The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-07-03
PENSION POINTERS.
Inquiries Answered and Sugges'
tons Made.

Id. Chicago.-For affection of eyes
not causing loss of sight of either eye
there is no fixed general law rate OF pen,
sion. If the sight was so affected thit
the soldier could not see to do any enec-
tive manual labor, Il rate of $50 might be
allowed The rate before 1SSO, however.
would be only $40 or S24. The wIdow OF
an applicant for invalid pension under the
general law can complete his claim ana
receive the pension thereon up to the Date
of his death. If his claim was hled be-
fore July /, 1850, the pension would date
back to his discharge.
q. P E. Genoa, y. Y.-1f your claim
Is for increase OF general law pension. on
disability not covered by the pension GER
titicate the increase, if granted, VIII COM
mence from the date OF ming Application
therefor. If, as appears from your state'
mcnt, your claim is awaiting ofhclai &C
ton, you cannot change attorneys WITHOUT
the consent of your present attorney.
A. C.. F., Stevens Point, Wls.-1 our
former question is not recalled. The opln-
ion of the Medical Referee of the tension
Bureau practically controls the acton OF
the Bureau ON all medical questions. ms
has been the case for many years. Inc
Medical Referee, however, Is but the SUD
ordinate of the Commissioner of tensions,
and carries out whatever policy his chlef
desires as to liberality or ilhberailty IN
official actions. If the action of the zen
sion Bureau on medical question Is un-
satisfactory, the question can be Appealed
to the Secretary of the INTERIOR lhere
is no ''two-thirds" pension. 1t is dlfncult
to say what rating would be allowed 1oT
hand regarded as two-thirds disabled. Inc
rate for total disability of hand Is S5v'
and the rate for an estimated tWo-thlrds
disability thereof would be unlikely TO eA-
coed SIT.
]. l.. Y. Maxwell. Ohio.-If discharged
before two years service, Tor reasons
other than wound or injury incurred IN
line of duty, three-years volunteers ol
1861. enlisted after July u, are not en-
titled to any original bounty. Applications
for bounty on account of military service
are made to the Auditor for the War De
partment.
%. ]. s., Brooklyn, n. Y.-The bounty
act of July 90, 1888, benefits those three
year volunteers enlisted before July y,
1861, but not mustered till after Aug. D,
1861, who were discharged before Two
Years service for reasons other than
wound or injury incurred i'll line of duty.
and who therefore did not become entitled
to bounty under the acts of July y, 1851
March 3, 1868, or March B, 1860. Inc
bounty act of April %, 1872, covered those
who, having enlisted before July - lool'
were mustered before Aug. q, 1861.
S. H., Hot Springs, S. D.-As the act
of June 81, 1890, has been construed,
there have been ever since its enactment
cases where the disability that would en-
fitIe the soldier to a small rating under
the general law would not entitle him to
any rating whatever under the act OF 1871
Disablement as low as "one-eighteenth Is
pensionable under the general law, where
as even under the first construction OF the
act of 1880 not less than siX-elghteenths
disability was necessary to secure rating
Hereunder. Pension under the act OF
1890 commences from date of hling the
application on which the pension Is al
lowed.
A. III. h, Whitman, Mass.-f your
general law claim is rejected simply be-
cause of your inability TO furnish evidence
of continuance of disability for an interval
of five wears. there ought not to be much
difficulty in securing favorable action ON
appeal to the Secretary of the Interior.
An appeal is probably the only action
that will secure further consideration OF
the case in the Pension Bureau, unless
YOU can furnish material evidence bearing
on the ground of rejection.
]. NJ. D., Grinnell, lowa.-Under an
order of the Secretary of War, May ~,
1866. certain returned prisoners of-war
were allowed three months extra pay. No
authority of law existed for such payment,
and the allowance was soon discontinued.
l.. A. H., Brockport, \. Y.-As you are
receiving S24 per month on account OF
your eve. the order of Dec. 4, 1871, IN
creasing the rate for loss of sight Of one
eve from IS to So does not benefit you.
If your eyesight debars you from manual
labor of any sort, probably you can get S5O
per month.