The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1904-03-17

10 be Considered, II Over 62 Years DID,
las Disabled One.haIf TO Perform
Manual Labor and shall be Entitled
lro Sc, So, $40 and SIR Month Accord
ing to Age-Order Goes Into Effect
April I3.
washington, March 16.-Commission-
II of Pensions Ware, with the approval
II Secretary Hitchcock, to-day promul-
*ated the most important pension ruling
hat has been issued in long time. 1t
firects that beginning April 1S next, II
here is no contrary evidence and all
Ether legal requirements have been met,
8iaimants for pensions under the gem
lral act Of June 27, 1890, who are over
|lxty-two years old shall be considered
Is disabled one-half in ability to per-
lorm manual labor and shall be entitled
h o $6 a month; over 65 years, to IS;
N tver 68 ears, to SO, and over 10 years to
ll2, the usual allowance at higher rates
mot exceeding $12) continuing for disa-
Iilities other than age.
This order will take effect April 1S
Ind shall not be deemed retroactive.
l'he former rules of this office fixed the
| Sllinimum and maximum at 65 years and
| Is years respectively.
| a The order itself is preceded by pre-
imble which after citing the law says
he pension bureau has established
Reasonable certainty the average nature
Ind extent Of the infirmity of old age,
Ind that thirty-nine years after the
Iexican war congress in 1887 placed on
he pension roll all Mexican war SOL
iers who were over sixty-two years
Id Commissioner Ware, just before
saving south for his health, said that
he order would save both the old SOL
iers and the government great deal
money and time, after stating that
he rules fixing maximum age limit at
IL for seventy-f1ve years and the min
mum at sixty-five years had long been
n force, he continued:
THE act of congress passed in Janu-
Try, 1897, and approved by President
cleveland put all the Mexican war vet
rams on the pension roll thirty-nine
-ears exactly after the end of the Mex
ean war.
Eears after the expiration of service a
Mexican war soldier was entitled to a
tension at 62 years, and no other requi-
lite for drawing a pension should exist
xcept age, that to soldiers of the civil
var who fought vastly more, and long
n, at least as good a rule ought to ap-
bly
The Mexican war limit of 81 years
vas probably brought about by the well
snown army limit of 81 years at which
Ulcers are retired. There seems to be
general concensus of opinion that at
b years the disabilities of old age have
let in. The order could not have been
Issued earlier because it is only now
!(hat the thirty-nine years fixed by the
Nongressional limit has been reached.
rhe civil war ended April 13, 1865.
There is an advantage and saving to
q the government in the use of this or
er because every old soldier who has
kAeached the age OK 81 years is able to
krove almost without possibility of
oubt that he is one-half disabled from
arning his support by manual labor.
his being so, it seems unwise to put a
Eoldier to the expense, to the time and
transportation to go to a place where a
medical board can examine him to find
Tut that fact, and on the other hand, it
Gems unnecessary for the government
10 keep boards established and then
bay Sc for the examination of soldier
when the result Of the examination can
be accurately foretold. OF the 100000
Examinations in the last year, If one
ourth were saved it would amount to
100000 and perhaps an equal amount in
ime and transportation to the old SOL
lier.
THE experience here is the pension
bureau has practically established the
manual labor limit.
.'In the rulings of the department the
Inability to earn full support by man.
bal labor does not include brain work
but applies to those who can by bodily
abor earn support. This is what con-
gress endeavored to do, and did do, ano
In the legislation is continuing to do
and the theory of the term and it's lega
construction are we'll known and long
Accuiesced in. Hence in the bureau
where so many examinations have beer
made through long series of years
the disabilities arising from age are al.
most definitely fixed, so much SO that il
may be conceded that at 62 years ali
old soldier is at least one-half disabled
from earning a support by manual la.
Dor and under the law he would be en-.
titled to S.
81 am not able to say what expense
the bill will entail in the shape of addi.
tional payments. There is great un.
known army that has never applied fol
pensions. 1t is not known whether they
would, or whether they intend to- L
will without doubt increase the pay.
ments to some extent, but the bureau
has not considered that as the propeI
element of consideration. What the bu
Teau has considered has been whether i
was the right. just and proper to d.
leaving results to take care Of them
selves. : do not think, however, tina
the increased expense in the long rul
will be very noticeable because tn,
death rate is always to be considered
and there is also to be considered tn,
fact that the ones to whom we give tn,
pension without proof other than thei
age would have proven themselves any
how under former circumstances as en-
titled to the pension by reason of thei
disabilities.
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