The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-08-26
PENSION POINTERS.
Inquiries Answered and Sug-
gestions Made

governed entirely by the Recommendation "a
a Board of Examining Surgeons anu may
disregard the ratings recommended as
Where the recommendations oil boaia H~u
been improperly disregarded In ioime'
claim. the fling of a claim ter re-fa'ihs
will sometimes secure a proper aoJns'"es',
IL an invalid pensioner, drawing less THAN Si%
un6er the general law, desires rating on ais-
ability not covered by the pension certiheate.
and which be is unable to prove or does not
care TO 90 to the expense OF proving as uue 10
The service an application under the aet Oh
June q, 1890 is necessary. Under decision Oh
Assistant Secretary Davis, in the case OF the
minors of Levi Robbins recently noted in iHE
NATIONAL tribune II appears that 1t Is pos
sible TO have an application construed as oeine
filed under one law reconstruct as being htea
under another law. State taxes Ter the pen
eioniur of 7ex- Confederate soldiers are not re-
garded as unconstitutional.
Z, c., Nerada Mo-To be entitled to pension
unGer the act of June p, 1880, the soldiers
discharge from his service of not less than ~
DAYS must be an honorable discharge. Inc
sentence of court-martial would not be apt
TO include All honorable discharge IN lis pro-
visions.
J. S. A., Hartford. Ku-No communication is
allowed by tie War Department in lieu OF an
elastic stocking for varicose veins Of the leg
In cases where a leg is totally disabled eommu-
tation of $50 is allowed in lieu OF an ariihciai
limb.
u. d., Cincinnati, 0-An order for medical
examination Should have been issued by TINS
time in a claim for restoration or pension hieo
three months ago. If however, tie claim be
Tor restoration of former rate OF pension
that IS a claim for reratlng-lt is 0lfncuit TO
saw when tie claim should be heard from.
Neither Commissioner Evans nor Assistant Sec
Ietary Davis seems TO have as yet dehned
peliUv with respect TO sech claims.
. l. Ca widow who married soldier
aaer June 26. 1890, would be entitled 10 PEN
sion cply under the general law. which would
render it necessary to prove The soldiers death
as due TO has service. 1t does bot matter under
which law The soldier himself was pensioned.
4. T. Williamson, n IA Contract Surgeon
was not comm issioned officer of the army,
ana hence does not come within the provisions
allowing three months extra pay 10 ofhcers oil
the volunteer forces in commission Oh March 5,
ASS.
y. ". T.. Ts|onUigie Pa.-The Commissioner
OF Pensions viii, request send, Tree oil
charge q pamphlet containing ali the pension
laws IN force.
IN r.. Mount Victory, 0.-The act of March
l3 1895 provides: That in considering claims
filed under the pension laws the death OF an
enlisted man or officer shall be considered as
sufficiently proved if satisfactory evidence is
produced establishing sAe fact OF The continued
ard unexplained absence Of such enlisted man
or officer from his home and famiiy for a
period OF seven years. during which period no
intelligence OF his existence shall have been
received. And any pension granted under
dhis act bali cease upon proof that such oflcer
O. enlisted nsn is stiil living"
p E T.. LaGrance 0re.-Blank forms of ap-
NJ ,cssion FOR pension are furnished free By the
Commissioner of Pensions. 1t is usually best
for the claimant to employ q competent at
tcrney 90 prepare and prosecute bis claim. At
torneys' fees ate contingent 10 pension cases.
Il. c.. Laurence, Ean.-when widow pen
sioner dies leaving no children Of the soldier
surviving under IS ages OF age, the accrued
pension may not be collected unless the widow
left insufficient amounts 10 cover the eg penses
OF her last illness and burial. The person who
bore such expenses may apply for and receive
as much Of the accrued pension as is shown to
be necessary 20 reimburse for the expenditures
made
A. HI, Eli=G5eth.-when q pensioner desires
TO be examined before Board OF Examining
Surgeons other than that 10 which he has been
ordered to report, it Is not necessary for him
10 choose one within the State in which he
resides.
n H. ", Topeka. Kda.-Every soldier of the
late war who served not less than 90 days, and
was honorably discharged, has material dis
ability disquslifying hm from earning a sup
port by manual labor, and not due TO vicious
habits. is entitled to pension under the act of
June q, 1890.
G. f.. Pharisb1pg o.-The act of Aug. %,
1890. provides that hereafter no officer OF the
Army, Navy, or Marine Corps on the retired
list shall draw or receive any pension under
any law" The pensions appropriation act of
March B. 1891, provides " that hereafter no pen-
sion shall be allowed or paid 20 any officer non-
commissioned officer, or private in the Army,
Navy, or Marine Corps Of the United States,
either on the active or retired list"
Mrs ". n, yokastotun n. When no pub
lie or church record evidence Of marriage Is
obtsigabie, the next best evidence is that of
The persen who performed the marriage cere-
mony or the evidence OF two other persons who
were present at the marriage.
II. ", Scranton, RG-Upon application to the
Chief of the Record and Pension Office War
Department. Washington, certificate of hon.
oTable service may be obtained in lieu Of a dis
charge lost or destroyed or so defaced or torn
20 be illegible or materially incomplete
ms rs what is known as duplicate dis
charge"
J. 4. r., Beveriy. M-The "65 years of agen
decision Of Assistant Secretary Davis, recently
noted in The NATIONAL TRIBUNE has refer
eBce only TO claims for invalid pension under
the act Of June q, 1890, which requires ser.
vice of not less than 80 days during the war Of
the rebellion. and gu honorable discharge there
from, IN addition TO material incapacity for
the performance Of manual labor
". Il. d., Saline Mo-UDde- a claim for -.
crease of pension medical examination is re-
CURED IN tic determination Of title, unless the
Claim Is MADE IN pursuance of some law or
fuiing increasing the rate OF pension for a Ger.
tam disability. claim for re-ra;ing Of men,
sion does not q itself require any further
medical examination Of the claimant
J. y. H., Frankfort, KGn.-when a pension
claimant Is notified tina, his case il being con.
sidered with view 10 its lnal disposition - he
may ordinarily LOOK for official action within J
month Without full knowledge of the CASE
and the evidence submitted it is impossible q
give any opinion as 10 the probable action Of
the probable rate Of pension, if granted.
j. ". T. 5fGrfon O.-0rder 355 of the Com
missioner OF Pensions dated June IL, 1897 il
intended TO simplify the special examu atiol
OF pension cases by having the special ex
amlnatIons 10 general directed only 10 the par
tlc1iar point or points which occasioned sh,
special examination.
=. h. H., Chet0pd. Kan.-No papers fled /,
thS Pension Bureau in connection with a claim
are permitted 10 be Withdrawn. The claim
may lie Withdrawn, but not the papers settiu,
out or snbstantiaiing the claim.
Petersburg Mick-A widow married to tn,
colder since June &C. 1880 would be entitled
20 pension under the general law if the sold len,
death be due 10 his service, though she woul,
not be entitled under the act of June q 1890
IL bis death could not be shown to be due I
the service.