The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-07-28
PENSION POINTERS.
Inquiries Answered and Sug-
gestions Made.

fAll communications for this column should
| be accompanied by the true name and correct
| address of the inquiYer. THE reply, however
| will be marked as May bedesred. No attention
| will be given to anonymous inquiries. IL no re-
| ply is printed within three weeks. write again.
officers widow peitSioned under the act o.
June 81, 1890, can obtain no higher rate o.
pension than that allowed by the act
unless she can esfab iiSh her tile to pen
sion under the gener law by showing by
satisfactory evidence that the soldier S
death was due to the service and line Of
| duty.
r. r. NJ, Clfty, ,Ind3-It is understood
| that the present Commissioner of Pen
sions thinks that children's pension I'M
der the genral law ought not To be paid ii
i through ignorance or neglect Of the claim
/ ants or their guardians no claim is made
until after the period Of pensionable
minority has passed, and is seeking to
! have the Secretary of the Interior so hold.
| Children'S pension under the act of June
! q, 1890, cannot be claimed after the
| period OF pensionable minority has passed,
! because pension under that act can COM
mence only from date OF application.
| J. III. H., San Bernardino, Cal.-WhetheI
an appeal is likely to be successful in a
rejected pension case depends upon the
quality and character of the evidence
! filed. An invalid pensiOner drawing 81
| ity from causes of service origin which is
| in the view of the Pension Bureau, equiv
aient in degree to the loss OF a hand or a
| foot before he can obtain the next higher
rating of S2i. All evidence on file in the
| case would be considered on the appeal; il
would not be necessary to furnish the
evidence anew before appealing. Another
medical examination would not be ordered
unless the case were reopened and pos
sibly not then. Three months after re
lection of the case new attorney would
| be recognized II no additional evidence
were filed or other material action taken
meanwhile to reopen the case. Any
member OF Congress can prepare and pre-.
sent bill for pension by special act. but
the chances for favorable action are very
few.
II. B., Ancram Lead Mines, N. Y
There is no U. S. law exempting pension
money from taxation.
Mrs. A. S., Sandusky, O.-There is
no law emitting the widow of an invalid
pensioner to his pension after his death
except the amount due him at the date
of his death. The rate of widows pen
sion is not determined by the rate of pen
sion the soldier was receiving when he
died.
r. c., Worcester, Mass.-H a public
marriage record enormously shows thai
one of the parties was formerly married
the error can be shown by any evidence
that is Obtainable to prove that there was
no former marriage.
| j. F., Palouse, Wash.-There seems to
be no limit to the delay that is possible in
the Pension Bureau in the final conSid-
eration of pension claim. See reply to
y. F., below.
Mrs. E. NJ, Ishpeming, Mich.-Grand-
children are not entitled to bounty land
on account of 1912 War service Consult
a lawyer in your vicinity as to the other
matter you refer to.
T.. b., New Orleans, La.-Children are
not entitled to pension under the act OF
June q, 1890, if over f6 years of age before
making application.
p. Ii. O., Warner, kTenn.-If a pension
claim is improperly rejected by the Pen
sion Bureau an aDpexl lies to the Secre-
tary OF the Interior.
l.. W., Leavenwerth@ Kan.--If it is be-
lieved that an invaEGff pension has been
rated too low FROM commencement, the
auestion can be r9{sea by an application
II. S. S., BurlinEtbK Vt.-lnvalid pen
sion under the general law cannot exceed
S72 per month unleSs9 there is loss of both
hands, due to the a s,IEE and line of duty,
telling g. how fa hnd he1 the Is P po ToS
Bureau is in acting On certain classes of
cases. pension, ciaimant does not ex
haust his right to haRe his case called up
in the Pension BnfSau by member OF
congress by having once had his case
called up in that maifier.
l.. r., Quincy, Ih?See reply to j. NJ.
A., above.
W. C. L., Elf, n. C.-There is no law pro-
lhibiting an Examining Surgeon from show
ing the official report of medical examina-
ton to the claimant, though the Commits
sioner OF Pensions might remove the
Surgeon for such action. The report is
intended to be confidential and not to be
shown to the claimant or any person
representing him before it has been con-
sidered by the COMMISSIONS of Pensions