The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-17
Claimants Over Sixty-tWO Years
 OId Will Be Paid
WARE EXPLAINS HIS ACTION
The Order Grows Out of an Act Passed By Congress Regarding Vet ff erans of the Mexican
 War.

Washington, March 16.-Commissioner of Pensions Ware, with the approval Of Secretary Hitchcock today promulgated the most important pension ruling that has been issued in a long time. It directs that beginning April 1S, next. if there is no contrary evidence, and all other le- gal requirements have been met claim ants for pensions under the general act of June 27 1890, who are over 62 years old, shall be considered as disabled one half ability to perform manual labor and shall be entitled to $6 month; over 65 years, to SS; over 6S years to s10; and over TO years, to SIP; the usual allowances at higher rates continuing for disabilities other than age.
 The order itself is preceded by a pre- amble. which, after citing the law, says the pension bureau has established with reasonable certainty the average nature and extent of the inirmity of old age; that s9 years after the Mexican war con- gress in 1887 placed on the pension roll all Mexican war soldiers who wer over 62 years old.
 Commissioner Ware, Just before leaving for 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:
 Ware Talks Regarding Order.
 There has long been in the bureau rule fixing a maximum age limit at $12 for seventy-five years. This was made dur ing MT. Clevelands administration by Commissioner Lochrin, now federal judge in Minnesota.
 "The 65-year minimum limit has been a long while in force in the bureau, but l am not advised by whom it was estab- iished nor is 1t particularly material, since 1t met with general acquiescenee.
 "The act of oongrc w{whleh was passed in the latter part or January, 1884, and approved by President Cleveland, 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 Guadaloupe- Hidalgo February g. 1S4S, although nostilities had ceased before that time, according to the capture of the City of Mexico.
 'It would seem that if thirty-nine years after the expiration of service a Mexican war soldier was entitled to a pension at sixty-two years, and no other requis- ite for drawing a pension should exist except age, that to soldiers of the civil war, who fought vastly more and longer at least as a good rule ought to apply.
 There seems to be a general consen- sus of poinion that at sixty-two years the disabilities of old age have set in.
 Could Not Be Issued Earlier.
 "The order could not have been issued earlier, because 1t is only now that the thirty-nne years fixed by the congress slonal limit has been reached. The civil war ended April 3, 1865. 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 thrty-nine years would expire on the 18th of next month, and it Is very proper that the order should be issued fix ing the 62 years as the minimum age limit and the biblical three score 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 62 years is able to prove all most without possibility of doubt that he Is one-half disabled from earning his support by manual labor This being so, 1t seems unwise to put soldier to the ex- pense of time and transportation to go to a place where a medical board can ex- anime him to find that fact out, and on the ,ther hand 1t seems unnecessary for the government to keep boards estab- lished and then pay s6 for the examination of a soldier when the result of the exam ination can be so accurately foretold.
 q am of the opinion that this order will save the government a good deal of money. Of the 100000 examinations in the last year, if one-fourth of them were saved, 1t would make s300,oo0, and perhaps an equal amount in time and transporta- tion to the old soldiers who have to go