The National tribune., 1901-12-05
PENSION POINTERS.
Inquiries Answered and Sugges'
tions Made.

s. f. W.. Oswego, II. Y.-The Pension
Bureau is evidently ready to allow you
general law pension at So per month from
March 2, 1895, but will not do so unless
you prefer Sc per month under the general
law to S12 per month, which you are now
drawing. under the act of lS9U. You
understand that you cannot draw two PEN
sions at the same time. You cannot have
the So per month under the general law
in addition to So under the act of 1871
Under the act of 1890 all disabilities not
due to vicious habits are considered IN
making up the rating, but under the gen
eral law neither disability incident to age
or any other disability not proven due 10
the service and line of duty can be con-
sidered. If you feel that the rejection of
your claim on additional disabilities un-
der the general law WIS unjust, you are
at liberty to appeal from such rejection to
the Secretary of the Interior. Dong so
will not interfere with or endanSer your
present pension. If you employ an attor-
ney in place of your former attorney, who,
you say, is deceased, you would better en-
ploy someone who is thoroughly familiar
with pension cases and pension appeals.
Your Colonel will do, if he is acquainted
with pension matters, though the fact
that he was your Colonel and has testified
in your case will have no weight in the
matter. From your statement of your
case, you evidently need the assistance of
q good attorney. The act of March =
1895. provided that from and after that
date no invalid pension should be granted
at less than ST. per month.
J. R. G.. Columbus, Ohio.-In securing
a special pension act of Congress, the first
step usually is to secure the interest of
the Representative in Congress from the
applicants district, or of one of the Sen
ators from his State.
A NJ, Lafayette, Ind.-See reply to j.
R. c. above. You are at liberty to have
a special bill presented at any time, no
matter now long a period has elapsed
since your case was last considered by
the Pension Bureau. OF course, it will
be well for you to make as strong show
ing before the Pension Committee as pos
sible, especially as to your present CON
dition by reason of the disabilities which
you claim to be due to the service.
J. 81. c., Plato, Ky.-It is hardly likely
that q pension case would be placed IN
the hands of a Special Examiner for IN
vestigation until the claimant has estab-
lished an apparently good case under the
law. The Pension Bureau would not Or
der an investigation to prove the case FOR
the claimant. There is no fixed rule as
to how many comrades are necessary, or
how many neighbors are necessary to
establish a pension case, nor does 1t de-
pend entirely upon the good character and
reputation of the witnesses. The nature
of the disability claimed on and the
amount of actual personal knowledge that
the witnesses have as to the disability
claimed on chiefly determine the value of
the testimony.
Mrs. NJ. E. w, Troy, Ind.-A Mexican
War widow who was formerly pensioned
and whose pension was terminated by her
remarriage, but who is again widowed,
could have her pension restored under the
act of March 3, 1901, provided she were
married to the soldier before or during
his service, and provided that her pen
sion were granted on account of the sol
dier's death from disability due to the
service and line of duty. If she drew
a pension under the Mexican War sery-
ice-pension act of 1887, the pension cannot
be restored.
A. P, Atkinson, Mich.-Probably any
person who was a regularly enrolled nurse
during the War of the Rebellion can oh
tam certificate of service on application to
the War Department. Address the Sur
geon-General, q. S. A., War Department,
Washington, d. c." The law of 1889,
under which soldiers of the war of the
Rebellion who did not receive regular
discharge can in some instances obtain
such now and collect pay due, has no ap-
plication to army nurses.
w, Springfield. N H.-If the soldiers
death should be due to disabilities hereto
fore or hereafter proven due to the serv-
ice and line of duty, and the widow had
lived with the soldier continuously from
marriage until his death, she could obtain
pension under the general law, regardless
of date of marriage.
]. W. R., Boyd, Text is not nee
essary to withdraw your application IN
der the act of 1890 You can let il re-
main on file, prosecute it no further at
present, and take it up again when you
are ready to do So Meanwhile you can
prosecute your general law claim or not,
as you choose. If you would feel better
by withdrawing your act of 1890 claim,
you can do so by simply addressing let
ter to the Commissioner of Pensions to
that efect-that you withdraw your
claim.