The National tribune., 1900-02-01
PENSION POINTERS.
Inquiries Answered and SuggeS-
tiOnS Made.

r. NJ, Ke,cdnee, IU.-All claims fol
military bounty on account Of service in the
war of the rebellion should be filed with
the Auditor for the War Department
Washington, ID. c.
H. S-AS your claim on rheumatism
under the general law was made in youl
original application, pension granted there
on would commence from the date OF filing
of such application, Notwithstanding that
you renewed the claim after pension was
allowed on other disabilities claimed on In
the original application.
Fl. p, Amenid, N. Y.-If a widow
pensioner leaves no child under 16 sur
viving her the accrued pension due at her
death can not be collected unless she left
insufficient means to cover the expenses OF
last illness and burial. The person
bearing or responsible for such expenses
should make application to the Auditor
D.o 1Sf !h' interior department washington
WI. Anna, W.-If the child was not
under 16 at the date of the soldiers death
1t can not be granted pension save by
special act of Congress, Notwithstanding
that it is idiotic or otherwise permanently
helpless in the matter of earning its sup
port.
j. c., ST Louis, Motifs not necessary
that the claimant should sign an appeal
to the Secretary Of the Interior in a rejected
pension case. The attorney may sign
T. q. B., Blue Rapids, Kan.-The
only Missouri militia that may now claim
pension is the Home Guards of 1861 that
were recognized and paid by the Hawkins
years Missouri State Militia organized
IN the Fan and Winter of 1861, and the Pro-
visional regiments organized in 1863 from
enrolled Missouri militia.
T. N. p, Springfield, Mo.-f the sol.
dier's insanity is due to the service and
line of duty he is pensionable. 1t will
depend upon the degree and character OF
the insanity whether he can obtain more
than the $50 he is now drawing.
f. c., Glens Falls, N Y.-The act
of March 8, 1888, prescribing the rate of
$50 per month for total inability TO perform
any manual labor, benefits all invalid pen
sioners under the general law who are so
disabled, whether officers or enlisted men,
except persons pensioned as Lieutenant
Colonels, or of higher rank. Section 1886,
Revised Statutes, is still in force, and is
not superseded by any subsequent enact
ment.
e. A. S.-The act of March 2, 1895,
which provides that the minimum rate of
invalid pension shall thereafter be Sc per
month, applies only to pensioned period
after March 2, 1895, and it means only
the aggregate rate shall not be less than Sc;
so lldI pension might De dl!ONeu OH al
additional disability with an increase OF
the aggregate rate of only 81 or 81 for the
period after March 2, 1895.
II. N. P, Uticd.-A joint resolution of
July %, 1866, is apparently what gave
authority of law to previous orders of
the War Department for the payment of
Communication of rations to prisoners of war.
If such Communication has not been collected,
It may still be had on application.
0. Z. W., Andrews, Ind.-The syllabus
OF the decision in the pension case Of Thos.
81. Strange, Sept. 21, 1893, by Assistant
Secretary Reynolds is as follows: when
ever, in claim for increase of pension
under the general law, an applicant, after
long and unexplained silence, alleges a
new disability of which there is neither
record nor medical evidence, the adverse
presumption arising from the absence
of such evidence is open to rebuttal by the
testimony of officers, comrades, and neigh
bors; but such presumption is not out
weighed by the mere recital under oath of
assertions made long since by the soldier
himself or by general and vague state
ments of the witnesses, and can be overcome
only by direct and positive proof of in
currence and existence or by satisfactory
evidence as to facts and circumstances
from which said incurrence and existence
are to be naturally, fairly, and reasona-
bly, inferred"
r. N. II. C.-The accrued pension due
6 deceased invalid pensioner at the date
OF his death may be collected by his widow
on application to the Commissioner of
Pensions and submitting proofs that she
Is entitled thereto.
A.-There has been no order issued by
the Secretary of the Interior for a general
review and revision of the revision" of the
pension roll made by the Cleveland Ad-
ministration. All bills that failed of action
In the last Congress must be begun anew in
the present Congress, as the action of the
last Congress is OF no effect, because not
completed.
C. N. F., Pinegroue, O.-It would seem
that if there is satisfactory evidence of the
origin and existence of the alleged dis
ability in the service, and of its continuance
from within two OF thee years afteI dis
charge down to the present time, the alb
sence OF positive evidence, such as medical
evidence, for an interval of two or three
years after discharge, would not be fatal
II. N. H., Kelat, Ky.-It is not required
that an applicant for invalid pension under
the act of June 27, 1890, must have in
CURED his disabilities in the service and
prove them to have been so incurred. Evi-
dence of disablement in pensionable
degree is required only from date of appli-
cation
j. G. B., Arqentd, Ark.-In the case of n
widow claiming the accrued pension due n
deceased invalid pensioneI, the Commits
sioner Of Pensions has undertaken to
regulate the matter of attornevs fees
chiefly TO deny any fees,-but il is believed
he has no jurisdiction, in view Of an opinion
recently given by the Assistant Attorney
General for the Interior Department The
widow Of a Union soldier or sailor married
to him since June 27, 1890, can obtain no
pension whatever unless it can be proven
Satisfactorily that the soldier or sailor
died of disability due to his service and the
line of duty.