The National tribune., 1902-05-08
PENSION POINTERS.
INQUIRIES Answered and Sugges-
tons Made.

Subscriber Concord Junction, Mass
The widow would be entitled to pension
under the general law, Notwithstanding
her marriage to the soldier subsequent 10
his service AS she was married to INN
before March 3, 1899, no question couid
arise on this point, \ member OF Con
gress who asks for what he wants 10
know can ascertain whatever the var
Department or Pension Bureau records
show with reference TO soldier. Inc
cause of the soldiers death must DE
shown and that said cause was due 10
his service, in order to estabiiSh thg pen
sion claim under the general law. In the
absence of record or medical evidence OF
death-cause. it would be necessary to fur
nish the evidence of friends or nelghbors
who were personally cognIZant OF ms
symptoms and of the general understand
ing as TO deathcause. A pension by
sneciaI act might be obtained as under
the act of June %. 1890 Tor May 9, 1900,
Congress having power to disregard the
widows remarriage. The special bill be-
ing asked as under the act of 1871, II
would not be necessary TO show DEATH
cause The chid's claim would require
the same evidence as would that OF the
widow, if brought under the general law.
The child being now over 10, there is no
period for which he could be penSloned
under the act of 1S9O.
III. C. NJ. Lotus, Va.-It is strange that
YOU have received no official acknowledS-
ment of any sort with regard to the three
applications you have filed for increase of
pension Your attorney should be able
to learn the status of the claim.
J. J. B., Xenia, ILL.,, and others.-Ihe
decision to which you refer is that in the
case of c. C. Cook, which was reported
under Department News" heading III a
recent issue of The National Tribune. 1t
appIies to any invalid pension claim I'M
der the general law.
F. G.. Newark n. 1.-THE $50 decision
YOU refer TO has no connection with pen
sions under the act of June p, 1880. The
highest rate allowable under that act is
$12 per month
\. o. b., Rock Creek, Ohio.-See reply
to ]. ]. B., above. The so-called second
grade rating is $50, for inability to per-
fern any sort of manual labor. OF course,
II is a general law rate and has no refer
ence to the act of 1880.
]. ID. F., AustintOwn, Ohio.-As You
say you receive Communication from the
War Department, your rating of ia is
evidently based on an injury to one of
your limbs. The $50 decision you speak
of would probably not benefit your case.
S. w. P, Mt. Carmel, Ind.-Arrears to
date of discharge is granted on any dis
ability on which pension was duly clalmeh
in an application filed in the Pension Bu-
reau before July /, 1880. Pension on dis
ability not claimed on until since June
80, 1880, can commence only from date OF
filing application thereon in the Pension
Bureau. The settlement of a pension
claim does not depend upon how soon ITS
turn comes; it depends upon how prompt
" the proofs are filed and how promptly
the witnesses reply to inquiries addressed
to them by the Pension Bureau, rather
than upon the matter of turn which ls
practically a fiction.
/ L. II, New Plymouth, OhiO.-As
the child was under 16 when the soldier
died, and the widow is pensioneG under
the general law, there will probably be no
difficulty in securing the extension of the
81 allowance per month beyond the age
of 16. if the child is practically unable TO
care for and support itself on account OF
physical or mental disabilities.
H. c.. Cheney, Kan.-Having remar-
ried the widow cannot draw pension on
account of the Mexican war service of her
first husband. She cannot draw pension
Oh account of her second husband unless
II can be shown that he was enlisted as
soldier in the war of the rebellion. If
he simply served as a mechanic in the
Quartermaster's Department, and was not
enlisted as a soldier, she could not obtain
pension.
A Subscriber AIilesburg, Pa.-Tncrease
mences from date of medical examination,
whether the pensioner is drawing under
the act of 1890, or the general law.
]. R. P, Fremont, Mich.-If you were
q volunteer recruit and enlisted for three
years in an old organization after Oct.
"a, 1863, and before April 2, 1864, 1t is
not apparent why you did not receive any
portion of the recruit bounty of $500
which was offered during that period. The
bounty was payable in installments, the
first at muster-in. As you We're discharged
because of the close of the war, the bal
ance of the bOunty-all unaccrued Install
mentS-waS payable at your muSter-out.
l.. G., Mercer, Ohio.-If a charge of
desertion be removed and an honorable
discharge granted under the provisions &C
the act of March .. 1889. arrears of pay
up TO date of the alleged desertiOn. and
accrued but unpaid installments of boun-
ty. may be obtained. You evidently have
in mind the biennial medical examination
law which was repealed in 1879. You will
not get any medical examination unless
you apply for increase, or unless the Com
missioner OF Pensions suspects that you
are no longer pensionably disabled or are
not entitled to SO high a rate as that you
are receiving
w. O., RoscOmmon. Mich.-The fact
that you have accepted pension under the
act of 1890 does not prevent you from fur
Their prosecuting your claim under the
general law. As this claim appears to
have been filed before July !. 1880, PEN
sion thereon would date from your dis
charge from the service
III. 3. w. Lampasas. Textile bOun-
ty act of July 20. 1883. benefits only those
three-year volunteers who were enlisted
for that term before July %. 1861, and
were discharged before two years service
for reasons other than wound or injury in
Cured in service and line of duty.