The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-05-29
THE PENSION
PERPLEXITY.
THE STATE BDARD ENDEAVOI,S
TO EXPOUND THE LAW.
TUT 'he Guidance OF the Several g Goun-
ty Boards ana the AppIi-
cants--A Circular.

mas issued the following circular letter
TO the several county boards, constru-
ing the new pension law in full and
giving directions as to the classification
OF the applicants. Tho information
contained therein is of the utmost i'm
portance to the hundreds of applicants
all over the State:
Gentlemen: The varied construc.
ton OF the pension laws rs shown by
the action of tho different county
nonrds reporting up to this date, in.
ouce the State board of pensions to-
address this circular letter to You,
hoping to aid necessary uniformity Of
action and construction of these laws.
By tins we hope to save disuppoint-
ment to nnny applicants much valua-
bic time, labor and trouble to the State
and county boards.
Some county boards in making up
Glass -" (the SO per month"; include
she helpless INDECENT Confederate SOL
dlers, whose disabilities arise from
causes in no way conut ctcd with
wounds received while in the service
OF the States. The helpless, INDECENT
soldier by the iniirmitics % age, paral-
ysls, etc, under the law cannot DO
placed III Glass "a" but only those
who has lost sight or hands or feet or
are physically helpless from wounds
received while in the service. Acct
dents to soldier since the war; caus-
ing physical disabilities, neither from
wounds, disease or other causes can be
considered in Class a." us the State
board construes the law.
Let us examine into each class--"A,"
"B' and &C." and SEQ who must con-
stitute them under tho laws:
Glass GA" or the So per month, can
embrace rs above only tho physically
disabled soldier by blindness, being
manned or otherwise made helpless
while in the service of the State or
Confederate States and whose gross
income from salary, wages or from
other sources does not exceed $3.50, nCr
themselves or wives have property
sufficient TO produce an income of $3.50.
There are but few of this class III tho
State
Class ''B'' must lie made from the
one-armed, onc-lcgged, or other
wounds equivalent to the loss Of Que of
these limbs, whose physical disabilities
do not render III I'm helpless entirely
and whose incomes do not exceed $3.50.
nor they or their wives possessed of
property sufficient to produce such in
come.
Class "B," like Class "a" embraces
only wounded soldiers, not widows or
soldiers not wounded.
Class "C' embraces soldiers and
widows, but soldiers only above 80
years Of age, whose gross income from
all sources does not exceed 800.
Soldiers with physical disabilities, not
traceable by the examining physician
directly to wounds or causes produced
while IN the service of tho State or
Confederate States, it matters not how
aged and iniirm, cannot be placed in n
higher class thun &C." and ONLY in
this class when above 60 years old and
nave gross income of less than 500.
There are under tho laws three classes
OF widows, namely. |. Those whose
husbands died while in the service,
have not remarked and have gross
income OF not less than $3.50. 2.
Widows Of Pen Sioners. 3. Widows
over co years whose incomes arc less
than 500. and have insufficient prop
erty to produce. All widows must be
placed in Glass &C."
Many applications have not been
completed. Sometimes auditors GER
tlhcntcs were not signed, the cXumin-
ing physician failed to comply fully de-
scribe the wounds or the board signed
application with no recommendation
or Indications of approval or disap-
proval. The State board cannot aD-
prove where irregularities appear for
want of time to return for correction,
and thus forty applicants may be re.
jectcd
The State board desires the fullest
possible reasons in each cnse for np-
provnl or disnpprovnl. Please don't
merely write approved" but plainly
state reasons.
Auditors sometimes muiilate their
statements or make the case doubtful
Dy Insertions and erasures in the
printed form. Give all the facts OBJ
talnable that tho law may apply alike
to all applicants. The State board il
anxious to execute the pensions INV
talrly, fully and promptly, but cannot
no so without the prompt, intelligent
an full cooperation of county boards.
we must have all application at once
now. The law requires this money to
be paid by the 10Th Of June-an i'm
possibility unless reports are sent in Mt
once. respectfully,
JAMES Moron.