The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-05-22
PENSION POINTERS.
INQUIRIES Answered and Sugges-
tiOnS Made.

money. A decision VI the - - S"Pi'i
Court on this subject appeared in The Ma
tional Tribune of May s.
l. ]. D.. st. Paul, Kan.-The act of
July 20, 1888, is not an additional bounty
act 1t benefits only certain of the three
wears volunteers of 1861 who were not
entitled TO original bounty under the acts
of July 30, 1861. March 3, 1868, or March
2. 1865. 1t does not benefit you, as you
received 500 original bounty for your
three-years' enlistment in 1857.
C. ID. G., Fort Dodge, kan.-See reply
toI. J. D., above. The additional bounty
act of July rs. 1866, under which you
were entitled to 500 additional os bounty
expired by limitation on July ], 1880.
c. II. y. Oak Harbor, Ohio.-UnleSs a
claim for invalid pension under the gen
eral law was fled before July /, 1850,
pension granted thereon can commence
only from the date of filing of the appll-
cation in the Pension Bureau.
c. NJ. NJ, East Brook, Pa.-Of the
great multitude of pension bills OF all
kinds introduced at each session of Con
gress very few are even considered by
the committees to which they are re-
ferred. No bill looking to the Increase of
the general law pension rate of $50 for
total inability to perform manual labor
has been reported from committee during
the present Congress.
]. D. u, Mcclure, Pa.-The general
law rate of invalid pension for total dis
ability of the hand or lower arm is $50
per month.
p. L., Owensburg Ind.-The adjudica-
ton of claims for increase on pensioned
disability is practically entirely i'll the
hands of the medical officers of the Pen
sion Bureau.
]. B., Monongahela, PA widow who
applied for pension under the act of June
%, 1890, and remarked before the pas
sage of the amendatOry act of May y,
1900. cannot obtain the benefit of the act
of 1900 If she cannot show title. as re-
CARDS income, under the act of 1890, as it
stood before amended. she cannot obtain
her pension unless she can establish
claim under the general law by proving
the soldiers death to have been due TO
the service and line of duty. The follow
ing is that portion Of the act of May y,
1900 relating TO widows: Sec. 3. mat
If any officer or enlisted man who served
90 days or more in the army or navy of
the United States during the late war of
the rebellion and who was hOnOrably dis
charged has died. or shall hereafter die,
leaving a widow without means of sup
port other than her daily labor, and an
actual net income not exceeding sou per
year. or minor children under the age of
10 years. such widow shall, upon due
proof of her husbands death, without
proving his death TO be the result of his
army service, be placed on the pension
roll from the date of the application there
for under this act, at the rate of IS per
month during her widowhoOd, and shall
also be paid 81 per month for each child
of such officer or enlisted man under 10
years of age; and in case of the death or
remarriage of the widow, leaving child
or children of such officer or enlisted man
under the age of 16 years, such pension
shall be paid such child or children until
the age of 10: Provided. That in case
minor child is insane. idiotic or otherwise
physically or mentally helpless. the pen
sion shall continue during the life of said
child or during the period of such DISABLE
ity; and this prOviso shall apply to all
pensions heretofore granted or hereafter
to be granted under this or any former
statute; and SUCH pensions shall com
mence from the date of application there
for after the passage Of this act: And
provided further. That said widow shall
have married said soldier prior to the pas
sage of the said act of June q, 1890"
J. II. O., Louisville, Ky.-Without
knowing the character of the claim, it is
impossible to answer your first inquiry.
AS TO additional bounty, see reply to c. ID.
G., above.
]. W. B., Delton.-Having' been dis
charged after less than two years service
and by reason of disability other than
wound or injury, you are not entitled to
the original bounty of 500.
J. E. D., Sloan Springs, Ark.-The
child's claim for pension under the act of
June q, 1890, having been filed before he
became 16, he can complete the claim and
receive pension thereon from date of fl
ing of the application by his guardian up
to the date he became 16, notwithstand
ing that he is now over 16
w. H. S. b., City.-Rank does not en-
ter into the special ratings for loss or to-
tai disability of limbs. That you draw
$24 per month indicates that you are rated
for disability equivalent TO loss of n hand
or foot" the rate for which has been S24
since March 8, 1883.
j. c., Kansas City, Kan.-What you
refer TO is evidently an act of March ),
1891. which amended section 41SI. Re
vised Statutes, by changing the interval
of allowance of artificial limbs or com
mutation therefor. from fve.y years to three
years. in cases where the soldier or sailor
lost his limb or incurred total disability
therein from wound, injury or disease in
CURED in service and line Of duty in the
war of the rebellion. There is no proyi
sion of law covering cases where the limb
was lost or disabled by accident after dis
charge. There has been no new law en-
loss or total disability Of limbs; bill has
passed the Senate, but has not yet been
considered in the House OF Representa-
tives. The special rates of pension such
as the above do not apply 10 invalid per-
sions allowed under the act Of June q,
1890. The highest rate allowable under
that law is S12 per month.
II. c., Berlin, n. H.-See replies to J.
W. B. and c. ID. c., above.
A. r., Milwaukee, Wis.-Thc object of
an appeal OF a rejected pension claim 10
the Secretary Of the Interior is to secure
q review Of the evidence upon which the
claim was rejected. The Department
would be unlikely to direct another medi
cal examination. but the Pension Bureau
on receiving notice of the appeal may con-
clude to reopen the claim and order new
medical examination, asking at the same
time that the Department dismiss the APP
peal. There Is no set form of appeal. The
only essentials are q proper description of
the case so that it may be identified. md
a statement OF the grounds upon which
the appeal Is based
c. B., Nina, n. Y.-If 1t is desired to
contest a rejected claim for increase or
pensioned disability by taking an appeal
or by fling additional evidence, such ac-
ton must be taken within three months
after the date Of the notice of rejection. A
new application, however, may be filed at
any time.
o. NJ, Dayton, Wash.-U. S. pensions
are granted and paid irrespective of wheth-
er or not the claimant or pensioner is an
American citizen or q resident Of this
country.
]. n. A, Thurston, n. Y.-The Legis-
lative, Executive and Judicial Appropria-
don Bill became q law on April 2S. The