The National tribune., 1900-01-04
PENSION POINTERS.
Inquiries Answered and Suggestions Made.

| l.. ID. S.-A claim for increase of pension
on penSioned disability ought to be settled
within SIX months after medical examina-
ton. The attorneys fee in this class Of
cases is 81, payable out OF the pension
money when the claim is allowed. 1t de-
| pendS upon circumstances whether any
allowance is made by the Soldiers Home
at Washington on account OF the funeral
expenses OF an inmate who dies while
absent from the Home
| Il. L. d., Green city, Wis.-Artifcial
limbs or Communication therefor are al
lowed for loss of leg, foot hand, or fore
arm, or total disability OF same. The rates
of pension are SIS. S36, and $50, and the
/ rates OF conmutatiOn are SO for artificial
legs; $50 for arms and feet.
| Il. II. A, TuHk5euHnock, Pat is
! possible that YOU can obtain pay as First
! Lieutenant back to the date from which
/ you took rank under your commission,
II AT such date you actually entered on duty
| and your company was then entitled to a
| First Lieutenant. Application for correc-
tion of muster may he made to the Chief
OF tine Record and Pension Office, War
Depart nent, Washington. ID. c.
| p. l.. B.-There seems to be no greater
certainty as to the number OF appeals
acted on each week" or as to the docket
numbers Of those now under conSidera-
ton, than there is about most other features
Of the administration of the pension laws.
IS months behind with its work. Assistant
Secretary Davis has gone on q three
months vacation, but the work of the
Board OF Appeals proceeds as usual. under
the supervision Of First Assistant
Secretary Thomas Ryan, Of Kansas.
II. r.. Riptcy, M.-An act Of March 2,
1889, Tor increasing the efficiency Of the
Army authorizes II Regular Army OF
$1,000 enlisted men and Volunteer Army
of 5000 enlisted men, the whole number
being 1900 in excess OF the authorized
enlisted strength OF the Army at the com
provides that this excess may be retained
mot later than July 1, 1901"
$. ", Salem, WdSs.-it would be prac-
ticaly impossible to collect any unpaid
local bounty offered for enlistments during
the war OF the rebellion, at this late day,
without a suit in court, which might cost
more than the bounty would amount to.
q. ". M.-Without record or medical
evidence of the origin or existence OF your
alleged disability in the service, there
would be comparatively little chance OF
your getting pension under the general
law, even if you could furnish the testimony
Of some of your comrades. 1t would de
pend somewhat upon the nature OF your
disability. upon the character of the wit
nesSes. and upon the certainty of their
recollection and knowledge of the matters
10 which they testify. AS you are receiving
tlle fsitt ODLiifldDie tilt vi
June y, 1880, special act of Congress
would seem to be the only way You could
get higher rate, and the chances of pro-
curing ii special act would be small indeed.
There are thousands of cases just like
yours.
YOU commuted your homestead and paid
the Unitel States S1.25 per acre does not
cntitle you to another homestead. BY
committing you saved the time otherwise
necessary to perfect your title.
II. N. g., Chiiiicothe. Mo.-No extra
duty pay was allowed after March ;, 1863,
except To enlisted men employed AS clerks
ard messengers at Army Headquarters
in Washington and at the several Geo
graphical Division and Department Head
quarters.
j. S. h, Liberty. Pd.-See reply TO P.
your appealed case, and the length of
time that has elapsed since your appeal
was entered confirms what is there stated.
The notification OF the decision and text
of the decision comes from the Pension
Bureau. Sometimes several weeks elapse
after the date of the decision before the
Pension Bureau issues it. Sometimes, if
Mr.. Evans is not pleased with the decision,
the persons interested are not notified till
Mr.. Evans sees if he can get the case de-
cided the other way. If your Congress
man can learn nothing as to the status of
iilo ttiFs'j, IL 10 tiiiiNuil W WIN
possibly ascertain for you III what condition
it is. We advise that you write your Con-
gressman again, and also have your friends
write him in your behalf.
A. u. G., Leechbuvg. PG.-See reply TO
c. w. NJ, above. The fact that You fur
nished comrades evidence as required
furnishes no assurance that your case is
likely to be allowed. if you have no record
or medical evidence of your additional
disability. Perhaps your member of Con
gress can find out for you how the case
stands. or secure official action. In Your
medical examinations you should have
called the attention of the doctors to all
material points that they seemed to over
look.
Constant Reader-The annual report
Of the Secretary of the Interior, recently
issued. indicates that the matter OF collec-
ton of accrued pension Of a deceased pen
sioner does not come within the scope of
the fee law governing the fees of attorneys
in pension claims" From this it would
seem that the attorneys compensation in
case of this sort is subject to agreement
between the parties.