The National tribune., 1897-11-18
PENSION POINTERS.
Inauil lie, Answered and Sug-
gestions Made.

IAN communications for this column should
Il accompanied by the true name ana corrcct
adm css of the inquirer. j he reply. however,
will bc marked as may lie desired. No attention
.riR he oiren to anonymous inquiries. II no re-
ply is printed within three weeks write AGAIN!
l. N. Brdnf, " "a pension "claimant"
is any person who has fled a claim for pension
in The Pension Burenu and whose claim is not
sc vet allowed "Oiher means of support,
wilma the meaning of the act of June %, leSo,
are ren:, interest on money loaned, etc.
.IoLn Smith. d. C-See reply 10 J. ID. A.. above.
The instructions" of Assistant Secretary
Davis. of the lnlerio- Department, 10 the Com
missioner of Pensions, dated July %, 1897, aud
entitled Declarations Under Act of June q,
1890" have no reference whatever to the con-
strurtion or administration of the act OF March
6. 1886. which continues 10 be interpreted as 1T
was hy the last Administration. There is no
authorized deviation from the former practice
J. f. H., Fonda. y. Y.-Arpication Tor
land warrant should he filed with the Commls-
soner of Pensions. No land warrants are al
lowed for service rendered since March B, 1899.
Tho price at present appears TO be about ~
cents per acre. For more definite information
consult the advertising columns of tins paper.
81. NJ, Clark City, kO.-See reply to +. W.,
above.
H. NJ H.. E1kfork. Eu-When ali appeal to
alteration the Commissioner of Pensions iur-
nishes the Department with all the papers III
the case.
A. o. Mobile 4Id-SurviyoIs of the Mexican
war drawing pension under the act OF Jan. ~
1851 are entitled to the Sl2 rate allowed py
the act of Jan. s. 1893, only in case 1t is SHOWN
that they are wholly disabled for mannai
labor" and are "in such destitute circum-
stances that So per month are insufhclen' TO
provide the necessaries OF lie.
N. C. H-"Additiopal" pension is pension
on account of disability not covered by the
former certificate. Increase" pension is IN
crease OF tine rate on the pensioned disabliity.
Supplemental" pension is pension allowed
under another law for period ante-datins the
commencement of present pension.
J. l. H. DelDhi IHd.-0nly the legal vile at
the date of the soldiers death is entitled TO
pension widow. and 10 complete The ciaim
for and collect any pension due me s"lniei-
The Commissioner OF Pensions Will iufnish
free proper blank forms of application Tor PEN
sion. You should consult n competent attorney
T. s. HyaRkard WyO.-The rate of the In.
valid pension drawn by the soldier during ms
lifetime does not determine the rate oil pension
TO which the widow is entitled.
C. r. Nidocag. Md.-There is no law forbid
ding person rot the attorney of record from
aiding a pension claimant by preparing AMI
davis ETC.. but to what he may charge for
such services cannot easily be determined.
The safest course is TO submit the matter to the
Commissioner of Pensions.
j. " H. Macon Mo-Original invalid and
new disability pensions under the general law
commence from date of filing of application,
without regard 10 previous reflections. If a re-
iecred claim has been considered by the Secrc-
tary of the Interior and the rejection aili med,
the case may not be reOpened without the APP
proval of the Secretary. If evidence to reopen is
fled i'm the Pension Bureau after the Secretary
has affirmed the rejection IL is usually the best
course TO at once file a motion for reconsidera-
ton with the Secretary, citing the additional
evidence.
T. H.. Orriqsburg R.-The unaccrued in
stalments of veteran bounty of a soldier who
died after re-cDlisimsnt, in the service and
line of duty. were payable to his widow on APP
plication. 1t does not matter if the soldier
died before having served three years.
j. g., Maria Pat is not true that the Sec
rotary of the Interior has ruled that soldier
having n record in the War Department of in
jury or wound received in the service and line
of duty is reasonable thereon from the date of
injury or wound. There is no law under which
such ruling could be made.
j. H. o.. Chdpman's Qaarries, Pd-The decis-
ions under winch pensioners under the act of
June ~ 1890 were dropped from the roll be-
cause of alleged disloyaty by service in the
Confederate army, were rendered by the then
Assistant Secretary of the Interior, Hon. John
II. Reynolds, of Pennsylvania. The decisions
based OH Section 47l6, Revised Statutes,
which provides that g no Money on account Of
pension shall he paid to any person. or to the
widow. children, or heirs of any deceased per-
son, who in any manner voluntarily engaged
in, or aided or abetted, the late rebellion
against the authority Of the United States" It
was held that the act of March 3. 1877. as
amended by the act of Aug. ], 1892, does not
apply. The following is the act of 1877,
OF any money on account OF pensions to any
person. or to the widow oh lid rem or heirs of
any deceased person wbo in any manner. en-
gagged in or aided or abbette1 the late rebellion
against the authority of the United States,
shall not be construed to apply to such persons
as xfterward voluntarily enlisted in either the
army or navy Of the United States, and who
while in such service, incurred disability from
a wound or injury received or disease con-
trscied in the line of duty" Special Exam
liners OF the Pension Bursan paid 81. 300
per anBum. and 81 per day for peDses Ex-
amining Surgeons receive 81 each for each ex-
animation not exceeding We in ono day. For
the number of examinations in excess of five
in one day each surgeon receives 81 for each
examination.
". II. S-The continued misconstructon of
the act of March g. 1886. relative TO the conf
menccment of Invalid pension under tho act
of June q. le90, from the date of filing of The
Ursk asllliCallOu, ne pialHcu III no Otner
way than that, for financial reasons the pres-
ent Administration 10 not yet ready TO take any
action that will materially increase the pension
payments. Secretary Bliss, Of the Interior De
partmeBi. is said 10 especially favor "A conserva-
tive policy in pension matters for the present.
just how much more favorable to pensions the
present Admin istTstion is than she last Admin
istration seems yet to be determined. That il
is more favorable than the last administration
is certain.
d. d., CinciaHdti.-IDquiry through a men,
Der Of Congress always receives prompt atten-
tion, aud claimants are al liberty 10 ask their
Representative or Senator TO inquire as to the
official etstus Of their pension cases.
J. u. D., Buffalo n. WHEN the War De-
partment refuses TO remove charge of dese--
ti0n. the only recourse is to obtain a special ae,
Of Congress authorizing aud directing the re-
n4oval OF such charge.
n. b. C.. MaptetOH, IoUa.-A certificate Of
honorable service may be obtained through the
Chief Of the Record and Pension Once War
Department, Washington. ID. G., if mem Der oil
the volunteer military forces OF the late wal
has lost his discharge. This i. commonly called
duplicate di charge" but is not slricty
SUCH because copy OF the ORIG inal is obtain
able. Ii is simply a transcript from the record
of tho War Department.
q. +. r.. Ypsilanti, Mtch.-Hon. Dominick ]
Murphy, late Comm issiouer of Pensions is en-
gagged IN business in Washington, ID. C., wher,
he may be addressed.