The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-11
Questions Answered.

j. T.. E., WARREN 1t is a rule of
the pension Office that an application
for an increase of pension, unless for
ne,C disability, cannot be considered
under six months from the date of the
last action.
A. r. N, ORANGE.-To correct an
error in the name of the pensioner in
the pension certificate the papers will
have to be returned to the commits
sioner of pensions, Washington. When
the error is corrected new certificate
will be sent you.
ii. y. L., BRATTLEBORo.-Sec
APO of the United States Statutes au-
thorizes the commissioner of pensions,
upon satisfactory evidence that fraud
was perpetrated in obtaining q special
act, to suspend payment of the pension
until the propriety of repeating the
same can be considered by congress.
There has never been a case of sus-
pension under this law.
G.. S., SPRINGFIELD.-The low rates
of pension to which you refer in certain
cases are, no doubt, due to the reports
of the surgeons who examined the APP
plicants, instead of to any tendency in
the pension Office to reduce the rates.
AS rule, surgeons without experience
rate disabilities lower than old surgeons.
The medical boards of this state are
composed in whole or in part of newly
appointed surgeons, commissioned by
the democratic administration. The
liberal action of the pension office in
granting pensions in New England is
hn1i m ha TO hn ohop do
in the chief of the eastern division.
Fred Mack, a Vermonter, who had been
chief of that division for years, and
who was very eXacting in his require
ment of testimony establishing a right
to pension, was transferred by the
commissioner of pensions TO the west.
ern division. About the time this
change was made complaints began to
come from the West that the new ad.
ministration was not as liberal in grant
ing pensions as the old.
Mrs. p. b., ARTON.-This cor.
respondent has been granted pension
as the dependent mother of Hemar
Belden, by special act of congress
The house committee on pensions re
ported that her son, at Newport, n. G..
was wounded by one George n. Lane
who had bought new revolver and il
showing her son how it revolved hi
thumb slipped off from the trigger ant
discharged the revolver, wounding he
son in the abdomen and causing hi
death. Her claim was rejected in thu
pension office on the ground that thu
wound was not received in the line o
duty. She fails to receive any arrear
of pension, but if her pension had beef
granted by the pension Office she woul'
have received pay from the date of tn
soldiers death. When her claim wa
rejected she ought to have appealed t.
the secretary of the interior instead o
applying to congress. We have know
many pensions granted for accidents
wounds of the kind mentioned above
In the case of w. T. Kinnerson, re
Gently decided by the secretary of tn
interior, the soldier, while cleaning
revolver, accidentally discharged il
wounding himself in the thigh. AT tn
time he received the injury she wa
not acting under any order; neithe
was he acting in violation of any order.
1t was held that the soldier was in tn
line of duty and he was pensioned fo
such injury. The pension Office wi
not allow her to waive her pensio
under the special act and make turtle
effort under the general law, but ther
is bill pending in congress that pro
vides that such course may be taker
1t will not be acted upon before mex
winter