New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1904-03-23
WARE MAKES new
Pension ruling
DECISION OF COMMISSIONERS OF
GREAT IMPORTANCE TO
OLD SOLDIERS.
Claimants Beyond Above Age Will
Not Be Required to Undergo Ex-
amination-Great Saving Expect
ed Under the Order.

Washington, March 17.-Commission-
er of Pensions Ware, with the approx
al of Secretary Hitchcock, on Wed
nesday promulgated the most import
ant pension ruling that has been is
sued in long time. 1t directs that
beginning April Is next, if there is no
contrary evidence and all other legal
requirements have been met, claimants
for pension under the general act of
June 81, 1890, who are over 81 years
old, shall be considered as disabled
one-half in ability to perform manual
labor and shall be entitled to Sc a
month, over IS years, to So; over So
years, to $40, and over 70, $12, the
usual allowances at higher rates con-
tinuing for disabilities other than age.
The Commissioners Views.
Commission 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 rule fixing a maximum age limit
at SIP for Is years. This was made dur
ing Mr.. Cleveland's administration by
Commissioner Lochren, now federal
Judge in Minnesota. The 65-year- mini
mum limit has been a long while in force
in the bureau, but l am not advised by
whom it was established nor is it particu-
arly material since it met with general
of Of oh,
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 80 years exactly aft
er the end of the Mexican war.
Entitled to Like Treatment.
"It would seem that if 80 years after
the expiration of service a Mexican war
soldier was entitled to pension at 81
years. and no other requisite for draw
ing a pension should exist except
age, that to soldiers of the civil war who
fought vastly more and longer, at least
lean war limit of 81 years was probably
brought about by the well-known army
limit of 81 years at which officers are re-
tired. There seems to be a general con-
sensus of opinion that at 62 years the
disabilities of old age have set in. The
order could not have been issued earlier,
because it is only now that the 80 years
fixed by the congressional limit has been
reached The civil war ended April Is,
1865, and in enlistments in the loyal
states those who enlisted after that time
are held to have no pensionable service
during the war of the rebellion Hence
the 80 years would expire on the 18th OF
next month, and it is very proper that the
order should be issued fixing the sixty
second year as the minimum age limit
and the Biblical three score and ten as
the maximum
Will Save Money and Time.
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 almost without possibility of
doubt that he is one-half disabled from
earning his support by manual labor.
This being SO, it seems unwise to put a
soldier to the expense of time and trans
pOrttatiOn to go to a place where med
ical board can examine him to find that
fact out, and on the other hand it seems
unnecessary for the government to keen
boards established, and then pay six
dollars for the examination of a soldier
when the result of the examination can
be so accurately foretold 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 ii
would make 100000, and perhaps an
equal amount in time and transportation
to the old soldiers, who would have to
go and be examined