The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1900-11-29
PENSION POINTERS.
Inquiries Answered and Sugges'
tons Made.

II. Y. RIFF a claim for increase on
pensioned disability is rejected on the
ground of adequacy of present rating, OF
other ground, the claimant may within
three months after date of notice of reJec-
ton file additional evidence or take an
appeal to the Secretary of the Interior.
If it is held that certain alleged resulting
disabilities are not connected with the pen
stoned disability, probably the better
course is to appeal at once unless the evil
dence is deficient.
l.. J. w, Soldiers Home, Mich.-An
invalid pensioner formerly drawing under
the general law and accepting a higher
rating under the act of 1880, may have
his title TO as high or a higher rating I'M
der the general law determined by filing
an ordinary application for increase of
pension.
]. d. j., Sidney Neb.-The only
pension claims i'll which there is any.
limitation as to further action after re-
lection are claims for increase on pensioned
disability In this class of cases action
must be taken by claimant or attorney
within three months after date of notice
of rejection. An appeal TO the Secretary
of the Interior may be made in the form
of letter. properly describing the case,
etc. Pension appeals are considered by
the Board of Pension Appeals of the In
terror Department, which is about two
years in arrears with work.
E. H. D., Volney, n. Y.-Unless there
is an official record of your enlistment it
will be impossible for you to obtain pay
for the time you served before the mus
term of the regiment and your rejection
because of youthfulneSS. As a rule there
was no official roll of the volunteer regi-
ments entering service before March 3,
1865, until the muster-in roll was made
up.
III. NJ. W, Bardwell, Oho-The &C
crued pension due the soldier to the date
of his death should have been allowed
and paid at the same time with the wild
owls claim. Communicate with the Com
missioner of Pensions.
T. A. NJ, Fall River, Mass.-If the ap-
peal in your pension case was filed in July
last, it will at the present rate of disposal
of appeals be about July, 1902, before you
get decision.
eran-COmmunications that are sent
in, solicited or unsolicited, detrimental to
the title of pensiOner or pension claim
ant, are generally treated as confidential
by the Pension Bureau. A member of
Congress might or might not be able to
examine such communications. Rheuma-
tism is not regarded as pathological Sc
suence of chronic diarrhoea or fever and
Igue.
n your claim are completed, and you were
Examined over year ago, you should
nave heard from your claim before now.
Perhaps your member of Congress can
Itir up the case for you if you have no
attorney.
]. W. d., Grand Island, Neb-If a
eialm for increase on pensioned disability
reopened after rejection and subsequent
y allowed, the increased rate should or
iinarily begin from the date of the medi-.
cal examination, though sometimes sec
pnd examination is had and the increase
made to commence from the date thereof.
X. p, Dayton, Ohio.-lt is evident that
you should have your Congressman call up
your case again. Where case is report
ed by the Pension Bureau as awaiting
replies to inquiries made of persons sup
posed to be acquainted with the merits of
the case, the delay is often due to the
failure of such persons TO reply to the
Inquiries made of them. As these persons
are probably persons who have testified
In your case, it might be well for you to
write to your witnesses and ask them il
they have any letter from the Pension
Bureau to which they nave neglected to
respond, and urge them to attend to the
matter at their earliest convenience. You
will very likely be ordered for medical
examination again, as it is nearly three
years since you were last examined, and
no case is allowed in which medical exam
ination has not been had within three
years.
r. C. R-The use of eighteen" as frac-
tional denominator in invalid pension rat
ings by Examining Surgeons is due to the
section 1863 of Revised Statutes, which
provides: 1.-The rate of SIS per month
may be proportionately divided for any
degree of disability established for which
section 1865 makes no provision" Section
4695 fixes the rates of invalid pension ac-
cording TO rank, for so-called total dis
ability-which is not total disability at
all, but something much less than total.
Ratings are no longer made on the alleged
total basis, and the rating by eigh-
teenths is practically meaningless; any
thing else would mean just as much. The
numerator of these fractional ratings is
supposed to represent dollars, but is great
~ scaled down by the time the case gets
TO the Certificate Division. The use of
thirty" as a basis of ratings in deafness
cases under the general law is due to the
fact that $50 is the general law rate for
complete deafness of both ears.
j. G., Hickory, w, Va.-To obtain the
extension of an idiotic child's pension be-
yond the age o. 16, an application therefor
must be filed iter the child becomes 16.
Ii. L. P.-If the Pension Bureau grants
pension under the act of June q, 1890, on
disabilities on which pension has been de-
MED under the general law on the ground
of no pensionable degree of disability,
there will surely be good ground for APP
peal of the general law claim if the Pen
sion Bureau does not voluntarily reopen
the same. In any sort of a pension case,
except for increase on pensioned disabili
ty, an appeal may be taken to the Secre-
tary of the Interior at any time after re-
lection. There is no need of filing a new
declaration or application in cases under
the general law, to re-allege the same dis
abilities as before, except where increase
on pension disability is claimed.
L. 7. F., Stephensport, Ky.-When
quarterly pension check remains unsigned
at pensioners death, it may be collected
by the person entitled thereto on applica-
ton to the Auditor for the Interior De
partment, Washington, ID. c." If the
check exceeds 500 in amount, it can be
collected only by an executor or admins
traitor.