The National tribune., 1903-11-19
PENSION POINTERS.
Inquiries Answered and Suggestions
r. Made.

A. n. c., Elgin, Ill.-f enlisted fo
three years service and discharged befor'
two years service on account of hernls
Incurred in line Of duty, the soldier woult
be entitled to the 500 bounty under tn
act of March 3, 1860.
q. w. r., Lamar, Colo.-A decision O.
: the Secretary of the Interior rendered
within the past year held that wido'
taking up her homestead need not actually
reside on and cultivate the land IN per
son. This decision however, has already
led to abuses which will lead, If indeed Il
has not already resulted in return ol
former practices.
q. Il D., Fort Collins, Colo-If it car
be satisfactorily proven that the soldiers
death was due to disability originating in
the service and line of duty, the feeble
minded child can doubtless obtain pension
under the general law. Being over 16 nc
pension can be obtained under the act OF
1880. co application Hereunder being filed
before the child became 16.
Constant Reader, Pfttsburg, Pat VIII
proba bly, be well to have inquiry made
Tor the appeal in your pension case, IL
you were officially informed 10 months OF
more ago that the case was IN the hahds
of the reviewers" of the Board of Pen
sion Appeals, it would seem that you
should have heard from it long before
this.
. Soldiers Widow, Kingsley, Iowa.-A
!, widow having minor children of the sol
dier dependent on her for support should
naturally be entitled to have that fact
taken into consideration in determining
: her title to pension under the act of June
81. 1890, as amended by the act OF May
8, 1900, and vet the law does not in terms
authorize that the matter OF dependent
children shall be taken into consideration.
"a widow living in an expensive home,
which, if turned into money and otherwise
invested, would yield her a sufficient in
come to take her outside the law of 1880,
would not be regarded as entitled to pen
sion under the act. The same view would
obtain if other valuable but practically un-
remunerative real estate were held by the
widow.
g. ". W., Pomona. Cal.-The accrued
pension due the soldier up to the date OF
his death will be paid to the widow upon
her application to the Commissioner Of
Pensions. This money VIII be paid re-
sardiess of whether or not the widow IS
entitled to pension under the act of 1880
or any other law.
: ID. E., Boston, Mass!The rate of in
valid pension for disability equivalent in
degree to the loss of q hand or foot was
Increased from IS (enlisted mem to S15
commencing from June 6, 1866; to $1S
from June 4, 1872: to S24 from March
3, 1888, which rate continues still IL
force.
H. n. H., Elk Fork, Ky.-Your claim
for increase of pension can be settled II.
respective Of your claim for rerating OF
pension. As you appear to be pensloned
for disease, it is unlikely that you can Sc
cure any rerating of your pension. The
holding is, rs rule, that the ratings over
the past period have been in accordance
with the degree of disability shown. If
-. -, nv
1t will be well to do 50 without awaiting
official action on the application for re-
rating, as it is quite possible that the Pen
sion Bureau will not only not call for
further evidence but win reject the case
fon the evidence on file.
T. O., Oidtown, Me.-If the soldier
served on the frontiers during Indian hos
tilities of the period coming within the
Indian wars service-pension act of June
u, 1902, ne would probably be regarded
rs entitled to the service pension, even
though he was not personally engaged In
battle with the Indians. It does not ap-
pear that the Commissioner of Pensions
in his annual report for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1903, made any recon-
mendation with reference to the arrears
of pension law Of 1879.
F. K, FIorida.-f your enlistment in
April, 1851, had been for three years in
stead cf two years, you would be entitled
to 500 bounty under the act of april
22, 1872, or the act Of July 20, 1883, not
withstanding that you were DISCHARGED be
fore two years service as an enlisted man,
to be promoted to the grade of commits
STONED officer.
r. c., San Antonio, Tex.-The waiving
of the question OF loyalty in the service
pension acts relating to the Indian wars
antedating the war of the rebellion does
not extend to claims made on account of
-
- b. o., Hanly, Ky.-YOur invalid pen
sion under the act of June q, 1890, will
Doubtless be made to commence from the
date ef filing of your last application un-
der the act That the claim has been con-
tiHued under the original number does not
indicate that the original application will
be recognized as the basis of allowance Of
the pension.
J. w. D., San Diego, Calf, a. ap-
pears, you were already drawing $50 per
month on account of your foot, II il not
clear why you were ordered for e;.amlnA-
tion when you applied for the increase to
$40. unless 1t be that the Pension Bureau
had not been notified Of the amputation Of
the foot. 1t was necessary as q matter
of form that the amputation be verified
by medical examination, although it would
make no difference in your rate whether
you were pensioned for loss of the foot or
total disability of the foot. As no attor-
ney is recognized and your Senator is un-
able TO learn the status of the matter
there seems to be nothing for you to do
but to wait. You might call the attention
of the q. s. Pension Agent, through whom
your pension is paid. to the fact that you
have not received the increase to which
you are entitled.
J. A T., Cumback, Ind.-The pension
rates under the general law of those who
lost limbs or are totally disabled In the
same as result Of service, were increased
by act of March 2. 1908. The act of Jan.
Is, 1903, increased the general law pension
rate for total deafness. The foregoing
are the only increase of pension laws that
were enacted at the last session of Con
gress.
]. c. R., Middleville. Mich.-TweIve
per month is the highest rate allowed as
service pension to Mexican war survivors.
No higher rate can be obtained except by
establishing disability as due to Mexican
war service and emitting to a higher rate
than Sl2 under the general law pension
ratings.
Work OF the Pension once.