Items of interest January 23, 1902 Issue

Items of Interest

The debate in the House of Representatives on the pension appropriation bill took a wide range. Mr. Barney of Wisconsin, in charge of the bill, explained that it carried $139,846,480, as against $145,245,230 appropriated for the current year. The estimates for the payment of pensions decreased from $144,000,000 to $138,500,000.

Upon being asked by Mr. Richardson of Tennessee why the amount of pensions decreased five and one-half millions while the number of pensioners was said to be larger, Mr. Barney said that this was accounted for by the fact that the arrearages were decreasing and the number of large pensions (those from $50 to $75 a month) was also decreasing. He stated that the commissioner of pensions believed that the high tide of pension payments had been reached, and the amount required probably would remain stationary for some years.

Mr. Bell of Colorado made a speech denouncing the "pension sharks." He said many soldiers returning from the Philippines in a perfectly sound condition were being induced to apply for pensions by these attorneys.

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