The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-01-25
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

Correspondents should write each question on
separate sheet OF paper, give full name and adj
dress and mark 1t Correspondents Column" No
attentio will he paid to communications not ac
companied with name and address Of writer. 1t is
requested that a stamp be inclosed 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.l
Feierdn Ligonier, Pal. What is meant by the
phrase, VIII be considered in its turn 80 often
used by the Commissioner of Pensions and PEN
sion attorneys. when replying TO inquiries
corning pension claims? 2 Does 1t generally take
three or four years for claim for increase under
the old law TO reach its "turun g. Through
how many different Departments do claims pass
before certificate issues? 4 How many off.
Gals in the Pension Bureau examine the evidence
in pension claims? s. Has the Commissioner
OF Pensions authority to issue q certificate in
the face of an adverse decision by the Review
Boards? 6. How long is claim generally allowed
before the claimant Is notified OF the fact7 z. A
pensioner here WAS examined more than three
years ago for increase under the old law. and the
claim has not yet been allowed, and he henrs
nothing from it. Neither the Commissioner nor
his attorney will even reply when he writes. What,
presumably, IL the cause of this sickening delay?
8. What Is meant by the phrase vested right" in
the late pension bill? A7l8Uer. l. A claim is con-
sidered in Its turn whenever evidence is filed.
Thus If a claimant files evidence in support of his
claim to-day, that claim is taken Tor il supposed
to bel before q claim in which evidence is filed
tomorrow; and the rule Is supposed 10
govern in receipts OF certificates of Examining
Surgeons and other papers pertaining to claim.
2. No; such delay Is unwaTrauted and shows
neglect on the part of the Pension Bureau g. A
claim submitted for admission goes from the Adj
Indicating Division to the Board of Review thence
TO the Medical Division: thence to- the Board of
Review again, and thence TO the Certificate Di-
vision. 4. That Is difficult to answer, because no
two claims alike. A claim usually passes
through the hands OF at least 20 persons before
certificate issues 10 the pensioner. 5. Yes g. About
two weeks elapse before the pensioner receives
his notice. z. We cannot say. because no two
claims alike s. A vested right is an imme-
dste fixed right of present or future enjoyment
which IS lodged in the possessor, and cannot be
diverted from him, because ii Is not In state of
contingency. hut is absolutely fixed in him or her
g.. Detowore. O-Having applied for in
crease under the new law and not having heard
from it yet can drop Is and apply under the old
law? AnsUer Yes, you can drop anything. in
Guiding hot fstirob.
d. H., U-A soldier has drawn pension ever
since his term OF service expired in the army. If
he should die from the effects of wound received In
IIhe o. GUY, when ne draws pension for, how
much pension would his widow be entitled to draw
per month after his death said soldier having mar
RED this wife short time ago? 11ms,oer II mar
ried prior to March I9, 1886, Sl2 per month; II
married subsequent to that date 80 per month
f. b.. Providence. X. L-Can draw my pension
II reside In Ireland for while? lam citizen.
new bill? Afsicer. Yes. Submit proofs of your
citizenship before you leave the country.
Il. b., Blue Springs Ncb.-Ias il always been the
law that widow entitled to pension, dying before
claim Is allowed. there being children under Is
years of age, that the heirs were not entitled to
pension due her? If not. when was the law
changed? Anse0er The law has not been changed
but n different construction placed upon II
Sept: % 1892, which confined the benefits of See
AIS X >. 10 the widow or minor children of q de-
ceased invalid pensiouer.
+. C. L., Chaplin, Gonna soldier having pen
sion claim pending died about five years ago leay-
Ing widowed mother with whom he lived n d.
vorced wife. aud two daughters under l6 years of
age: No application for pension has ever been
made by the daughters, and they now upwards
OF 10 years old. Does the widowed mother (who
is In destitute circumstances, and has no other
ehildrenl occupy reasonable staius7 Ans,oer
W. n d.. Cunisteo " FL. Father who draws
pension dies leaving widow. Is widow entitled to
accrued pension from last payment to time OF his
death; said widow was not mother OF soldier? q
Can the husband at death Of his wife draw accrued
pension from date of last payment TO time of death?
The wife draws Nurses pension. AnSlcer. l. Yes
2 No.
S., Richmond. Kan.-Does the Examining Board
or the Pension Office make the ratings for PEN
sionsf Examining Surgeon tells me the Board
did make the ratings, but under Raum's adminis-
tration IL was changed and the rating made in the
reports as 10 the degree Of disability found the
Pension Bureau makes the ratings. This has
always been the rule and method.
d. b., PukOdad. s. D.-l. | enlisted as a private
Aug il, 1862; commissioned Second Lieutenant
Sept g. 1862; mustered into the service as Second
Lieutenant Oct. l8 1862 with the whole regiment
Received pay from date of commission Is there
any law ruling by which can collect pay as an
enlisted man from date Of enlistment up to date of
commission? 2. Am i entitled to any part of the
bounty given 10 those who enlisted under the 600
600 call that was made in the year Of 1862? The
bounty was SiOU PriVates received SZ3 advance
bounty. the balance SIS. at their Gnal muster-out
of servce AnsWer. l. You have undoubtedly re-
ceved such pay. Wfite to the Adjutant- General
of your State. and ask him. 2 No; bounty was
not paid TO commissioned officers.
4. b. C., Petersburg. ~ VI Is 81 verbal desire
expressed TO several persons by q married woman
before her death as TO her place OF burial legally
binding2 2 Can her husband remove her remains
10 another lot from the lot SHE buried in by her
desire? will add here that after her burial that
portion OF the lot in which she was buried wae
decided over by her brother TO her husband and il
was supposed by said brother that her remains
would be undisturbed, lac. at the time of her
death, Informed her husband of her desire as TO
her burial. AftS,oer. /, No. 2. He can if he SO
desires
2, W. g. Sedalid. Mo.-A man volunteered in the
rebel army, deserted aud Joined tile Federal army
IN which he contracted pens!ouable disease
Having thus served In the rebel army will this
Government recognize an application for pension
Ia other words. will his serving In the rebel army
bar him from drawing pension? Ansmer He has
pensionable status
Good News for Asthmatics,
We observe that the Kola plant, found ON