Evening star., 1927-03-25
M'CARL RELEASES
$357,DOO,0(|0 TOPAY
j. S. PENSIONERS
Mellon Said to Approve Plan
to Take Care of May and
June Payments.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

BY WILL p. KENNEDY.
The nearly half a million pension
ers Of the Federal and District govern
ments are to be paid their. allowance
regularly each month, although the
second deficiency appropriation bill.
carrying funds to make up the fiscal
year deficit for May and June, failed
behind the Senate filibuster.
Controller General McCarl issued
ruling today which, he says. is agreed
to by the Secretary of the Treasury,
and official announcement of the Pres
dents approval is expected at the
White House this afternoon. The
President had conferred with Budget
Director Lord and with members of
the cabinet.
This ruling releases $35. 100000 for
the May and June pension checks for
493 900 veterans of the Civil, Spanish
and Indian Wars and their widows and
regular Army pensioners. There are
about 5000 of these in Washington.
District Auditor Daniel j. Donovan
had not been informed officially of
this ruling this afternoon. but had
unofficiafly been informed of the word
ing of the McCarl ruling. He said
that he believed the same ruling could
be applied to the approximately 1000
pensioners OF the District govern
ment, including police and firemen,
school teachers and District employees
injured in the line of duty.
The McCarl ruling is as follows:
Memorandum to be attached to
Interior pensions requisition No. $40,
of March %, 1927, for advance Of
$35. roo 900 under appropriation Army
pensions, 1928:
THE normal accounting procedure
permits advances under fiscal year
appropriations only with the be-
ginnings of the fiscal year unless
specifically provided in the appropri-
ating act to be Immediately available.
A departure from that procedure is
asked in the present instance to make
payment of pensions due May and
June, and which would be paid under
the appropriation for the fiscal year
1928 if not paid in the months when
due.
THE President, the Secretary of the
Interior and the Director of the
Budget have all presented the matter
in a grave light. Pensions are a
standing obligation, created by law.
and recognizing the extraordinary
viduals if not paid regularly as au-
thorized by law. then the formal ac-
counting procedure should not un-
necessarily postpone such payments
because of the fiscal year proposition
involved.
Agreed to by Mellon.
"The Congress has recognized this
in general sense by statute, direct
ing that payment of pensions be not
withheld-Revised Statutes, section
4734, act of December 81, 1898, 2S
Statutes 16.
THE money has been provided by
the Congress, and while | recognize
that procedure and possibly law are
somewhat strained by a departure
from fiscal year appropriation pro-
cedures, / direct the approval of the
requisftion If correct in all other re-
spects so that advances of moneys
hereunder may now be made under
said appropriation and payments be
made accordingly, nothing herein to
be viewed as establishing a precedent
as to the availability of fiscal year ap-
propriationS. 1t is understood the
Secretary of the Treasury is in agree
ment with the action hereby author
lied to be taken.
to the requisition in question to go to
the Treasury Department and an orig
inal signed copy will also be retained
upon the files of this office-bookkeep
ing division"
Coolidge and Lord Confer.
The question of meeting the pension
payments was discussed by the ?resi-
dent today with Brig. Gen. Lord,
director of the budget. 1t is known
that the latter approves of the plan
to allow drafts against the 1928
budget. Besides this, the President
is known to have discussed the mat
ter with members of his cabinet.
1t is thought by those close to the
President that his announcement very
likely will be made at his bi.weekly
conference with newspaper CORE
spondents this afternoon. 1t was said
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