The National tribune., 1895-05-30
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.


| OUR CORRESPON PONDENTS.
Correspondents should write each question on
| separate sheet of paper, give full name and adj
| dress and mark il Corresponding Column" No
| attention will be paid to communications not ac-
companed with name aud address of writer. 1t is
| requested that n stamp be inclosed for reply by
| letter. Postal cards will be replied TO by mail
| only. Replies by mail will ordinarily be made
within week. aud il ia this column within three
weeks.l
j. G.. c., Nep Haren, C0nn.--Is an officer en-
titled to pay for the loss of horses (that were
his own that were killed in battle during the
war? Answer. Not unless he fled the claim
therefor prior to Aug IL, 1891. the time that
statute of limitations became effective.
j. W. r.. Damascus, Pal. Under the act of
June 81. 1890, is pension Of $12 month con-
sidered for total disability2 9. A vet
eran getting SIP month under the act of June
81 1890, is examined by the local board in a
claim under ths old law. which report his dis
abilities as being such to keep him from
working half of his time. Would such report be
apt to cause q reduction of mis- pension that he
now receives under the act of June q, 1880?
dHsUer. l. Under present rulings the Sl2 rate
will not be paid under the act Of June 81, 1890,
unless there exists a total disability to obtain a
support by manual labor, the language of the
Secretary of the Interior being wholly unable
to obtain support by manual labor" 2. That
would depend as TO whether the report dealt
with only those disabilities for which pension
was claimed under tho old law, or whether it
lad reference to all the disabilities with which
the pensioner was aiflicted. Pension under the
old law might have been claimed for one or two
disabilities only. whereas under the act Of June
81, 1890 all disabilities (save those, if any. due
to vicious habts.) could be considered in deter
mining the question of inability to obtain
support by mammal labor.
Patron, Utica, Pd.-A soldier applies for PEN
sion under the act of June 81 1890, shortly after
the passage of that act, and in July, 1894, is
advised by his attorney to file claim under
the old or general law; which he did, believing
that if such old law should be allowed, he would
get arrears. He has proved his disability to be
of service origin and that he has suffered from
it ever since the war. From what date will
such pension be allowed? AnSDer. If al
lowed under the old law, it will date from July.
1894, if that be the date of first filing claim
under said law.
p. p, FletcherriIe, O-1. Is the widow of a
soldier entitled to the accrued pension from
date Of last payment to her late husband TO
date of his death; and if so. to whom should
application be made? 2. Did Congress pass an
act in 1890. or at any other time providing a
bounty of 500 for all who served the period of
100 days? Ansarer. /. She is entitled upon due
proof; apply to the Commissioner of Pensions,
9 No.
4. u. a., CHe5teT, JOTU.-fIeASe answer the IOl-
lowing question in your Correspondents col
umn: A Southern man claims that more Con-
federate prisoners of war died in Northern
prisons than did Union soldiers in Confederate
prisons. What are the facts? AnSwer. 26,774
Confederate prisoners lied in Northern prisons,
aud Il, 900 Union soldiers died in Confederate
prisons.
d. Dr., Leauenworth, Ran-Was our present
Commissioner of Pensions a soldier; and if so,
what was his service? Ansluer. He was a First
Lieutenant in the 1st Minn.
X. d., Del Roy O.-TO settle a dispute please
state whether q woman who is the second wife
OF a soldier can draw pension in the event Of his
death? Answer. The fact of being the second
wife has nothing to do with it; it is the date of
to the soldier that counts and we
have repeatedly explained in this column just
how and to what extent the date of marriage
did affect her title. We again state that if the
soldier dies from cause that is traceable to his
military service land line of duty therein). his
legal widow is entitled to pension no matter
when she married him, and irrespective Of
whether she is his first wife or his tenth one
and regardless of her financial condition: but III
she married the soldier after March 10, 1856,
her rate of pension would be but 50 month.
whereas widow who married the soldier prior |
to March 10, 1886, would be entitled to the $12 |
rate if he died of disability of service origin; |
n woman marrying n soldier subsequent to |
June ~, 1881, mas no title TO pension under the
act of June q, 1890 but, above set forth, |
would be entitled under the general law to S. |
a month if she could show that the soldier |
died OF cause originating i'll line OF duty in the
service.
G. C. C., Burlington, Ioca-Pease inform me |
whether the action i'll my case is legal and |
whether l have any remedy, and if not why |
not? / have been receiving pension of SIC a |
month for gunshot wound of left side of face |
aud neck and total loss of sight of one eye, and
about three years ago ! applied for increase |
and additional for loss of hearing of left ear, |
and last week L received new certificate
allowing me an additional dollar for nearly |
total deafness of left ear Is this according to
law? AAsper. You mistaken in assuming
that you receiving 81 for nearly total deaf
ness of one ear all your pensioned disabilities
are considered together in estimating the de-
gree of pensionable disability, and the Commits
,ioner has held in your that SIT is the
proper rate therefor Specific rates are not
added together and for the disabilities named
in your pension certificate there is no rating
provided between Sl7 and S24, and the $24 rate
cannot be allowed unless the Commissioner will
.oncede that the disabilities named in the PEN
ZION certificate disable the pensioner to au ex-
ent equivalent to the loss of hand or foot. |
In your case he does not c0ncede that your
combined disabilities do disable you to such |
In extent, aud therefore holds that only the
Sl7 rate can be paid. This is not new prac-
ice.