Arizona republican., 1902-01-10

WHO are appointed Dy the cOlllnllSSlOn- CT of pensions on the recommendation Of members of congress. and who meet at convenient points in the various po- litical divisions of the states. usually at the county seats. It Ia not now necessary, and never has been absolutely SO. that q claim ant for any pension under the law should have an attorney to represent him. It is always better, perhaps. to
 have one. who knows the law to ar range the papers. make out the appli- cation, and attend to filing affidavits. etc. but this Is not necessary. As
 far as possible the bureau answers quickly any call made by a claimant and renders him aid in informing him as fully as may be as to just what is necessary to complete his claim, telling
 him the necessary evidence and why
 that on file is insufficient for the pur
 pose required.
 As every section of the country is
 interested either in a direct or indi-
 rect manner in pensions, a short re- sume of the methods best adapted to
 secure a pension to deserving appli
 cant will not be without general
 interest. As a rule pension money
 passes into the hands of needy persons
 and is quickly expended in the com
 munity for the necessities of life.
 The first pension to be considered will
 be that under what is known as the
 general law" which grants a pen
 sion for service in the regular army as
 well as for service in any var in which
 the country may have been engaged.
 including the war with Spain. and 1t
 also applies to members of the navy
 and marine corps.
 THE GENERAL LAW.
 The statute provides tha; where a
 soldier incurred an injury in or con
 tr9cted disease during his military
 service for the United States he shall
 be entitled to q pension for such in
 jury or disease in measure gauGed
 by his inability to perform manual
 labor resulting from such cause. If he
 is totally disabled for the performance
 of any Manual labor he is entitled to
 $50 per month. and from that on down 10 SC per month, according U the grade
 of the injury or disease. The first step
 in making application under this law
 is to secure blank application under
 the general. law" which may be se- cured by writing a letter to the com
 missioner of pensions or to member of congress. When the blar.k is re- ceived 1t should he taken before some officer authorized within the state of
 the residence Of the applicant to ad-
 minister oaths. and the application should be carefully made. setting forth
 briefly the service of the claimant.
 W here and when he was injured CT contracted disease in the military ser vice of the government. and the eN- tent to which he has been inexperienced therefrom. When the application shall have been made out. sworn to and duly signed and sealed. the claimant should
 make fuller statement under oath
 on another sheet of paper in affidavit form. setting forth more fully the cir
 cumstances of the incurrence of the injury or the contraction of the dis
 ease and also state by whom he eN- rects to prove the facts as set forth; fl he was treated for the disease or injury in the service. and where and by " hom and when he has been treated since This should be signed and sworn to and forwarded with the ap- plication. It would also be advanta-
 Seous if the claimant would secure affi- davits from two or more comrades who were present when he was injured and knew of his sickness from disease and send their affidavits with the ap plication. The papers should be en- closed in a large envelope and ad- dressed to the "Conimissioner of Pen sions. Washington. D. C. and in due time the claim will be given a number ana put m lllle TOT "tii bl which the claimant will be given full information. Whether the claim will
 he allowed or not is a question of evil dence which the pension bureau must pass upon in the course of its duty. A claimant should as fully as possi- hla answer all communications from the bureau regarding his claim and comply a once with all requests for in formation and secure evidence called for as rapidly possible. If claim ant was injured or contracted disease during his military service and in line of duty. and can prove 1t by two or three credible witnesses. who know what they testify to- and can furnish medical evidence of the existence of disa bility at and after discharge to date of filing claim, a claimant should have no difficulty in securing a pension
 under the general law.
 WIDOWS CLAIM UNDER THE GENERAL LAW.
 When a soldier dies from disease [ contracted or an injury incurred during his military service, or from patholog- | ical results of said injury or disease. or ] from a disability interwoVen with or ! intimately connected with same. his | widow is entitled to pension of SIP per month from the date of his death. ! so long as she remains his widow. The ! same regulations regarding an appli- 1 ca ton and where to get same and what to do with it when received ap- | ply to a widow as to soldier claim | ing under the same law. A widow Is required by law to show that she is 1 the lawful widow of the soldier; that | her marriage with the soldier was In accordance With law, and that no inn pediment existed at the time Of the | n,a,.riape. that she had not remarried | since the death of the soldier. and that | the soldiers death was caused by his ] military service. All this is a matter 1 of evidence which may be supplied by