The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-03-10


ply is printed within three weeks. write again.
NJ. n. NJ. Lowell. Mass.-If in a pension
case a question is raised as 10 whether ol
not a penSoner is receiving more than ht
is entitled TO. all the evidence iii the case
would necessarily he examined before action
was taken. The act of December y, 1898
provides that the payment of pension sinai
not he withheld or suspended until after
due notice To the grantee of not less than
30 days. the Commissioner of Pensions.
after hearing all the evidence, shall decide
TO annul, Nacate, modify and set aside
the decision upon which such pension
wd5 granted" Anyone knowing of any
pension being Improperly pad should be
willing to take oath Ia the facts within his
knowledge, in submitting them 10 the
Commissioner of Pensions. As n rule,
however, the Pension Bureau does not
ignore an unSwoTn statement II the COM
piainant gives his correct name and ad-
dress.
p II. c.. Mexico, Mo.-The rate of in
valid pension under The general law is
commonly smaller for the period antedat-
ing medical examination under the claim
than for the period subsequent to such
examination. No one can legally have
the benefit of two pensions for the same
period of time. and where pension under
the act of June -, 1890, is involved with
pension under the general law. the lesser
rate is deducted from the greater during
the period covered by both of the two
pensions granted. When a penSiOner Is
granted certain rate for a certain period
with a higher rate commencing from
certain date il does not mean that the
latter rate is to be added To the first rate.
l.. X. Cleo. O. 1.-THE law as TO arrears
of pension in case of children differs from
that in case of survivors Of the war.
=. c. s, RossbuTg, \. l.-The Medical
Referee of the Pension Bureau appears to
he regarded as the medical expert of the
Department itself. His opinion appears To
control in all cases involving medical
question. The departure from this prac-
fice during the Harrison Administration
has not been sustained by the more recent
decisions of the Department. The Medi-
cal Referee under Commissioner Iochren
has not for some months been employed IN
the Pension Bureau. The act of July 49,
1891, provided chat the report OF medical
examinations when filed in the Pension
Office shall be open to the examination
and inspection of the claimant or his at
torney under such reasonable rules and
regulations as the Secretary of the In
terror may provide" The Pension Bureau
has now placed such restrictions upon the
examination of these reports as TO very
largely destroy whatever value the prlvI-
lege may have formerly had.
". ii. d., Brownville, Neb.-Notarles-
public and other officers authorized to adj
minister oathS for general purposes may
properly charge a reasonable sum Tor talk
Ing pensioners acknowledgment TO his
pension voucher. twenty-five cents is the
usual charge.
". b. n, Summit, Ky.-It is not unlaw-
full for pensioner to fill in his own vouc h
er TO the extent of dating it, writing his
address, and signing MS name.
c. H.. Vivian, La.-lf a pension claimant
has secured the passage of a special act OF
Congress for pension. he should ordinarily
experience no difficulty at the Pension
Bureau. 1t may happen, however, that
the Pension Bureau may regard the evil
dence filed as insufficient TO show hIm
pensionably disabled and so render the
special act imperative.
j. g. Meet is impossible TO say
whether or not the medical authorities OF
the Pension Bureau would accept an al
legged pathological connection between two
disabilities If the one were not common
and generally recognized sequence OF the
other Not uncommonly high medical au-
thcrity is disregarded by the Pension Blu
reau and the professional opinion OF emil
nent physicians in particular cases wholly
ignored.
a. J. NJ. Flynn, o. THE act of .Janu-
AIRY 5, 1898, provides for the increase OF
penison Of every pensioner who Is now
January s. 1898 on the rolls at So per
month on account Of services IN the MeXI-
can War and who Is wholly disabled Tor
manual labor and is in such destitute cir
cumstances that IS per month are in
sufficient TO provide him the necessaries
of life to Sl2 per month Under the
practice of the Pension Bureau, affirmed
by the Department this increase is made
TO commence only from the date OF filing OF
the last evidence establishing title thereto.
b. j. w. Keene. y. H.-By act of June
20. 1861, the pay Of privates III the army.
regular and volunteer, was increased from
S13 TO Sic per month to date from May /,
1861
p. H c.. Nashville. Ill.-A pension
claimant may have a bill for special-act
pension presented and prosecuted in Con-
gress while at the same time having
claim pending before the Pension Bureau.
The present Congress Is not notably favor
able to granting pension by special act.
Madison, Ind.-A witness in a pension
claim may properly in testifying before
Special Examiner or u. s. Commissioner re-
fresh his memory from his former test
mony in the case.
Stanton.-It has always been the prac-
tice Of the Pension Bureau To decline 10
consider relatives testimony as sufficient
when other testimony could be procured.
j. Y. H.. Philadelphia. Pa.-Widows
pensoned under the general law are en-
titled TO the SIP rating if married to the
soldier before March 10, 1856.
j. ID. W. Cincinnati, O.-There is no
"divisible third grade" Section 1853, Re
EiSed Statutes, PROVIDES ne rate OF
SIS per month may be proportionately di-
tidol fO- any degree of disability cstab-
ls1ed for which section 1888 makes no
provision" Section 1875 fixes the rates
for total disability in accordance with
rank. Tne question as 10 whether an in
valid pension claimant under the general
law is entitled to the $50 rating for those
so disabled as to be incapacitated for
performing any manual labor is "A CUES
ton Of fact To be established not alone by
medical examination but by other evil
dence as well. There is no data relative
to what per cent. of increase claims under
the general law are reduced 1t is be
lieyed that the number is very small
General debility" may usually be attribut-
ed to some specific disease or diseases,
and in the administration OF the pension
laws Is not as a rule recognized as Il dis
ease by itself. The pensioner who APP
plies for increase every year or viii be as
likely 10 be benefited as the claimant who
applies at longer intervals. and may OBJ
tain an increase sooner than the man who
waits some years between applications.
ID. ". H., Jacksonville, Ill.-The various
classes of pensions or pension claims are
not appropriated for separately.
O.. ). IL. Morayia y. Your claim
claims under the general law, apparently
completed To all official requirements
years ago, but on which il seems impos-
sible TO secure any official action or Off
cial statement as to their official status
II a Member Of Congress cannot obtain in
formation as TO the official status of such