Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-03-17
NEW PENSION RULING
Old Soldiers on Disabled List
 at Sixty-two.
COMMISSIONER WARE EXPLAINS
All Claimants Under Act of June 27 1900, to Be Considered Disabled One-half at Sixty-tvo Years
 and Allowed SG Per Month.

aEd Allowed SC Per Month.
 WASHINGTON, March r. = Com missioner of Pensions Ware, with the approval of Secretary Hitchcock, has promulgated the most important pen. sion ruling that has been issued in g long time. It directs that, beginning April 13 next, if there is no contrary evidence and all other legal require ments have. been met, claimants fo3 pension under the general act of June 27, 1890, who are over sixty-two years old shall be considered as disabled one half in ability to perform manual labor and shall be entitled to SC Q month. Those over sixty-five years shall be al lowed SS, over sixty-eight years SIC and over seventy SIP, the usual allow ances at higher rates continuing for disabilities other than age.
 Commissioner Ware just before Ieav- ing for a trip south for his health spoke as follows regarding the order. which, he said, would save both the old soldiers and the government a great deal of money and time.
 "There has long been in the bureau a rule fixing a maximum age limit at SIP for seyenty-five years. This was made during IIr. Cleveland's admins tration by Commissioner Lochren, now federal judge in Minnesota.
 .."'The sixty-fye year minimum limit has been q long while in force in the bdreau, but am not advised by whom it was established, nor ls it particular Mg.fI TES acquiescence
 s'The act of congress which was passed in the latter part of January, 1887, and approved by President Cleve- land put all the Mexican war veterans on the pension roll thirty nine years exactly after the end of the Mexican war. The Mexican war ended officially by the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Feb. 2, 1S48, although hostilities had ceased before that time, according to the capture of the City of Mexico.
 Tt would seem that if thirty-nine years after the expiration of service 8 Mexican war soldier was entitled to a pension at sixty-two years and no oth- CT requisite for drawing a pension should exist except age that to soldiers of the, civil war, who fought vastly more and longer, at least as good a rule ought to apply.
 ''The Mexican war limit of sixty-two years was probably brought about by the well known army limit of sixty two years, at which officers are re- tired.
 'The order could not have been is- Snnd napIjap Eana1JGa if iS nY1fv that the thirty-nine years fixed by the congressional limit has been reached. The civil war ended April 13, 1895, and in enlistments in the loyal states those who enlisted after that time are held to have no questionable service during the war of the rebellion; hence the thirty-nine years expire on the 18th of next month. and it is very proper that the order should be issued fixing the siXty-two years as the minimum age limit and the Biblical threescore and ten as the maximum.
 ..There is an advantage and saving to the government in the use of this order, because every old soldier who has reached the age of sixty-two years is able to prove almost without possi- bility of doubt that he is one-half dis abled from earning his support by manual labor. This being so, it seems unwise to put a soldier to the expense of time and transportation to go to a place where medical board can exam inc him to find that fact out, and. on the other hand, it seems unnecessary for the government to keep boards es- tablished and then pay $6 for the ex- amina tion of soldier when the result of the examination can be so accurate ly foretold..''
 Arrested For Peonage.
 IAGKS0N Miss Marnh IT -IInifaH