The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-11-27
PENSION POINTERS.
Inquiries Answered and Sugges.
tons Made.

HOnS Ma0e.
J. NJ, NewuWAverly. Text is lawful
| to execute pension voucher either on Il
Sunday or holiday when the It'll falls Oh
such day. oh
II. NJ. H.. Ell,fork. Ky.-If on medical
examination the Pension Bureau holds that
certain alleged disease has not resulted
tional evidence is filed by the claimant
tending to show such holding to be error,
another examination will very likely be
ordered. ..
! &. II. r., Marsland. Neb.-The act of
Aug. %. 1894. which authorized Fourth
| class POstmasters to administer OathS iii
| the execution of pension vouchers. Mt the
same time authorized Il charge mot exceed
| ing % cents. to be paid by the pensiOner.
There seems 20 be no penalty for any
greater charge. but very likely the Post
| master-General would require Il POstmas-
| ter TO limit his charge to that authorized
by the statute, if attention were drawn to
| the matter.
IL. NJ. b.. Kingston, Ill.-There is no
law giving an invalid pensioner an increase
of pension because he is over 20 years
Old
Buffalo. n. $50 far as known, no
preference is given to widows claims over
claims for invalid pension. in the Pension
| Bureau; certainly not Intentionally. As
| widows claims are handled by a different
set of clerks from those handling claims for
| invalid pension, in the different adjudicat-
ing divisions of the PcnsiOn Bureau, il
may often happen that a widows claim
will come through sooner than a soldier s
claim, simply because the work of the
clerks engaged OIL widows claims may be
closer up to date. Different sets of clerks
| work on the different kinds of claims, TO
| 4 great extent. Claims for increase Oh
| pensioned disability are commonly assigned
to women clerks. The assignment of diff
| ferent kinds of claims to different clerks
| continues more or less all the way through
| the Bureau, from start to finish.
Subscriber.-lf the soldiers death was
due to the disability for which he was
formerly pensioned under the general law.
his widow can obtain general law pension.
His surrender of his general law pension
to obtain 81 higher rating under the act of
June %, 1890, cuts no figure in the mat
ter.
w. p. W., Bancroft. Iowa.-If the sol
der was lost at sea after discharge, it is
obviously impossible to show his death due
to the service and thus establish title to
widows pension under the general law.
Having remarked subsequent to his death.
she cannot obtain pension under the act of
June %, 1890, because there is no period
for which she could be pensioned. In
deed, she never had pension title under the
act of 1890, as she remarked before the
date Of that act.
Box 1865, Mt. Gilead Ohio-.When a
rate of invalid pension for a specified de-
gree of disability is at length awarded
after repeated duplication therefor, it is
quite possible'tQ obtain rerating of the
pension, that IL, an increase backward over
the contested period, provided the pension
er's condition twas substantially the same
then as whenssthe sOnght-for rate was at
length granted. g additional evidence may
be necessary. i.s
J. S., Soldiers. Home, Cal.-An appli-
cant for invalid pension under the act of
June ~, 1890, is not required to furnish
Evidence of his good character and free
dom from disability before entering the
service. Ofieiali notice is given b. the
Pension Bureau when claim is rejected.
l.. S. r., TeSarkana, Textile fact
that on first application for invalid pen
sion under tile act of June q, 1880, the
Examining Surgeons recommended high
Ell. rating than rirsit awarded by the Pen
sien Bureau OH the allowance IL tie claim,
will not entitle the pensionerJ to n virtual
rerating of his pension on his application
for increase. There is hardly claim al
lowed, except on specific disability, as, loss
of limb and the like, in which the rate rec
commended by the Examining Surgeons is
allowed by the Pension Bureau.
A. G. W., Philadelphia, PA large
percentage of act of 1890 invalid pension
| ers who were reduced under the last Cleve-
land Administration have secured their
former rates, but only upon applications
for increase. Only in rare instances have
the former rates been regained from date
of reduction.
j. r., Excelsior Springs, Mott is held
that the act of May 8, 1900, amending the
act of June q, 1890, simply changed the
phraseolOgy of the act of 1890 in SO far as
| it related to invalid claims, and did not
change the law in it's legal effect with re-
spect to this class of claims. That you
| obtained a pension upon an application
| iled after the act of 1900 would have NO
effect upon your former rejected claim, I'M
| less You could furnish evidence to overcome
| the rejection. 1t is practically impossible
| TO furnish evidence that the Pension Blu.
reau would regard as sufficient to over
come reflections iii this class of claims.
D. l.. r., National Military Home, Cal
The Medical Referee of tine Pension Blu
reau under Commissioner Lochren was Dr.
Thomas Featherstonebaugh.
J. II. W., Stalnacker, W. Va.-If there
| is no official record of your having sun
stroke in the service, you will need to fur
nish very strong evidence of comrades or
of the doctor that attended you, to show
that you were overcome by the heat and
suffered therefrOm afterwards. Your at
tOrney should be able to advise you
whether the evidence you have filed justi-
fies an appeal to the Secretary of the In
terror or the presentation of special bill
| in Congress.
J. NJ, Schell City, AIo.-The pension
laws make no provision for stepmothers
or stepfathers. In such cases the only
course open is to apply to Congress for
pension by special act. If the place where
the soldier entered the service is known,
or the names of any of his officers, the
Adjutant- General of the State might be
able to locate the organization in which
he served.
Subscriber. Niclolasville ky.-It is en-.
tirely lawful for an old soldier to draw
an invalid pension and his wife at the same
time draw a dependent mothers pension
on account Of a son whose death was due
to the service.
DEPARTMENT NEWS.