The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-05-01
U. s. PENSIONS TO
SOLDIERS GO UP
Bill Of 1919 ls Thrice Multiplied;
Facts That Face The
Country.

Washington, April 27.--Payments
which this country will make to sol.
diers and benehciaries OF soldiers dur
ing the fiscal year OF 1921 may ex-
coed $6O0,0OO,o0O, three times the
pension bill for the fiscal year of
1919, and, as a matter OF fact, one
ninth OF the total amount the coun-
try has paid in pensions in the last
1923 yeas. The tremendous increase
is due to compromising veterans OF
the Great War, who win receive 1892,
S65,600 from the government, IL the
estimates Ct the House Committee
on Appropriations are accurate. Pen
sions paid under existing law will
be KEEP. down to $2l4.020,000 reduc
itlon of 100000 from last year but
new legislation which has passed
the House and is likely to pass the
Senate necessitating an expenditure
of S77,500,000, togethe. with the ex.
pendi.ures which will be made under
the war risk insurance act. promise
to bring the total TO s630,e59.60o.
Conditions as they exist today have
caused the committee to make an ex-
Ihaustive study OF pensions and the
members have found that pension
payments and the number Of pension
Iers have increased greatly In the last
sixty years. In 1870 there were 1893,
1855 pensione s. with payments and
expenses totalling s29,952, 4S6a In
1880 the figures we're 250,s02 and
s57,624, ESQ; in 1890 1894 and s1O9,
$40, 232; in 1900, 993,592 and $l42.-
303,SS7; in 1910, 921, 0SS and $162,631,
I29; and in 1919, 624.427 and $223,-
592,4S4, tt will be no ed that the
number OF pensioners decreased in
1910 and 1919, but thai the payments
increased. Pension legislation has
been enacted at almost every session
of Congress and this year has been
no exception The House has passed
two bills since January /. one equal
izing the rates CT pension TO Civil
War veterans and the other pension
ing soldiers who served in The wal
with Spain. put down the Phi pp'ne
instruction and went 10 the relief OF
China II the Senate concurs with
the House the first viii cost the gov
ernmens S65,0O0,00O annually and
the second $12.5OO,O0O annually.
The pension bill which the commit
tee has reported TO the House. carry
ing appropriations OF little more
than $200.000.0O0 cares 70, very few
men who participated IN the Groai
War, lis 20 be exact. who became
sentitlod 10 pensions between April (
and October 6, 1917 which was priol
Ito the approval of the war risk IN
surahce act Disbursements by tina
bureau TO March 81 last, howeve
tc allied SS3,637,720. The bureau es
Inmates that during the fiscal yea
OF 1921 1t will be called upon to care
for 250.000 persons and that the ex
penses entailed will total $l97 sos, 60t
The bureau, indeed, estimates tina
under the existing law there may h
100000 claimants fer compensation
with the total expenditures proper
tionately lager The payment Of tin
500 bonus when completed win tota
approximately $260,0O0O0O. Bonus
disbursements by the war depart
ment to November 30 last aggregate,
s21l, 10000 and it is estimated tina
this stun win be increased to 1926,
100000 by June 80 mex. Similar dis
bursements by the navy department
to date approximate $24,OO0,OOO an'
It is estimated that S1,S00OO0 will b,
required to complete such payments
70 naval personnel. The marine
cops has disbursod SS,5OO,000 ant
will pay out 100000 more Mem
bers OF the Coast Guard have receiv
ed S24S,22o and expenditures in tina
organization will tota, more thai
100000 before they are completed.
BY porting over dusty files the con
mite has learned that from 1890 t
1919 the country paid pensioners S.
GIT 500, 400 War cf the Revolution
pensions total $7000O,00O War O
1872, $4,000 6S; Indian wars, SIC
705,750; War with Mexico, $50 .906
295, Civil War, $5,299. 859, 500; Wa