The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-02-20
or Interest to PensiOners-The New
PensiOn.Arrears Act.

west, and, in fact, in all the country,
are just now particularly curious as to
the amounts of money which they will
receive on account of the recently
passed and signed Pension-A1rears act.
when Congress shall have appropriated
the necessary money. The estimates of
from $50, OO0, 900 to $3.50, OOO, 600 made
on the total amount which will be need
ed to meet the requirements of the new
law do not interest the pensioners
nearly SO much as estimates on what
the separate g bits'' will be when passed
over the Pension Agents counters into
the veterans hands. To get at this
with at least approximate accuracy re-
quires only that each man now drawing
a pension shall look up the date of the
time when he succeeded in getting his
pension allowed, and date back from
that time to the day of his discharge
from service. This will give him the
period for which he has not received
any pension, and for which loss the
new act especially provides that he
shall be compensated at the same al
lowance per month for which his pen
sion was originally granted. Multiply
the months by the amount of the month
ly allowance-whether 1924, $l2, So, Sc
or 81, the average sums-and the
amount of back pension due will, of
course, appear:
A remarkable feature of the pension
business is the fact that thousands of
ex-soldiers, with cause for having their
names placed on the list of recipients
of Government aid, did not apply for
pensions for five, ten Or fifteen years
after the war was over. This fact &C.
counts for the fear which was expressed
by many, during the argument on the
Pension Arrears bill, that the demand
On the Treasury would mount up to a
startling figure, and, perhaps, embar-
rass the Treasury and interfere with
resumption. Added to this, there can
be no doubt that very many non-pcn-
stoned ex soldiers will at this late day
be led to take steps for placing their
names on the rolls, the prospect of re-
ceiving handsome purse of arrears
pension being the motive. The diseases
and disabilities traceable to the service
will every one now be brought to the
attention of the Government Examining
Surgeons and Pension Commissioned.
Thus, the man who proves his claim to
a pension of say So month-having
suffered injuries in 1864, will, for en-
ample, be entitled to fifteen years. pay
1870 months-which equals 81, 44O. The
81. a-month men would receive half the
foregoing amount, naturally and those of
other classitications proportionate sums.
The number of pensioners under the
control of the angency at Chicago is
about $4,000. Of these pensioners,
only a certain portion will have claims
under the Pension-Arrears act. In
Minnesota, it is figured out that benefit
in this direction will accrue to about
5000 of her pensioners. Other North
western States Of approximate size will
be likely to average about the same.
The heirs of soldiers will come in for
a goodly share of the money which will
be appropriated to carry out the new
bounty provisions. There is general
provision in the bill that the heirs shall
be paid these arrears. Heretofore when
a pensioner had died, no arrears for
pensions could be paid, except to the
widow, if he left one, and if he left no
widow to the children under sixteen
years of age. The act provides that if
pensioners have died, the persons en-
titled to the arrears shall receive the
same. Still this points open to dispute.
Some time will elapse before the ex-
ira business made by the Pension-Ar-
rears act can be reached. just how
long time cannot be conjectured at
present, but due publicity will follow
every step to that end. The pension
ers will then have simply to write to
the Commissioner of Pensions at WASH
ington, and full instructions will be
sent as to procedure, the aim
being to do away with the costly inter-
ference of pension sharks. Until the
appropriation is made by Congress
there can be nothing gained in burden
ing Pension Agents and newspapers
with inquiries as to personal cases, and
when the appropriation is provided
the only sure test of ones claim will
be it's presentation in the form of an APP
plication made directly to the Commits
sioner vf Pensions at Washington
Chicago Journal.