The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-01-15
The PENSION RULES
Necessary Reductions Caus-
ed List to be Pruned
Auditor Dixon Tells Of a Difficult Task in
Which Some Mistakes Had TO
Crmo

propcs of complaints received by the State
Pension Board:
As a member of the State Pension
Board, wish to say that ] have been re-
ceiving numerous letters from different
counties in the State complaining that
the pension roll, while others, not so de-
serving, had been placed thereon. This
II no more than expected from the lists
sent to US by the County Pension Boards.
Many of tho applications were badly filled
out, and the certificates OF the doctors,
in many cases, gave no satisfactory evil
dcnce of disability. IN some counties it
seemed That every application made to
the county board had been approved.
Something had to be done in order to pro-
ttct those who really deserved pension.
and so the State Pension Board made
the following ruling on that provision of
the la" which SAYS, land all other sold
iers who are now disabled from any
cause to perform manual labor ION all
applications where the disability of the
applicant shall be rated at "a he shall
receive a pension" The board might very
il man were able to perform any manual
labor he could not be placed on the roll
as pensioner; but the board felt that
it should be generous in its Interpretation
Of this provision and so ruled as above.
The only man who failed to pass the
State Pension Beard, therefore, was the
nan whose disability was rated at less
than Sd.
tee
made; but | defy any man or set of men
10 take the thousands of applications now
on file in the Auditors office, and make
cut list of pensioners, upon which only
the deserving shall be found, and from
which the unworthy shall be stricken.
A veteran of the Civil War myself
having gone out with the boys in April
1861. and stayed with them until the last
gun was fred at AppomattoX, having kept
step with them on many a weary march,
touched elbows with them en- the battle
tiesd, ard slept with them in the trenches
around Petersburg, no man in North Car
Gina can stand before me and say that
would willingly afflict one of them, or
that | would not do everything in my
power to relieve them in their dire need
For three months I wrestied with the
thousands of applications which came
into my office devoting every moment,
both by day and by night which | could
POSSIBLY spare from my other duties, try
ing to DO right by these brave cid men,
and what has been done was the very best
that could be done with the lights before
us.
In regard to the ruling by the State
Board Of Pensions. relative to the return
at the warrants os those who have died
before the issuance OF said warrants, |
wish to say that the contention of the
board is that all pension warrants are is
sued in advance, and are for the sup
port of the pensions for the current year.
a pension warrant issued December 10.
1901, is to go towards the support Of
The pensioGer TO December Is, 1902, and Is
rot intended to pay back debts or claims
that any men may have upon the PEN
Sioner before the issuance of the war
rants. The law of 1895, passed by the
Fusion Legislature. has been a dead let
Ter so far as l have been able to ascer-
tain. No warrant have ever been issued
under its provision, for the simple rea-
sou stated above that the pension war
rants are paid in advance, and conse-
cucntly nothing is due. Take the $3.50 men,
as we call them. Any soldier who lost
both eyes. both legs or both arms in
The service OF the Confederacy or Of the
state during the war, is entitled to 1920
a year, and this pension dates from the
issuance of the warrant from year TO
year. Say the warrant Is issued the 4th
cay of July. 1901. This entities that
Lensioner to receive $40 per month until
.'uly 4th. 1902. and If this man should die
before that date, The balance due him on
that warrant is returned 30 the State
Treasurer. Now If this is true in regard
10 man to whom a warrant has already
lCcu issued, 1t seems to me that ii would
To doubly true With reference TO a man
who dies before any warrant whatever
has been issued.
Trying to do everything NE could for
tho old soldiec ard his widow, and just
hare I wish to say that the Pension
Beard did not turn down single, solitary
widow recommended by the county
toards, believing that the woman who
stayed a. home and fought that greatest
Of battles-the battle for bread and meat
while her husband was in the army.
ard who has been fighting that battle
ever since her husband died and who is
not now worth $500. is as much entitled
to a pension as any man who fought
through the entire war, end the C0nfed-
crate soldier who thinks differently is not
worthy the name of a Confederate sold
icr Notwithstanding the liberal provs-
ioa made for all widows, when the State
Pension Board asks for the return Of
warrants issued 10 soldiers who have died
there is a great cry raised about OPP
PRESSING the widow and the orphan. This
Is a new pension law, and all old pen-
sioncrs had to apply for REORGANIZATION
ard classification, just as ii they had
never had o pension before. IN fact, the
new law took every man off the
Iousicn lists. and made them stand side
~ side with the new applicants. and wien
Il cir applications came up before the
state Pension Board, they all had 10 be
led out Of the same spoon. consequently
g me of the old pensioners were left off
ard new ones put on. but this was always
done according 10 the degree of disability
II the applications. We have informa-
ton that men worth 1000 are on the
~ nsion list Is this true? Then who
Is 20 blame? Certainly not the State PEN
sion Board for every application states
Il at the applicant is not worth 500.
The pension lists werc. sent to every
e unity st least one month before the
40 NARA ieS.und aoa ,..a,., 49,.