The National tribune., 1900-05-10

of the Interior have both recommended
this change in existing law
Inc President of the United States, il
his last annual message TO the Congress
says:
"The Grand Army of the Republic al
ITS recent National Encampment held in
fhiladeiphla has brought to my attention
and TO that of the Congress the wisdom and
justice of a modification of the third section
OF the act of June -, 1890, which provides
pensions for the widows of officers and
enlisted men who served 30 days or more
during the war of the rebellion and were
honorabiy discharged. provided that such
WIDOWS are without other means Of support
than their daily labor and were married
TO the soldier, sailor, or marine on account
OF whose service they claim pension prior
to the date of the act
The present holding Of the Department
IS that II the widows income, aside from
her daily labor, does not exceed in amount
what her pension would be. to wit. S96
per annum, she would be deemed to be
without other means of support than her
daily labor, and would be entitled to a
pension under this act; while if the widows
income, Independent of the amount received
by her as the result of her daily labor.
exceeds 500 she would not be pcnsionablc
under the act. | am advised by the Com
missioner OF Pensions that the amount Of
the income allowed before title to pension
would be barred has varied widely under
different administrations of the Pension
once, as well as during different periods
OF the same administration, and has been
the cause OF Just complaint and criticism
win the approval of the Secretary Of
the Interior the Commissioner of Pensions
recommends that, III order to make the
practice at all times uniform and TO do
justice TO the dependent widow, the amount
OF income allowed independent of the pro-
ceedS OF her daily labor should be not less
than $3.50 per annum, and he urges that the
Congress shall so amend the act as TO
permit tile Pension Office TO grant pension
able status 10 widows under In terms of
the third section of the act oil June 27.
1890, whose income, aside from the pro
ceedS OF daily labor. is not in excess of
$3.50 per annum. | believe this TO be a
simple act Of justice, and heartily recom-
mend it."
Apprehending that the language Of the
Senate bill might lead to lengthy inquiries
and great delay in the investigation and
Of more or less cases. when
the widow may be possessed Of Il home i'm
her own right or an interest in common
W!th children, heirs, legatecS. or other
parties, your committee feel constrained 10
recommend the substitution Of the words
thdt VIII, IN their judgment, eliminate
questions not very material, the cost TO the
)
would, IN all probability. exceed any ex-
pehdItlfe Tor pensions that might be allow
ed under the language we recommend and
that would not he allowed under the Senate
bill.
We believe that the question Of what the
widow might derive from her property
owned III common with children, heirs. or
legalee5, produced in the shape of an in
come, Will be eliminated, and that it will
mus become a simple matter us TO what
actual net income the widow has. in fact.
from the report Cf the Commissioner Of
PENSIONS for the fiscal year ending June
-, 1893, It appears that there were then ON
the pension rolls for service after March
4, 1861:
Army invalids under the general
law ............. 3l6S3I
Navy invalids under the general
INV -............. A72l
Army invalids under act June p,
lHJO ................ 400 oS7
Navy invalids under act June p, ''''
Total invalid pensioners. 742, ,4G7
OF this number Of pensioners under the
General law i4.},OJi are now in receipt of |
PENSIONS below Sl2 per month, and Of the |
IensionerS under the act of June y, 1890. |
.O1,IS' are drawing pensions at Sc per
month; l2S, l43 are drawing pensions at |
- per month; 2G.510 are drawing pensions
1t $40 per month; 1G0,406 are drawing
at $12 per month.
And information received from tho First
deputy Commissioner of Pensions shows
nat there were pending in the Pension
'ureau on March /. 1900, the following
invalid claims in which no allowance had
Vcr been made, namely:
,laims under the general law for
service after March 4, 1861 % Oso
nder the act Of jane ~, $780,. 47,474
And 1t further appears from the Com
nlSsIoner's report for the year ending June
y, 1883, that there We're then pending
8,ll3 widows claims under the general
4" ana "S,4lo Widows claims under the
cl OF June y. $780, also that there were
hen IN the rejected and abandoned files
i the bureau the following widows claims.
jnder the general law:
Abandoned ............. 80,3G6
Irder the act of June p, 1850:
itePcted ........t...... 1854
i''t'uo'ied ...'..-....... 36,2Gl
And that there were in the rejected and
bandoned files Of the Bureau on March /
800, S0,33l claims of invalids under the
;eherai i;sw; 9a,oiI claims Of inyalids under
he act OF June 27, 1890
Al the National Encampment of tbe
rand Army of the Republic at Pbila-
elphIa, Pa, in October, 1899, the following
esolutions were submitted by the National
'ension Committee to the Encampment.
nd, on motion Of Gen. Daniel f. Sickles'
'ere unanimously adopted by the Encamn'
lent:
SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT.
Your committee on pensions respectfully
resents this supplemental report, plrsr-
mt 10 the instructions of the Encampment.
We respectfully direct attention to section 7
II OF the Revised Statutes of the United !
tales, which reads as follows:
lhe Commissioner of Pensions shall 9
erlorm, under the direction Of the Secretary !
the Interior, such duties in the execution :
pension and bounty law which NAV be !
rescrlbed by the President"
,R,csotred, That this Encampment respect