Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-05-03
NEW PENSION
ORDER
Department Sends Out Ex-
plaOatOry Letter to In
jGred War Veterans

The pension bureau Is now sendins
out the following letter, explanatory
of its Interpretation of the new order:
I'm response to your attached com
munication, you are advised that un
der the provisions of section 2 of the
act of June p, 1890, as amended by
the act of May 8, 1900, any officer
or enlisted man who served 80 days or
more in the army or navy of the
I United States during the late war
of the rebellion and received an hon
orable discharge therefrom, may be
entitled to pension as such, provided
he is now or may hereafter be suffer
ing from any mental or physical dis
ability or disabilities of a permanent
, character, not the result of his own
vicious habits, which so incapacitates
him from the performance of manual
labor as to render him unable to earn
a support
I'm the adjudication of valid claims
under said acts. 1t is taken and con-
, sidered as an evidential fact. if the
contrary does not appear and if all
other legal requirements are properly
met, that when a claimant has passed
the age of So years he shall be re-
garded as disabled one-half in ability
to perform manual labor and may be
entitled to the minimum rating of So
per month; after 65 years of age, to
$S per month; after 6S years of age,
to $40 month; and after 40 years of
age to the maximum rating of $12
per month
A declaration stating that the claim
ant is 60 years of age; 65 years; 6S
years, of 20 years, as the case may be
is a sufficient allegation in cases of
this kind, even if no other disabling
cause is set forth, but in all cases the
exact date of birth should be stated.
Allowances under said act at
higher rate, not exceeding $12 per
month, will continue to be made as
heretofore, where disabilities other
than age show a condition of inability
to perform manual labor, but in no
case can pension exceed $12 per
month, which is the maximum rate of
invalid pension provided for in said
acts and is not subject to increase for
any cause.
This ruling will take effect April
13, 1904, and shall not be deemed
retroactive, The former rules of the
bureau fixing the minimum and maxi
mum at So and rs years respectively
are accordingly modified as above.
Pensions granted under the pro
visions of section of the act Of
June 27, 1890, as amended, whether
affected by the late ruling or not. are
! not In addition to pension allowed
under any other laws. as the law pro.
hibits the payment of more than one
pension to person for the same
period"
This settles one point about which
there has been some anxious question
ing; the amount of proof that would
be required for age, This says that
mere statement as to age, accom-
panied by exact date Of, is all that
will be required.
In his letter to the senate, secretary
Hitchcock inolosed letter from Act.
ing Commissioner OF Pensions Daven.
port. in which II is afirmed that Com.
missioner Wares order does not en-
large but simply oonstrues the act Of
June %, 1890 and its amendments,
and closes as follows;
The amount the order will increase
pensions annually. and particularly
when the same shall become fully
operative, can only be roughly esti.
mated. There are supposed to be llv.
II Ing today about $4,000 ex.Unlon