The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-26
UNCLE SAM,
 PHILANTHROPIST

Few people realize the vastness of the amounts which are paid out by the various governments in the form of pensions to veterans of the military and naval services, and to the widows and dependents of those who fought their country's battles For many years Uncle Sam has been the most liberal of these governmental philan- thropists. his annual disbursements in pensions amounting to as high as $175, 100000 per annum. When the European war is over every one of the nations involved will have to shoulder this tremendous burden of caring for the disa abled warriors and the depen- dents of those slain in battle, and Uncle Sam's pension list, amazing as it is, will probably become compara- lively insignificant.
 The pension system of the United States had it's beginning 14O years ago to-day, August 26, 1776, when the Continental Congress undertook to provide for the disabled soldiers of the Continental forces. In 1790 the first regular pension system was es- tablished, and since then, up to the close of the fiscal year of 1915, the government disbursements for pen sions has amounted to nearly five bil- lion dollars.
 From 1790 to the outbreak of the civil war the total cost of the pension system of the United States was less than $100,000,000. The civil war and the war with Spain have brought the total to s4,94O, at the close of the 1915 fiscal year.
 Pensions aggregating $7O,000,000 were paid on account of the Revolu- ton. The pensioners of the war of 1872 received a total of $45, ,0OO,00 The Indian wars cost in pensions about $6,500,000. The Mexican wars pen sion list reached total of about s34,- OO0,000. Uncle Sam is still paying for the civil war and the conflict with Spain, and the former has already cost in pension disbursements nearly four billion dollars.
 The annual disbursements of the United States pension system in the last ten years have ranged from $780, 000,00 in 1907 to $175, 100000 in 1913. During Grants first term the average was only about $30,000,000 a year. From s6O,OO0,O00 annually during the Garfield administration the average leaped to $13O,000,OOO in Harrison's administration, reach ing the high-water mark of s175,O0O,-, 900 in the last year of the Taft ad- ministration.
 Pensions have cost the United States nearly two-thirds as much as the direct cost of all the wars in which the United States has partici- pated. If the European govern ments are as liberal-and ii is not to be expected that they will or can be the total of the pensions to be paid in the next half-century would attain staggering immensity.
 At times the number of pensioners on Uncle sSams rolls has been over the million mark. The great major ity of these were listed as "invalids'' who had suffered partial disability through their service in the civil war, and the widows of such servants of the republic.
 The first pension act, passed by the Continental Congress 140 years ago to-day, provided that every officer and private engaged in the Revolution, who should be rendered incapable of earning a livelihood by means of such service, should receive one-half pay during life, or the continuance of such disa bility. Later the pension laws were amended to provide for the wid- ows or soldiers and their children un- der sixteen years of age.