The National tribune., 1897-07-08
PENSION POINTERS.
INQUIRIES Answered and Sug-
gestions Made.

u
Secretary OF the Interior. it having peeh re-
jscted By the Pension Bureau, 1t is OF hFst I'M
portsnce to properly describe the case " si'ins
the company and regiment oil the soiu'oi -
the number of the claim; then sIate cles9
She objections to the action OF the fensiou Du'
reau. Showing that the rejection is not IN ac-
roraanca with the law or with the evidence, as
fhe case may be. All the testimony nieo IN
fba Pension Bureau is considered on the appear.
The Official Reports of Boards OF EAa"ihine
Surgeons as a rule have more weight I'D pen
sion case than the testimony OF other physicians.
The Board of Pension Appeals In the Interior
Denartment appears TO be now less tnan Two
months behind with its work. The decision
on at,neal is not conclusive if adverse to the
claim. The appeal will be reconsidereo IL
sufficient reason is shown, or the claimant may
file additional testimony in the Pension Du-
reau and have the case reconsidereo there, put
III cannot be reopenei without the approvai o,
the Secretary. fla soldier originally pensioned
under the general law at less than Si2, ana
subsequently pensioned at Sl2 under the act OF
June y. 1890, is granted an increase oil pension
lover Sl2) on account OF his original penslonea
disabilities and is thus transferred PACK 20 inc
general law, his increase commences from Tue
date of the favorable medical examination, ana
be is not required TO refund the difference De-
tween mis- former rate under the general Jaw
and his rate under the act of June q, lSSO, Tor
the period between the commencement OF ms
act of 1890 pension and the commencement OF
the increase which has taken him back 20 tue
general law again.
r.. Canton. Ga-Secton 41S7 OF the he
viscd Statutes, as amended by the acts Oh ev
mary q. 1877. and March 8, 1891. reads as foi.
lows. Every officer, soldier, seaman. and
marine who was disabled during the war TOT
the sunrression of the rebellion, in the mill
tarv or naval service, and in tue line OF duty,
or in consequence of wounds received or dis
ease contracted therein, and who was furnished
by the War Department since june 10, lo'o'
with an artificial limb or apparatus for resection,
who was entitled 10 receive such limb or appar-
.tus since said date shall be entitled to receive
n new limb or apparatus at the expiration OF
every three years thereafter, under such regu-
lations as have been or may be prescribed by
the Surgeon General of the Army. The pro-
visions of this section shall apply to ali officers
non commissioned officers, enlisted and hireo
men of the land and naval forces OF the onitea
States who. in the line of their duty as such,
shall have lost limbs or sustained bodily inJur-
les deriving them of the use Of any OF their
limbs to be determined by the Surgeon-Gen-
eral of the Army: and the term of three years
herein specified shall be held to commence IN
each case with the filing of the application Tor
the benefits of this section" Section 4Ios OF
the Revised Statutes is as follows: Every
person entitled to the benefits of the preceding
section may. if be so elects, receive, instead OF
such limb or apparatus, the money value
thereof at the following rates. namely: FOR
artificial legs SIS; for arms, $50; for feet, $oo;
for apparatus for resection, 500" 10 entitie
to the computation in lieu OF the artinciei
limb. where there is no actual amputstion, IL
must be shown that the disabled limb ID of no
practical use.
T. D., Brooklyn, n Y-The act Of March g.
1896. which you refer to, is clearly applicable
60 your csse. Your application filed IN 1871
was an original application under the act OF
June q, 1890. Notwithstanding that you were
pensioner under the general law. Inc ALLOW"
ance under the act of 1890 which you obtained
" 1895. should be dated back to the filing of
your first application under the act in 1891.
We cannot determine from your statements
Vbether you could obtain SIS high rating
gnder the general law You are now obtain
ing under the act of 1890. If your pensioned
disabilities have all been accepted by the Pen-
sion Bureau as due to your service, you can
undoubtedly obtain, under the general pension
law, more than the Sl2 you are receiving under
the act OF 1890.
~ L.. MsTlspood. Ore-kfter a pension case
has been rejected the attorney therein may be
superseded if he neglects the case for three
months after the rejection. III the case ls Tor
increase on pensioned disabilities, or for inva-
lid pension under the act Of June q, 1890, the
attorney may be superseded at once by the fi-
ing of q new declaration and the appointment
of new attorney therein. All testimony hied
in pension case is preserved in the Pension
Bureau. and can always be referred to, and
need not therefore, be duplicated when new
or supplemental claim lie filed, or when 1t II
desired 20 reopen . rejected case.
r. B. p. Dayton, 0.-Applications for nava
bounty and prize money are considered by The
Auditor for the Navy Department. Treasury
Department. Such claims can be collected i
good. Claims for Communication OF subsistence.
of soldiers in the late war should be filed will
the Commissary General OF Subsistence, Z. S. A.
War Department. Claims for pay and bounty
ETC., for soldiers are considered by the Audito
for the War Department, Treasury Department
J. 4. H., Stuart, s. C-To obtain an increas'
of Mexican war service pension to $12 pei
month il must be shown that the pensione
lis wholly disabled for manual labor, and i
In such Destitute circumstances that s. pc
month are insufficient TO provide him the nee
esssries OF life" If in the case referred to Tia,
pensoner has but little more income THAT h'
has legal right to- than his pension, he is evi
IDENTITY entitled 70 the increase.
B. H. B., GropeIand Mass-A soldiers widow
is not entitled TO collect pension which h'
might have received If living unless he hat
fled an application for the same during bi
lifetime.
r. r. j., Ohio Soldiers and Sailors Homc.-I
lie necessary that the pensioners signature Z
the duplicate receipts attached to a pension
voucher be Witnessed. No pension vouche
will be paid without being executed and wit
messed IN the required manner and form.
e f. L., EUoHsUsOe. Hia-lf a widow VIII
draws pension remarries but finds that he
second husband had no legal right to marry
ale can have her pension restored upon
proper presentation Of the facts. II you refe
TO the additional bounty allowed under the &C
of July Is 1866, your attention is invited (
the response TO w. l.. Lebanon, H., above
Claims for this additional bounty might b
fled by the widow II the soldier was dead,
7. i. r.. Dayton. Ono new ratings Of pen
sions have been promulgated by the prescn
Commissioner OF Pensions as yet
y. 4. g., Sh0utee Mound, Ho.--Tbere is n
data available from which information can
had 20 the number OF coloreG soldiers of tn
late war who were granted pensions under til
late Administration.
y. ~, -4fchiSOn, kaa-UBder the act
Aug. il, less charges of desertion standin
against appointed or enlisted men who serve
IN the navy or marine corps ia the late
the rebellion, NJ ight be removed under certai
circumstances upon application TO the Seer,
tsry Of the Navy; but this law expired b
Limitation on Aug. IL, 1893, aud has not bee
extended yet II a sailor while on the r,
ceiying-ship under orders for muster-out wei
home without waiting for his discharge, it
possible that the matter might be rectiied b
the Navy Department independent Of the DR.
visions OF the law referred 10.
II. b.. BHcyras. 0.-The next grade nbo,
the rating OF $50 for disability incspacitatir
"lor performing any manual labor, but not
much as to require regular personal aid an
"a Srn for dExalilfRv n sr.h