Omaha daily bee., 1911-12-14
HOUSE FOR SHERWOOD BILL
Service Pension Measure Passes Des-
pite Strong 0ppOsitiOn.
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS OBJECT
EiEht Republicans and Eighty-Four
Democrats Vote Against BuI-
senate WIN Proceed slowly I'm
Acting on Legislation.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 13.-The Sherwood
service pension bill. which would add up
wards OF yi0,O0000' TO the governments
annual expenditures by granting increased
pensions to civil and Mexican war vet
erans on the basis OF the length OF sery-
ice. was passed by the house tonight.
despite the determined opposition OF many
democratic leaders.
Secretary OF the Interior Fisher has es-
timated that the bill would add s75. 100000
to the pension roll II the 10000 veterans
eligible should take advantage Of the in
creased wage.
The. republicans who voted with the
eighty-fOur democrats against the bill
were Gardner. Gillette and Eccan OF
Massachusetts; Hill, Connecticut; Kent,
California; McCresry. Pennsylvania;
Payne, New York, and Utter, Rhode Is
land
Speaker Clark voted with the majority
Of his pa ty for the bill and Democratic
Leader Underwood and Fitzgerald Of
New York, chairman OF the appropriations
committee. voted against st.
BnI Goes to senate.
Tie BIZ; now goes TO the senate, where
there Is deposition 10 pass some form
Of amended service pension legislation
The senate win proceed slowly In the
consideration OF this legislation. and
many house democrats voted for the
measure In the hope that the senate
would not pass II.
The Sulloway age pension bill passed
by the house last spring failed Of pas
sage In the senate at that time. This
republican measure was offered unsuc-
eessfully in the house as a substitute for
the Sherwood bill. Scores Of amendments
we're offered and a hard but unsuccessful
fight made to have straight 81 a day
pension bill established without regard to
length of service. The Sherwood bill
would establish the following basis Of
pensions: For service from ninety days
to six months. SIS per month; from six to
nine months, so per month; from nine
months to one year. SIS per month, more
than one year, $40 per month.
Two Changes Made.
Two important changes were made in
the Sherwood bill during the all-day bat
tie. a Joint amendement by Representa-
tive Rauch Of Indiana and Cox Of Ohio
struck out the provision denying entrance
to federal soldiers homes Of veterans re'
ceiving more than SIS a month pension
and refusing TO state homes federal aid
for the support OF such pensioners. The
restriction against the payment Of any
pension to a veteran whose income ex-
ceeds 1900 a year was voted out on a
motion by Representative Rucker OF Colo
rado.
The fight on the bin was waged alonR
political lines to a considerable extent
and members OF each party charge the
other party with buncombe In their atti-
tude toward the old soldiers. Prominent
democrats attacked the bill as directly
opposed 10 the democratic principles OF
economy and destructive OF the plans to
reduce the tariff.
Chairman Fitzgerald OF tfe appropria-
tlons committee fought It because Of it's
tremendous draught on the treasury.
Representative Harrison Of New York,
leading democrat on the ways and
means committee, declared that the bill
knocks In the face all pretensions made
by the democratic party in the last cam
paign."