The National tribune., 1903-08-13
PENSION POINTERS.
Inquiries Answered ard Sugges'
lions Made.

regardless of their age on July /. 1880
or when they filed application. This is il
accordance with a recent decision of thu
Secretary of the Interior. OF course, thu
pensionable period terminates in each in
stance with the arrival at the age of 16
Without information as to date and tern
of enlistment, it is impossible to. STATE
what bounty may he due.
NJ. r., Graham Station, w. Va.-Tht
fact that the parties were married since
March 8. 1899 would not affect the right
of the wife to one-half the soldiers pension
if he deserts her.
J. n. s., Shelbyville, Tenn.-A blank
pension voucher has no value whatever as
security, and it cannot lawfully be filled
out ard executed in advance of the date
the quarterly payment falls due. The
following is section 4I45, Revised Stat
utes:
ANY pledge, mortgage, sale, assignment
or transfer of any right. claim or interest
In any pension which has been or may
hereafter be granted. shall be void and of
no effect, and any person who shall pledge,
or receive as a pledge, mortgage, sale,
assignment. or transfer Of any right, claim
or interest in any pension or pension GER
tifcate which has been or may hereafter
be granted or issued. or who shall hold the
same as collateral security for any debt
Or promise or upon any pretext of such
security or promise. shall be guilty of
misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof
shall be fined i'll a sum not exceeding 500
and the costs of the prosecution: and any
person who shall retain the certificate of
pensioner and refuse to surrender the
same upon the demand of the Commits
sioner of Pensions, or n United States
Pension Agent. or any other person au-
thorized by the Commissioner of Pensions
Rr the penSiOner to receive the same, shall
be guilty of misdemeanor, and upon con-
viction thereof shall be fined in a sum not
exceeding 500 and the costs Of the prose
cution."
c. ". NJ. McNIinnville. Tenn.-Ever
since an act of March 3, 1877. ex-Confed-
crates enlisting in the United States Army
and incurring disability have been emit
tied to pension therefor under the general
law. BY the joint resolution of July l,
1902. they are finally entitled TO pension
under the act of June 81. 1890, also. Mem
bers of the regiments of ~. 5. Nolun-
teers' organized from Confederate desert
erS and prisoners of war are included. but
as 10 the act of June %, 1890, only those
ex-Confederates are entitled that were en-
listed in L. S. service before Jan. =. 1860.
G. W. s., Oakland, W. Va.-If the
soldier was pensioned for heart disease,
anu lut VI hiS ttaIh
shown. it is quite possible to prove that his
death was due to that disease without
medical evidence in the case.
Malarial poisoning would seem to be
proper description of the condition stated,
but it would be well to include as results
the several disabilities stated. You can
be pensioned under the general law for
any additional disability that you can sat
isfactorily establish as of service origin.
If 4 disability is possibly traceable to a
condition which existed before enlistment,
there may be difficulty in satisfactorily at
taching the present condition to the hard
ships and duties of the service. You did
not serve long enough to be eligible to be
placed on the retired list of the army.
Disability incurred in service and line of
duty, disqualifying the soldier Tor further
military service. renders him eligible to
admission to the Soldiers Home, Wash
ington. d. c. -
J. E.. Warton.. Ontario. Can.-You are
evidently pensioned for total inability to
perform any manual labor $3.50 per month";.
The act of March 3, 1903, does not benefit
you.
J. p c.. Joliet. Ill.-The rejection of a
pension claim does not imply that the evil
dence filed is false. The ordinary implica-
ton is that the evidence is Insufficient
not enough of it, or the witnesses have in
sufficient knowledge of the facts testified
to. The medical records Of the War De
partraent are not open to public lnspec-
ton. Full information therefrom. relative
to particular person, is furnished the
Pension Bureau, and will be furnished a
member or committee of Congress on re-
quest therefor.
II. NJ. W. Nevada. -0hio.-There seems
to be no provision Of law making an al
lowance, periodical or otherwise. for teeth
lost in the service. beyond the ordinary
pension.
S. L. r., Grafton. Ohio.-No artificial
limbs or communication are allowed except
for limbs lost or disabled in the service
and line of duty. 1t is the SurgeOn-Gen-
eral, L. S. A, not the Pension Bureau,
that passes on this class of claims.
ii. c. B.. Coal City. Ind.-Dependent
brothers and sisters are not entitled to
pension unless under 16 when the soldier
dies.
J. s, Wayne. Mich.-If the soldier en-
listed before Sept. 6. 1864, as Il substitute,
for three years. it would seem that he was
entitled TO 500 bounty. provided he serv-
ed two years or was discharged before
two years service because of wound or in
jury incurred in service and line of duty.
The Auditor for the War Department"
considers such claims.
Plymouth, Nt.-The attorneys fee for
collecting accrued pension may be any rea-
'sonable amount agreed upon by the par
ties.
]. ]. S. Barron, Wis-An order for
medical examination usually issues in a
claim for increase on pensioned disability
within a month or two after the applica-
lion is filed. The case should be heard
from within the same period after medi-
cal examination. But all this is subject to
wide variation as the experience of claim
ants testifes.
A. X. NJ, Waldo, Wis.-S12 per month
remains the highest limit of invalid pen
sion under the act of June %. 1890. Title
Of widow or children under 16 to accrued
pension of deceased pensioners is deter
mined by the Commissioner of Pensions.
G. c., Cherryhill, Mich.-If you are
plainly and clearly beneficiary Of the
act of March =, 1903, increasing the gem
eral law pension rate OF those pensioned
for loss of limbs or total disability OF
same, you should have been reached ere
this. Write the L. S. Pension Agent
through whom your pension is paid. II
is quite likely that a year or more will
elapse before pension appeal filed now
will be reached and acted on.
Kashkonong Wis.-The following is the
act of March =, 1903:
BE it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
That from and after the MASSAGE of this