The National tribune., 1884-03-06
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.
Replies TO Questions ON Variety of Interesting

and mark it : Correspondents Column No atter-
ton will be paid To communications that are not
accompanied with full name and address of writer.
H. Pr, Birmsnghara. Mich: o. s b.. Adarns
NiCls.; r. ", BonGpdFfe Io1Cds 5. B., Odeboif I81ua
and seteral oi,srSihc circulars seat in relation
to communication money for loss of limbs and loss OF
OF limos are specimens Of circulars with which
certain parties have flooded the country and which
may be denominated as q scheme It Is true
That communication money IS allowed IN such cases.
1t Is equally true that attorney render any
service sotaterer in such claims and the cali for
postage, OF any agreement TO pay them for their
pretended services, appears to be a dodge 10
exsort postage or money, for which these parties
can render no equivalent 10 attorney is recognized
by the Government. in such claims, they he
OF any assistance TO the claimant The law in regard
to Communication" is as follows: Every officer or
enlisted or hired man, who has lost limb, The
use Of ttnb III the military naval service of the
United States IS entitled to receive once every 1--we
years artificial limb apparatus or comrnuta-
ton therefor The period OF live years : reckoned
from the thing OF the first application after June IL.
1870. The Communication allowed In case of the am
putation OF leg IS $50; in all other cases $50.
Communication be allowed only in cases Of loss
leg-not for other INJURIES This Communication
every five years Is paid to such pensioners ti,t adj
dillon 10 their enStoH may have lost the pTaefi-
cal use of limb. either by wounds injuries, or
disease. pensioner who, by reason of paralysis
or any other disability, has limb which IS praeti
ciiliy useless Is entitled to Communication and every
one interested should write to the Surgeon General
u. ). A. this city, who viii send blank applica-
ton and full instructions free Of charge No s9a-
attorney pay arg fee or postage. There is no
earthly resson why any person should pay out
money to secure that which, il entitled thereto ne
can procure himself without any expense These
parties probably obtained your names and adj
dresses from the published list of pensioners and
/ they have no papers in your cases, or anything
! save your names and addresses; and this is all
there is of an examination Of your case referred
/ to in said circulars.
r. B. A., RichIand Center. His. and p d., Fuller
! ton, o-As we not part of the Pension Office
/ we cannot undertake to explain why certain
1 pensions not SLOWED why certain pen
sioners do not get higher ratings nor why others
/ are reduced Such inquiries can be answered only
by the Pension Office, where the claims are fled
Any person feeling himself aggrieved al any action
taken III his pension claim should endeavor by
furnishing proper testimony. 20 convince the Com
/ missioner of Pensions that such action was an in
justice. 1t IS wholly unnecessary to convince rs,
/ we have no power TO act IN the case
! j. L., Rirer Falls Wfs.-Your pension CLAIM,
having been rejected the ground that the eerti-
i fcate of disability upon which you were discharged
shows that the alleged disability existed prior to
! your enlistment, there remains nothing else for
I you to do but to procure overwhelming testimony
showing the contrary Ia be the true facts forward
such testimony 10 the Pension Office and request
that your claim be placed in the hands of special
/ examiner. The record must stand until you can
| by satisfactory testimony. demonstrate that IL
/ facts by special examiner viii probably deter
mine which IS correct, your allegations or the
/ record.
J. j. s., Soldiers Home, Bah. ~ Y-Lieutenant-
J. H.
Perry county. Chic, March s. 1891.
C. g., Elqin, III. There is but one Marine
Band in the country, and that IS in this city. 2.
| Yes; the Marine Band attended the K T. celebra-
ton in Chicago in 1851. They red coats 3.
L ne leader OF the band at that time Louis
Schneider. who had been leader for several years
Prof. John Philip Sousa has been leader for over
/ three years past. He Is an American: IS a eeIe-
| brated composer. Among the latest of his works
! is the opera of Desireen which viii be produced
next month. He has superior as a musician. T.
WIN. Jaeger i. and has been for some years, the
leading eornetist. and is one of the best in this
| country. s. The band is controlled by the Govern
ment. g. Forty members, director, and a leader
comprise the band.
School Bog, Vernon Nich-The capital of Louis
lana is Baton Rouge. Rhode Island has but one
capital, viz, Newport.
f. b. f., Diamond Hill r. I'll. AS stated in a
previous issue cannot decide in advance Of the
passage of any bill, who Will be entitled its hem
etits, The mere Introduction of bill in Congress
Is indication whatever of the shape in which it
viii pass If at all When it comes up for action
and debate, it IS subject to amendment and hIl-
man being foreteIl who viii be benefited by
It's provisions In regard to all these various nea-
sures introduced IN Congress, we only say 70
our readers, wait until favorable action il taken
upon the bill and We viii then interpret it for you
1t Is as impossible for to say what will be the
result of any bin introduced it would be 70 de-
teruine the result Of buying lottery ticket. as q
rule. none of these measures pass in the shape
they introduced, and opinion or that OF
any other person. advance of final action the
bill is mere guess-work, and we prefer not TO haz-
ard an opinion in advance. . The decision in your
bounty claim is final. We do not know Of any bill
yet introduced that VIII provide additional bounty
to draJcd men, The proposed bill to equalize bo1n-
ties refers 70 g0tfeeTs not conscFipts but il may
be amended. THE TRIBUNE viii announce all
legislation on these matters the various bills
come up from time to time.
o. II. BrookS.-As You failed to state your post
Office address, and as cannot decipher the post
mark on the envelope. we are unable to attend to
your complaint about the missing numbers Of THE
TRIBUNE In regard to your veteran bounty hay
ing been discharged for disability mot tcoless YOU
were entitled only to the installments due you al
the time You were discharged See reply to H. A.
W., IN our last issue, and 10 T. g. F., this column
r. g. arlington. Ald.-Comrade Lee tras entitled
to SlG0 additional bounty under the act of July g
1866 but having neglected TO file application
therefor prior to July l. 1850 when the law expi-
ed BY l1Initation-tne the arrears aetl, be
cannot now recover nor is he entitled to any more
bounty unless the equalization OF bounty OIL
| shall become a law.
IT. e. C., SEronasburg. Teb.-The reason why you
cannot get iIscrese, Is because your additional
disability does not entitle YOU to a higher rating
lilan go l"hich you are craving Tor loss OF arm
unless your combined disabilities render your con-
dtion such as to require the regular aid and Gttsd
dHee Of another person, IN which event you would
get So There Is rating 5etsgeen $50 and $50 lp-
picabie to your case II YOU are not in such help
less condition as to enttle you $50 you can ger no
more than So You cannot get separate rating
on your additional disability, and, although 1t may
be very disabling yet, until your condition is such
as 70 justify the office III allowing $50, you can get
no increase az all.
III B.. Ionia Kan-Harper's Ferry Is tlistan.
about fortyye miles northwest from this city and
about hfty-iye miles by railroad.
NJ s. ". HGani5aI, " VI When pension has
been allowed the peTsioner is not again examined
unless he makes application for an increase BIZ
ennial examinations were abolished several years
ago. , The time required for the Adjutant- Gen
eral to render report verifying the service etc,
of an army witness is usually from two to four
months. 3. The fact that one of the physicians
comprising examining board of surgeons IS OF
was. one OF claimants witnesses viii not operate
against the claimant would 1t prevent claim
ant from being ordered before said board A. Nor
would it prejudice the claim in any way On the
contrary, the fact of examining surgeon having
a knowledge of claimants physical condition
would be in claimant favor and the Commissioners
of Pensions would not order him to go before
another board simply because a member of a GER
/ tain board was one of claimants witnesses, as
such q proceeding would be reflection upon the
professional honesty of the surgeon. 1t is quite
common for applicant to be examined by an
examining surgeon who may also have been
claimants physician, even when such facts are
nation is ordered.
f. K, Wllidms5urgh. Col, requests us to state
Ii soldier is prohibited from receiving any mon
his original discharge?" Answer. No; but in
some cases he might be unable to prove his right
thereto.
H d.. Soldiers Home Bath, ~ YOU are either
in error the history referred to does not cor
rectly state the facts. Congress- June IA 1777 re-
solved that the flag OF the thirteen United States
be thirteen stripes alternate red and white; that
the union be thirteen stars. white, in blue field
representing new constellation This IS the
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