The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-03-05
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

| iCorrespondents should write each question On
separate sheet OF paper, give fall alicI sd.
dress ami mark it CORRESPONDENCE Column" No
attention. will be paid to conullui cations not ac
cOmpanied with name and address of writer IL is
requested that stamp be incl osed for reply BY
| letter. Postal cards will be replied TO by mail
only. Replies by mail will ordinarily be made
within week. and ii ia this column within three
weeks
j. w. g., Phi7ipsion PA soldier dies in
1874, leaving widow and four minor children;
is there any law under which the widow or
children would be entitled to pension? GER
tain lawyer is trying to get the heirs to apply,
and claims that he can get The pension for them
| in six months time. AHSCsr. If the widow be-
alive and unmarried, she alone has title. if any
one, children not being entitled so long as the
widow survives unmarried; If the widow is
living and has not remarked, and is now in
dependent circumstances, she is entitled to penn
sion, no matter what the soldier died Of asSUm-
ing that be had a service of more than 90 days
during the war of the rebellion, and was honor
ably discharged therefrom; if his death was a
direct result Of a cause originating in line of
duty in the service, she is entitled even if in
independent circumstances. and even if remar-
Tied, up TO date of remarriage; and if widow
remarked before the children attained Che age
of IS years, they would be entitled from date
Of her remarriage to date Of reaching the age
Of is, if soldiers death was a direct result Of
his service. No reliable attorney will guaran-
tee to secure pension in six months time.
r. H. S.. Fremont OIL am the second wife
OF soldier who is row drawing pension il
he should die, would be entitled to pension az
his widow? AHsUer. Yes, if his death be di-
rect result of n disability originating in line OK
duty in the service; il his death be not due 10
his service. you will not have title unless you
were married to him prior to June 27, 1890, and
should be in dependent circumstances when
you apply.
T. j. B., Dayton, O-Plsase state whether you
think that the bill providing for the pension
ing of Contract Surgeons and their widows
under the act Of June %, 1890 will pass. IN
sTer We cannot now say; We hope it may.
d. IT,, Keene Center, N. Yin case of the
death OF a widow who is pensiOned under the
act of June 81. 1890, can her minor children be
pensioned without proving that the soldiers
death was due to his serviceS ARslUsr. Yes.
w. p c., Hamburg, H.-To settle dispute,
please state whether soldiers children under
Is years of age can get more than 50 a month.
Insurer. If they get anything at all, they get
moro than 81 month the 81 a month addi-
tiOnal allowed an increase to a widows PEN
sion where she has minor children 80 addi-
tOnal because Of each child under the age OF
IS years. does not belong TO the children as a
separate allowance, since it is part of the
widows pension, and is hers exclusively till
she forfeits ia, together with her S. or SI2. as
and not till then-the children, if under the
age of IS years. may. by guardian next
friend, file formal application, and upon due
proof receive Jointly the same amount of pension
per month that the mother drew and OF course
this includes the additional - per month c. o..
if there were four children under the age of 10
when the mother remarked, and she had been
drawing $12 month and an additional 81 be-
cause of each minor child, or $50 in ALL such
children could by guardian jointly draw $50
q month, or 50 each when one of the children
attained the age of Is years. the additional So
would lapse, and the other three children
would then Jointly draw $l9 month then,
when another became TO- the remaining two
would Jointly draw SIC q month; and finally,
when the third child reached the age of IS
years. the remaining one would draw, till is,
$l4 month.
z. c. L.. Corning, " IA soldier receiving
pension of So per month for piles contracted in
service, applies for pension under act of June
%, 1890. His claim is allowed at the same rate
($6 per MONTH, aud he is notified that pension
under his former certificate ceased az the date
at which claim was allowed. What are his
rights under the circumstances? Can he re-
fuse the pension under the act of 1890, aud
continue TO receive pay under the old certiH-
cate? If so, what should he do to signify his
election? AHswer. lie can decline to accept
the new pension and should so signify to the
Commissioner of Pensions.
S. b. p, National Home, BG.-Flease state the
date of the law when the fee of pension attor-
neys was reduced from $25 to $40. and when
to 81? ARSUer. On June 90 1873, Congress
passed fee law by which the fee was reduced
TO SO, in most cases, and that law remained in
force until the act of July 4, 1884. which 10
now operative. Under this law it is competent
in certain eases therein specified for the attor-
ney of record to contract fer u fee not to exceed
$2o, contingent upon success; as to the fee of
81, Congress by act of March 3, 1891, provided
that in claims for increase of pension on ae-
count of the disability for which pension had
been granted the fee should be 81. This fee
applies 10 no other class of claims except GER
tain special act claims. The act of July 4,
1854, has no application TO claims filed under the
act OF June %, 1890.
j. G.. c.. NeO HaveH Conn.,. Has the Sec
rotary of the Interior made any new ruling
within year as to how many years absences
on the part of a husband raise the presumption
of death? 2. Has the ruling of April, 1894. as
to claims under the general law of children
over lG ut date of application been modi6edf
AHswer. ]. No; the facts i'll each individual
ease govern there is no ironelad rule. 2. No;
childron over the age of 16 years may apply
for pension for the period for which they may
be entitled up to the age of 16, providing they
apply under the general law.