The National tribune., 1884-02-28
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.
Replies to Questions on Variety Of lHieres;int
Subjects

To C0rrespondsHfs.-Wrilc questions on a sep
arate sheet Of paper give fliii name ard address,
ton VIII be paid 70 communication tlat not
accompanied with full name and address II - giter
Sererai subseTi5eFs.--The 'vetsrun lana Claim
Association appears to be cos1po-el Of tgzs men
ana may DC more appropriately designated she
beel and tFtA1 Association. " DO they are. % h3
yOuches Tor them DOES Nos apr4r in ihefr ciTcu-
lars They pre.sta llat money Is necessary 70 pro-
cure legislation in Congress o. the end fiiat cTerg
soldier may have awarded 90 nina leo acres 81 the
public land but would ake 10 know What rii~-
position IS 10 be made az the fu0aey they cali for
unless they propose o. bEibe somebody Whaf
evidence = there that they have any tadnencr. or
can gcc0mpl "a anything. exeeIlt. perhaps % get
money out II some credulous persons and keepits
We VIII be pleased to receive from these persons
or any other persons ho know them ert.esicc
that they are Engaged in iuat and teff alafs en-
terprse that VIII stand the scrutiny 81 aay iirlt
We advise our readers 10 De rerB carefai Ia reply
ing 70 the various circulars that are -ns them by
tillsRotga parties All kinds of do6gcs and
" schemes % trap the unwary ere constantly set
on foot hy unprucip-eC persoiss. whose only object
u 20 collect postage dollar, perhaps from their
dupes. who are foolish enough IT, believe the stae-
nlenfs contained IN many % these v-vgrrIs
circulars. II Aisssrs. Bean and Cram I'VE charge
them nothing Tor this advertisement are reliable
respectable, Gaa honest let them furnish evidence Of
the fact, and explain how the money called for Is
70 DC used and Also state who y 10 be responsible
for its proper disbursement Until they step to the
front with proper credentials, advise our read
dess to safe their money
r. K. B., Piekiuict. Telsn.-It would be unlawful
for any person instrumental in prosecuting claim
to receive from the pensioneE either before his
claim was allowed after he has received his
pension, anything for his services in excess OF the
legal fee, either a fee. present, or gratty See
section 5iS5, Revised Statutes-l
A. s.. Buffer. Ao.-1- The facts as presented 5y
you constitute strong case and one that deserves
prompt action, but there two sides 30 every
story, and there may be adverse testimony obtained
by the special examiner which would place the
case IN different position. OF this OF course we
know nothing. 2 The special examiner viii prob
ably exhaust the case By referring It TO other
aminers 10 examine the witnesses in other States.
g. If sufficient facts have been developed TO Justify
the Office in final action it IS time the case was dis
blindness prior to June 4, 1872, 50; from said
date tSsJnne 1874, it %; from the latter
date oJune H. 1915 II was $50, and since, ST. The
RATING f1or 10 the date when total blindness super
vened may be any rate allowed by law at that
time, and depending upon the extent Of the dsa-
biiity from disease Of ewes There was no rate OF
$50 allowed at amy period for disease Of ewes 5.
We ca0Hot state WHY the Pension Office does not
answer letters Of inquiry. The Commissioner i.at
long since informed that such letters were Al
swered. Your last question IS too hard for Us.
J. b.. 1feFaerson Kaa-Any information desired
In relation to names and addresses OF surgeons of
hospitals during the late war &C. viii be supplied
By the Surgeon General, L. ;. A.. Washington. D.
e. and TO whom all correspondence On the subject
should be addressed.
T. C., Fort Scott KGn-Arrears in claims for dis
case are not granted at the same rate back 10
held
are OF q progressive nature, and II present dIsa-
biljfy * rated s. the arrears would naturally be
computed at 3 a and S. for different periods
according to the history Of the else The same
rule will apply to q higher or lower rating The
history of diseases connbafs the theory that there
can have been the same degree Of disability there
from during each year since discharge and il nee
essarily follows that there Is greater degree OF
disability than there was at discharge. or for
some years following; hence. arrears are allowed
at lower rate than that allowed Tor the degree Of
disability AT the present time You VIII have TO
be content with the allowance in your case which
appears 10 be Is liberal as IS customary IL such
cases.
r. IL Pine Pfrcr, Wis-If pensicner has been
dropped from the rolls the ground hat the dis
ability has ceased to exist be should procure \ IL
davits Of two or more reliable physicians showing
his present condition with reference 20 the disa-
bility FOR which pensi0ned. aud showing also 10
what extent he IS thereby disabled for manual
labor, forward anne 10 Pension Oice, and request
another examination ty some surgeon. CT board Of
surgeons, other than who las examined him This
Is The only method By which he can reopen his
claim.
Il Id, ifrioH csntrr. o.. There IS no
such thing as duplicate pensions What Won
refer 10 Is probably duplicate pension ifcats
which is issued replace the original eertiIgats
when the latter has been mutiiated lost or de-
stroyed. ?. by accrued pensions Is meant the
pension which was due ct q certain period and not
paid. IN OF the death of a peusioner whose
pension had accrued from date of last payment TO
MS death g. The act OF March 3, ISIS, Increased
certain pensions from SIS to sd and from 24 to SO
4. By writing to the Commissioner of Pensions YOU
can obtain what you desire.
NJ. H., Moatross, Pa.-We have answered the
question several times within the past year Pre-
Stunning that you subscriber we VIII again
state that properly purchased with pension money
is not exempt from attachment FOR debts contracted
prior or subsequent TO the receipt of the pension
Property purchased with pension money Is subject
to the same laws any 0tief property When a
pensioner receives his pension money the Govern
ment ceases TO protect u. anu It becomes simply
funds against which an attachment can issue the
same as II the money was derived from any other
source, subject of course, to State laws governing
such matters Executions for debt ON property
purchased with pension money, will hold good in
law.
l.. H. Warsa,u ~ Y-If dependent father dies
the claim for pension is ended No one else enti-
tied.
Sereral Redders.-As we have repeatedly stated
in our columns, soldier cannot obtain an exact
copy of his " discharge from the Government he
cause the original discharge was the only document
issued and the Government has means of aseer-
tanning what it contained by whom it was
signed. If your discharge has been lost you will
have to make oath as to the date and circumstances
OF the loss, and. by making application TO the
proper authorities. you can obtain from the War
Department certificate similar to the following:
Certificate Of Honorable Serrice.
- To al whom it may concern.
Know We. that whereas name of soldier Of,
in the county of -, and State of -, has applied
Certificate of Honorable Discharge.
rolled on the day of -, one thousand eight
hundred -, as a - in company - regiment
Of volunteers, to serve - years. and was hon.
orably discharged the = day of - $50. at
-, while holding the grade of -, and serving
honorably III the military service of the United
States.
This certificate is given in case of discharged
soldiers upon evidence that the original discharge
has been lost or destroyed without the privity or
procurement of the person entitled thereto and in
all upon the condition imposed by the act of
Congress approved March 3. 1873, that il shall not
be accepted as voucher for the payment of any
claim against the United States for pay bounty or
other allowances, or as evidence in any case.
Given at the Adjutant- Generals Office War
Department, Washington, d. c., this - day of,
lSS-.
'(signed
Assistant AdjGtant- General"
The above is all that you can get in the way OF a
duplicate discharge and is certificate compiled
from the records of the War Department. OF
course the blank spaces wiz DC properly flied out
when certificate Is Issued.
W. B., East Barnard, Tf-I See reply 10 " J.
H., this column. The subject of taxing pension
money Is matter that is controlled by the laws of
the State where the pensioner resides. There Is no
U. ;. statute law ON the subject. Pension money