF these, thirty, or third,
never were members of that regiment.
"These instances show that the evil
should be remedied and remedied in
time for this year. 1t Is hoped the
legislature will pass the bill before ad-
journment," continued Gen. Walker.
The bill has the unanimous favorable
reports Of the finance committee OF the
senate and the military committee of
the house.
The remedy proposed in the bill is,
first, to allow the state board of PEN
sions to sit long enough to attend to
their duties. Now they sit four days
and in that time cannot possibly con-
slider the 10000 applications which an
nually are to be considered.
Second, to appoint an Inspector, who
under direction Of the board, will visit
various parts Of the state and inquire
into such cases as may need investi-
CATION to ascertain II the applicant Is
worthy.
The comptroller general Is to be
member Of the new board and 1t Is be-
lieved that the new board will avail It
self Of the valued and experienced SER
vices of the present pension clerk.
This remedy should be applied at
once" said Gen. Walker, "the veterans
have got too far along in life to wait
another year."
The system of state inspection is
used in only one southern state, Ten
nessee, and with the utmost satisfac-
ton. That state claims that there Is
no unworthy pensioner on her rolls.
The average percentage or pension.
ers to the number Of troops furnished
the Confederacy, in the states Of Vir-
ginia, North Carolina and South Caro-
lima, without state inspection, Is S.13
per cent. In Tennessee, with state in
spection, At, or about one-half.
"The veterans ask no additional ap-
preparation and the expenses OF weed
Ing out the unworthy will be taken
from the annual pension appropriation
and will be many times repaid by what
can be saved from squanderfng the
states money in the payment Of the
undeserving. 1t will not be the state,
1t will not be the worthy, but the un-
worthy who will pay the costs.
1.-The remedy Is the immediate rem
edy needed and can accomplish much
good. The state board can then have
time to fully consider the situation
and submit to the next session any
further amendment which their exper-
fence may demonstrate as neces-
sary."
Gen. Walker disclaims any imputa-
tlon Of wrong doing to any official who
has administered the law as 1t Is. but
blames the system and thinks that
It ought to be speedily changed.