The National tribune., 1885-04-02
OUR CORRESPONDENTS
Replies to Questions on Variety of Interesting
Subjects.

aud mark it Correspondents Column" No atten-
uon Will be paid to communications that are not
accompanied with full name and address OF writer.
Our readers requested 70 inclose = stamp for
reply TO their inquiries.
l. c. f., Ne,o York City,. What is meant by
original increase. reissue. restoration, duplicate and
accrued pension? 2 \ soldiers drawing pension
Tor disease-ciam filed before July l. ISSD-pensiOn
dates from discharge. He failed TO mention wounds,
but was examined for same first application, but
pension was not given therefor. He files new
claim Tor wounds after June 30 1850. VIII second
claim date from discharge only from time of
Application To Pension Office? g. How long does 1t
take to settle claim after I'll evidence is III? An
StUer l. Original is the first certificate issued III
clain Increase" certificate is issued where claim
lor increase OF pension Is allowed Reissue Is
certificate issued to correct some error that has
been made in former certificate. Restoration \"
certificate Is issued where pensioner Is restored to
the roll he or she having been previously dropped
therefrom. duplicate" certificate is issued to
replace a certificate that may have been lost,
destroyed or mutllated. Accrued" " pension IS
certificate issued giving to widow minor children
the pension that due the soldier AT the date of
ms death and remaining unpaid, etc. 2. From the
GATE the application receired at the Pension
OGice. This Is claim for increase based on 1ety
disability (wounds), and not having been alleged
prior to July 1880. cannot draw arrearJ 3. That
cannot be definitely answered as no two claims are
alike The best we can do is to say from two
months to two years more.
Il. In a pension claim, if doctors who treated
me right after discharge dead what do they
ask Tor in place of that testimony? 2. What Is the
rate OF pension in case of total disability from
or other persons having personal knowledge of the
existence of the alleged disability at the time men
toned. 2. The ratings in claims for disease are not
specified by law, and the amount allowed depends
upon the report of the Examining Surgeons who
report upon the degree of disability they find it,
We do not have access TO these reports, hence we
cannot state approximate the amount that
should be allowed in any case. Total pension
for enlisted man per month, but there
higher grades than total.
W. o. Grand Rapids, Mich.-A man enlisted for
three years. served three months, then deserted,
and after period of five months enlisted again un-
der an assumed name. He served faithfully, was
wounded, discharged under the assttmed name and
IS drawing pension under that name. Does his
desertion bar him from having his pension fixed in
MS right name, under which he first enlisted?
1nsrer. No. He can get the matter fixed by max
ing statement of the facts under oath and proving
his Identity, when reissue of certificate be
made to give him pension i'll his right name atlas
the name he served under in his second enlistment.
boM names will have to appear in the pension
certificate If changed from its present form.
a H. j., ShaTpsburg, PG.-I have drawn S16 pen
sion Tor and have lately had IL increased
to 924 Can l, under existing laws, draw upon new
claim filed whatever arrears would be due between
1850 and the present for the difference between the
two amounts monthly allowed me- to equalize the
Slb with the S2i rates; would such claim be
entertained" AnSuer. No.
". 4. L., Hooster O.-You cannot recover arrears
III claim for increase based upon the same disa-
Dlilty Tor which originally pensioDed, nor would
c'alm TOR recruiting for the period prior to date of
increase be entertained. Even if your disability is
and has been permanent, that does not enttle you
TO an increase prior to the date of Examining Sur
geons certificate which gave you the increased
rate. You must bear i'll mind that the ratings arc
more liberal during the past few years, made so by
Acts of Congress. and during the years following
your discharge the pension laws did not allow
liberal a rate rs would now be allowed for the same
disability.
Il. c. e., Naples n. "a soldier enlisted served
a few months and deserted, Immediately enlisted
again under another name, served faithfully, was
honorably discharged, and died soon after reaching
home from disease contracted in second service
while serving under the assumed name: l. Does
the descrtion from first service debar the dependent
mother from pensionr 2. If not, must application
be made under real name first enlistnent} the
assumed name second enlistment: Ans'rer l.
No. 2 Under both names,-that IS the pension
should be claimed as dependent mother of -
giving his real namel, who enlisted as - (giv-
ing his assumed name), and pension, if allowed,
viii lie given to heraS mother OF for nstance) John
smith atlas Charles Brown, the latter being the
name under which the service rendered.
II. H., EsscT, pt.-SuppoSing soldier to be draw
ing S2i per month pension and he dies from cause
directly resulting from the disease for which he is
drawing . pension; would his widow draw full
amount (S2I) for her pension? AnStrer. No she
would draw but S. The of all lcidoCs is fixed by
law and can be neither less. The rate he
receiving does not affect her at all. Even
II he was drawing So or but 81 per month. under
the cited above, she would be pensioned at s.,
if at all.
f. f. T., South Peubody Ifass-Is ss per month all
the pension TO which soldier Is entitled to receive
for disease of spine and heart resulting in fitSs
AHs'rer 1t depends entirely upon the degree Of dis
ability found by the Examining Surgcon. If said
Surgeon does not report him disabled TO q greater
extent than would entitle him to that amount then
he would not he rated higher. The rates for dis
eases not specified by law. and they depend
upon the reports of Examining Surgeons, who atone
are competent to decide aS TO the amount Of PEN
sion that should be paid. These medical ques-
tons which We ior obvious reasons. cannot answer
definitely, because We have no means of knowing
the degree of disability existing. If a pcnsioner
thinks he IL rated too low lac should apply for in
crease and the medical examination had under TIE
increase claim will decide his right thereto.
g. " g., AnSoafa. Conn., WAS discharged on ac
count of hernia, and when first drew my pension
drew St from the time was discharged up to
1854. and then drew - up 10 the present time Am
| entitled to the - from the time of my discharge
up to 1854? 1GS'ecr. No. The rate for hernia prior
to 1854 81; during said year the rate i'll
creased 80 IS. but it does not eutic to any arrears
H. H. j. SmickSbug Pa What was Gen
Grants salary per year during his last term
President? .. Did President Hayes have his salary
reduced? Anscer. l. $4,000 > No He could not
have done even had he desired it. The salary of
the President can neither be increased nor dimin-
ished during the period for which ne shall have
been elected.
j. D. b. Prorjdence p E-Could youtell US what
is the last pension number granted, n it would
show soldiers who have claims how near it Is to
theirs? AnStrcr. It is impossible to tell, because
claims settled regardless of their numbers and il
would be indication whatever of the state of
other claims numbered above or below the last
claim settled. As soon claim Is considered
complete it is settled Whether the number is 200
600 or $4,000 makes no difference in the settlement
of the claim if it Is ready for final action. claim
filed year ago may he settled to-day if it is
plcte, and one filed 20 years ago may be pending
for years to come because it is not complete. No
two claims alike and the date of iiial action in
u claim cannot he gauged by its number.
T. T. X, krCsgCrijie. Pd.-An increase claim based
upon the original disability, commences from the
date of the Examining Surgeons certificate which
shows the pcnsloHer entitled to mcrcasH, and that
may bc the first examination had after the claim
for increase i filed IL may lie u subsequent
animation, tthc first examination may not show
him entitled to iucrcasc). There sre no GyTCurs
allowed in n claim of this nature. If there Is an
error the date of CONNIE nccmcnt of your increase
h4X ff. iINfaf
missioner of Pensions. 1t is quite probable that
YOUR examination III August, 1873 did not show
you entitled 20 increase, hence YOU paid ar
at the original rate your increase being sub
S5ypcnHV allowed.
T. u. C. Ashion r. Ii. Ifa Second Lieutenant
receives pension of - per mOut, fuT u l,uushUt
wound, how much would Il private soldier receive
asthma contracted in the service. entitled to a
pension? s. II soldier contracted inGammatory
rheumatism while on duty, aud is afflicted
with it, il he entitled TO pension therefor? AStcer
/. S. per month. and ). Yes. If he prove the
claim.
II. s. S,runto. O.--I was granted a pension of S6
month for gunshot wound. After the first year il
was cut down to 81. drew latter sum for nine or
ten years / now receive SGT per month Am not
entitled to the 3 difference that WAS taken from
me for the period of nine or ten years? ApSircr.
No. You reduced on hi enniai examination
in compliance with the law at that time and that
action would NOT now he disturbed.
r. F. RoCtyreit, iOiru.-Hhc net Of July 4 1891
(rclang to attorneys ccs,) provided: That in nil
claims allowed since June % 1873 where it shall
appear TO the satisfaction of the Commissioner of
Pensions that the fee of SO 0Hy part thereof has
no. been paid, he shall the same to he de-
Quoted from the pension, and the Pension Agent to