The National tribune., 1897-08-19
PENSION POINTERS.
Inquiries Answered and Sug.
gestions Made.

s. N. b., Rah,ray. N. 1.-THE pension appro.
priaton act of March 2, 1895 provides THAT
from and after the passage of this act all peu-
sioners now on the rolls who are pensioned at
| less than Sc per month for any degree of PEN
| sionable disability shall have their pensions
| increased to sc per month and that hereafter,
| when any applicant for pension wonld under
| existing rates be entitled to less than SIS FOR
any single disability or several combined disa-
biities such pensioicr shall be rated at not less
| than So per month: Provided. also, That the pro-
visions hereof shall not be held TO cover any PEN
sionable period prior 10 tue passage of this act,
nor authorize n rerating of any claims for any
part of such period, nor prevent the allowance
OF lower rates than Sc per month, according 10
the existing practice in the Pension Office in
pending cases covering any pensonabe period
prior to the passage of this act" The Com
missioner of Pensions will send free, on re-
quest, pamphlet con tanning all pension laws
now in force.
B. d.. Toledo, Wash--To be entitled to a
higher rate than S24 for disability equivalent
| to the loss Of hand or foot" it must be shown
that the peGsioner is unable to and does no, per-
form any manual labor of any description In
consequence Of disability shown to be Of service
origin. Specific rates for certain disabilities, rs
deafness and total disability of a hand, cannot
be added together to make np rating If a
hand Is practically useless the rating therefor
under the general law is $50 per month, and if
the arm is practically useless the rating would
be $36 per month. For disability of service
origin requiring the frequent aud periodical
aid and attendance Of another person, the
rating is $50 per month.
". Fl. IT., Pittsburg, Pa.--Comm issioner Evans
has not as yet issued any order on the subject
of ratings. whether under the general law or
the act of 1890.
W. Il. L., Manhattan Kans.--If after May 1,
1865, soldier in the volunteer military service
left without the formality Of discharge, his
record at the War Department may be amended
and an honorable discharge issued, under the
act of March g 1882 If. previous to May /,
1865, he had served an aggregate of not less
than six months. Under the same law, SOL
der who abseDted himself from his COM
mand, or from hospital while suffering from
disability incurred in the line OF duty. aud did
not return. lave his record amended in
like manner, If he can show that during the
term for which lie had enlisted. or during the
remainder Of the term that he would have been
required to serve. he was physically unable TO
return or report 20 the nearest military post or
headquarters When the charge OF desertion
is removed. the pay accrued up to the date of
absence can be collected, AS can all allowances,
sucii as clothing money and ration money.
q. " r., Upper Iygart, Ky.-A straight in
crease claim is a claim for increase of pension
on account of pcnsloned disability. II the
claim for increase is based on disability not
covered by the pension certificate, it is called
a new-disabiIity claim In claims under the
general law, the pension as to each disability
commences from the date formal claim
thereon was filed in the Pension Bureau.
/. !. g., Berlin flights, O.-The question as to
whether real estate purchased with pension
money is exempt from liens and executions is
dependent u pom the law Of the State where the
property Is situated.
e. W. B., Keol-uk. iowa.-Tbere is no Federal
statute on the subject of licenses to peddle mer-
chandise, except possibly as 10 the District of
Columbia. What you saw III The NATIONAL
TRIBUNE probably referred to some State law.
c. NJ. jacksonville, M.=-The Board of Review
of the Pension Bureau has practically the final
mination lin the Pension Bureau1 as TO
the Legality of pension claim. 1t is com posed
both of old soldiers and of men who were posi-
bly, too young for service in the late war
After case reaches the Board it is usually
taken up for consideration within 80 days
4. H., Br0cktcgytiHe, R.-The act of March g.
IS 1896, provides Substantially that invalid pen
sion under the act of June 81, 1890. shall com
msnce from the date of filing of the first appli-
cation therefor The law has been construed
as to defeat its manifest purpose, but it is be-
lieved that he present Adm Illustration will in
due time correct this.
l. L. T., Oakttorpe, O.-Increase of pension
on account of pensIoned disability should COM
mence from the date of the first favorable
medical examination had under the applica.
ton.
j. ". Dr., ZaneSpHe, O.-It is held that the
children who are entitled to pension that q SOL
diers widow entitled to receive, but d ed
before the settlement of her claim must be
children Of the soldier and not of subsequent
marriage.
4. j., Bartlett, Tenn.-It is believed that
under the act of March g. 1896, every invalid
pensioner under the act OF June 81, 1880, is
entitled to have his pension dated from the
filing of his first application under the act, if
when granted, tho pension was dated from the
fling of a declaration subsequent to that first
filed.
j. NJ, albany. " Y--Under the general PEN
sion law which is the act of July IA, 1862. and
amendments, the widow of a soldier is entitled
to pension from the date of his death, if his
death is shown to he due to his service. If the
soldier left 10 widow, his children under the
age OF 16 at his death are entitled up to the
date they become 16. If the widow survived
and drew pension, the soldiers children under
l6 at the date of her death or remarriage are
entitled thence onward until they become I6
If the willow died without having received
pension, the children are pensionable in the
same manner though no widow survived tue
soldier.
p. L., 81. Helena, Cal-As $i2 per month, the
maximum rate under the act OF June u, 1890,
is, under present holdings, payable under that
act only for total inability 10 earn support
by manual labor" it would seem that for two
thirds inability" the rating should he So.
G. 4. e., Uampdea. OF disability for
which pension IS drawn under the general law
exists IN such degree as TO entite to the $50
rate for frequent and periodical aid and at
tendance OF another person, the prosecution of
claim for pension on a disability OF service
origin not covered by a pension certificate
would be of 10 advantage unless the combined
disabilities so ncapacitate the pensoner as to
make necessary the regular and constant aid
and attendance OF another person. and thus
entitle him TO the next rate of $12 per month.
| A. h. H., Hood. O.-What is referred TO is
| probably the decision of Assistant Secretary
| Davis, in the case of the widow OF VIM L,
| Young, which WAS duly noted in recent issue
| of The NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
f. B. s., LomrHte ~ Independent parents