The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-07-05
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

Correspondents should write each question on
= separate sheet OF paper. give full name and adj
dress and markit Correspondents Column" No
stten ton will be paid TO Communications not &C.
companied with name and address OF writer. Is Is
requested that stamp be incosed for reply by
letter. Postal cards viii be replied to BY mail
only. Replies by mail will ordinarily be made
within week, and II in this column within three
weeks.
g. c. NJ, Brainerd. Nian.--L Has farm land
decreased In value in the United States in the last
l0years? 2. What per cent. ofthe country is owned
by farmers. and is IL heavily mortgsged? g.
Are silver certificates only worth 55 cents on the
uoihF; the demoDetizing OF silver only affected
the bullion as to its market value and not the
value OF the certificate? 4 Does the Government
issne the silver certificates at par and then refuse
10 redeem at more than 55 cents? 5. What Is
the standing of the National Economist and its
political faith? 6. What have the Is Representa-
ives OF the Peoples party done In this Congress
any more than the same number of other men OF
either party? 2. Did tho Republicans fuse with
the Democrats in Kansas any other State last
general election to down the Peoples party? 8.
Are the Representatives of the Peoples party noted
in your city for their sharpness ard strict attention
TO all the doings In Congress? AnstDer. /. Your
question is q difficult one to answer categoTeally.
because taking all the lands In the United States,
ana placing the appreciation In the sec
lions and in the immediate vicinity OF great cities
against the depreciation In the older sections.
~ would probably show O large balance on the
side Of appreciation. It would be more ap-
propriate TO say that railroads have equalized
the value OF farm lands all over the world de-
preciaiing the value of those nearest the markets
and appreciating those more remote. From 1860
To 1890 Ia protection period) the farm acreage Of
this country increased from 4O72 ,533 acres to
623.2iS,6l9 acres, ard the value of the farm lands
increased from s6,645.o45007 in 1860 to sl3.Z75.-
products In 1850 WAS s.. lis, l10, ,OO0 in 1890 it
was 8, 460 l07. .454. In 1860 exported Of farm
products, s356 sec, ,s72; in $780, s629. 59l7. an
increase through three decades OF rs per cent.
In 1860 the average value of farm acre was SIG 81,
while in 1890 it s2t50. 2. We do not have the
exact figures just at this moment but Mr.. Edward
n1naf ahf tafi-f hoa ,ada
careful analysis of this matter based upon the last
census. and shows that there has been most re-
markabe decrease in the amount OF farm mort
cages and that the large increase in real estate mort
cages is almost wholly due TO those placed in towns
and cities where speculation in realty has been ram
pant. g. They arc worth dollar and have the
same purchasing power here as any other dollar
IL IS tile silver bullion that has decreased in value
a. No 5. II Is the organ of one branch of the
Farmers Alliance. g. Less. z. We think not 8.
They have done absolutely nothing to justify the
claims upon which they were elected. In the
Senate DIR. PETER has shown ability and consist
ency and stands out as shining contrast to the
rest.
A. j. c.. Ogden, JtaI.-I was a Lieutenant-C CoIonel
In the 18th Ill, and discharged in the Spring
of 1854 being totally disabled for active duty by ill.,
health from exposure in the service. and receive
q pension on account OF disability, and now
totally unfit for any labor having various diseases
including hernia one side, and right arm and leg
partially paralyzed. aud now entirely unable to
take common food (ny stomach will not digest it),
and my doctor says i must quit all labor or die.
1 was married in August 1875. In case OF my
death, would my widow, being dependent draw a
pension; and, if so, how much? AnsWer. In the
event of your death from disability contracted
in line of duty in the service then your widow
would draw the amount per month allowed for
total OF rank that is TO say, If fatal disability
originated while you held the rank Of Lieutenant
Colonel, then her rate would be $50 per month;
go u you were n Major when said fatal disability
originated; $40 if Captain. sl7 if First Lieuten
ant, and so on. In all these cases death must be
due TO service. and the rank held when the fatal
disease first developed Is the rank that governs
the rate of pension. Where death is not due to
SERVICE then there would be title only under the
new law; SS maximum rate Hereunder and de-
pendence must be shown. which is not necessary
under the old law.
j. w. H., Urnion Ore-I Please state the largest
rate OF interest ever paid on Government bonds.
2 Does the Government pay compound interest?
What Is the rate OF interest on the bonds issued
last Winter by Secretary Carlisle? AnstCer. I. IL
per cent paid 81 900 of bonds issued In 1850
z. Not now. g. These bonds were offered under
the act OF JAN a. 1875. and the rate OF interest is
five per cent bonds to run 10 years. but the bonds
were offered with the limitation that proposal
at lower price than Il7.223, which is the equiva-
lent of three per cent bond at par, should be
sidered. The bonds were taken at a figure that
makes them about a three per cent. investment
Mrs. A ID. p, Carlisle, u.-My husband, to whom
l was married IN 1891. IS dead. Am and my chill
dren entitled to pension? Under which law?
Husband was a pensioner, and had some money
due him at date of death. How can get it? an
s1Cer. You can obtain pension for yourself and
children, providing it can be shown that your hus
bands death was a direct result OF a disability
wise. not. For the accrued pension apply to the
Commissioner of Pensions.
O. b. Romeo Mich.-Some of my comrades ask
me to inquire whether old soldiers who living
in foreign countries now being paid pensions
the same q few years ago. Please tell me. an
SUer- This question has been answered in this col
usnn a number of times. Act of March ], 1898. is
still operative, and under IL those non-residents
who not citizens of the United States cannot be
paid pension except for actual disability contracted
in the service. In other words, it excludes all
those nonresident aliens who not pensioned
for disability which they themselves contracted
while actually in the service. AS we have before
stated. we think that this law will be repealed at
an early date.
A. W, s., Buxton, ~ Ca soldier Of the war of
the rebellion married in 1874. In 1880 he was
drowned at sea- apparently in perfect health, leav-
ing q widow and two children under l6 years of
age The widow remarked prior to the passage of
the act of June q, 1890. After the passage OF the
act she applied for pension under It's provisions for
pension for her two children, had herself made
their guardian. and received the pension; but when
the pension was granted she received So per month
for herself and 50 per month for each of her chill
dren, making in all Sl2 per month pension. Hus-
band No. 2 still living One of the children has
been dropped by reason of having reached the age
of i6 and she still draws $40 per month You have
invited all comrades to make known Irregularities
in pension matters, so l write for your opinion,
through your paper, on this sub ject. There is a
wrong somewhere, either by clerical error or by
false representation of the case by her attorney.
And there is a wrong, whether intentional or not
on her part, and the officer before whom her
vouchers executed each quarter both know
she is q married woman. that her husband 10 living
and still, in order to draw her pension, she must be
sworn that she has not remarked. and two wit
nesses must eoFroborate her oath. IL this case is
all right, would like to be cited to the law that
makes it so. AnsWer. There is nothing in your
question TO indicate that the pension is being
paid; the views expressed result
from unfamiliarity with the law. This is fair
sample of The average alleged fraudulent case
about which such q hue and cry is being raised.
This woman is not pensoned as widow. nor is
any part of the pension which has been paid or is
to be paid hers The entire pension belongs to the
minor minors. but by virtue of express pro-
vision of law it be paid to the legal guardian
of the children, who, in turn accounts to the court
for its disposition. This woman simply draws in
fiduciary capacity she does not execute widows
voucher for pension, nor does she swear that she
has not remarked her vouchers recite and her two
witnesses thereto affirm that she is the legal
guardian of the minor minors of the soldier, and
that her ward wards are yet alive At stated
periods she must render TO the court by which APP
pointed guardian an account showing how she
has spent the pension money. There can be no
proper presumption Of fraud in case presenting
the features of this.
o. b. H., Vernon, Hich.--l. How far behind Is the
Second Auditors Office with claims of officers that
have been remustered aud not paid? 2 Is there any
m oney in the Treasury for that purpose? AnStcer.