The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-17
IMPORTANT CHANGE IN
PENSION RULES WILL GO
INTO EFFECT ON APRIL IS
Soldiers Who Are Over Sixty-Two
Years Old May Be Regarded
as Disabled.
So TO $T2 PER MONTH
Will Be Paid, the Highest Rate
Going to Men Over Seventy
Years of Age.
So TO $T2 PER MONT.

WASHINGTON, March 16.-Commissioner
of Pensions Ware. with the approval of
Secretary Hitchcock, to-day promulgated
the most important pension ruling that has
been issued in a long time 1t directs that
beginning April Is, next, if there is no con-
trary evidence and all other legal require
ments have been met. claimants for pen
sion under the general act of June 27. $780,
who are over sixty-two years DID, shall be
considered as disabled one-half in ability
TO perform manual labor and shall be en-
titled to So a month; over sixty-five years,
to IS; over sixty-eight years, TO $40, and
over seventy. to s12. the usual allowance
at higher rates continuing for disabilities
other than age. The order follows:
'Ordered-In the adjudication of pension
claims under said act of June q, $780, as
amended. it shall be taken and considered
as an evidental fact, If the contrary does
not appear, and If q other legal require
mentS are properly me-, that when a claim
ant has passed the age of sixty-two years
he Is disabled one-half in ability TO perform
manual labor and is entitled to be rated at
So per month, after sixty-tive years at s. per
month, after sixty-eight years at $40 per
month and after seventy years at $l2 per
month.
Allowance at higher rate not exceeding
$12 per month will continue to be made as
heretofore. where disabilities other than
age show condition OF inability 10 perform
manual labor
This order shall take effect April Is.
1904 and shall not be deemed retroactive
The former rules of the office fixing the
minimum and maximum at sixty.fve years
and seventy-hve years, respectively. are
hereby modified as above.
The order itself is preceded by preamble
which after citing the law, says the PEN
sion Bureau has established with reason
able certainty the average nature and ex-
tent of the infirmity of old age; that thir-
ty-nine years after the Mexican war Con-
eress. in 1887. placed on the pension roll
all Mexican war soldiers who were over
| siXty-two years old.
MIR. WARE SPEAKS.
Commissioner Ware, just before leaving
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 s12 for
seventy five years. This was made during
/ Mr.. CleveIands administration by Commits
| sioner Lochren, now federal judge in Min
nesota. The sixty-ive-year minimum limit
| has been a long while in force in the bu-
| reau but am not advised by whom 1t was
| established. nor is it particularly material,
| since it met with general acquiescence.
THE act of Cong vss which was passed
! in the latter part of January, 1887, and ap-
| proved by President Cleveland put all the
| Mexican war veterans on the pension roll,
/ thirty-ni years, exactly, after the end OF
| the Mexican war. The Mexican war ended
/ officially by the treaty of Guadalupe Hi
dalso, Feb. 2. 1913, although hostilities had
| ceased before that time, according to the
| capture of the City of Mexico. 1t would
/ seem that If, thirty-nine years after the ex-
piration of service, a Mexican war soldier
/ was entitled to pension at sixty-two years,
| and no other requisite for drawing a pen
| sion should exist except age, that to SOL
| diers of the civil war, who fought vastly
more and longer at least as good 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 retired. There seems
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