The Washington herald., 1922-03-27
HUGE PENSION.
BUDGET LOOMS.
Official Predicts Billion
A Year Payments to
Veterans.
4,s0O,OOO ELIGIBLE
Bureau Expenses Next Year
Estimated at More Than
100000.

The prediction OF Uncle Joe Can
non that the government eventually
will adopt service pension for vet
Grams Of the world war finds sup,
port in responsible quarters.
Many legislators and executive
officers believe that the hundreds
OF millions now being spent are
Just the beginning OF the huge
drafts to be made on the Treasury
In years to come. A number of Sem
ators, in fact, will oppose the pend
ing soldier bonus bill In the belief
that II opens the Federal pocket
book to expenditures like those
which followed the civil war, eX-
cept on vastly larger scale.
Predicts Billion n Year.
One of the highest offic ais OF the
government recently said in privat 2
conversation that ne expected to
live to see appropriations on behalf
of veterans exceeding $1,000, 600. 900.
yearly.
The soldier bonus bill, as passed
by the House. would entail ex-
penditures Of more than $4,000. 0G0.
600 during the next twenty years,
During the same period, Compensa-
ton. disqualification, vocational
training and insurance claims, IL
continued in their present volume
and rate Of increase. would cost in
the neighborhood Of $4,000. o00. 900.
That's $4,000. 600. 900. without ac-
counting for any pensions. Some
idea Of what pensions would entail
may be gathered from a comparI-
son with payments made by the
government on behalf of other wars.
Civil War Pensions Huge.
Pensions on account OF all wars
from 1890 down to 1921 total S.
0s9.536.537. OF this amount $5,749.-
030.455. went for the civil war. And
more than 100000 civil war veterans
and 21s,00O widows are still on the
pension rolls fifty-six years after
the struggle ended. In 1898. civil
war veterans receiving pensions
numbered 1882.
Those eligible for pensions as a
result OF the world war number
about 100000, while the total of
those who served in the civil war
numbered 2.213.O00.
So a pension system for the
world war veterans might be 'ex-
pected to impose burden some
what more than double that of the
civil war. 1t would. in all proba-
bility. impose burden vastly
greater than that. because money Is
worth so much less now than IL has
been. and Congress now talks
billions where 1t formerly talked
about hundreds OF millions.
Bureau Aids s8S0.00O.
The insurance and compensation
system designed by the government
at the outbreak of the world war
was for the purpose OF avoiding
pensions in later years. Ample pro-
vision was made for all men
manned. and for payment of those
whose earning capacity was inn
paired. But the belief is CROWNS
that this system will not Withstand
the political pressure for pensions
which will Increase as the veter-
ans. row in the prime OF life and
in the height Of their earning ca
pacity grow older.
1t is not generally realized by
the public that the Veterans Blu
reau already has on its roll some
$500 persons as benehciaries
These include dependents of vet
Grams. as well as men in hospitals
men receiving compensation, and
men receiving vocational training
During the current fiscal year the
Veterans Bureau will spend S4SS.-
OOO. 900; next year It is expected
the expenditures will exceed $780,
900. 900.