The National tribune., 1908-03-12
THE WIDOWS. TENSION BILL.

Inc Senate Committee on PENSIONS
has had under consideration the House
bill to increase the pension OF widows,
and has favorably reported the bill
with amendments. As amended by
the Senate Committee the bill now
stands:
Be it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the Unit
ed States of America in Congress as
sembled, That from and after the pas
sage and approval of this act>th rate
of pension for the widow of any officer
or enlisted man who served in any
Indian war, the War with Mexico or
the civil war, whose name is now on
the pension roll or hereafter shall
shall be placed on the pen
sion roll under any existing law
and who is receiving or is entitled un-
der said law TO receive a pension at a
rate of less than $12 per month, shall
be increased to and allowed at s12 per
month, and all acts and parts of acts
inconsistent with this act are hereby
repealed: Provided, however, That this
act shall not be so construed as to re-
duce any pension under any act, public
or private.
Sec. 2. That If any officer or enlisted
man who served 80 days or more in
the Army or Navy of the United States
during the late civil war and who has
been honorably discharged therefrom
has died or shall here9 fter die, leaving
a widow, such widow shall, upon due
proof of her husbands death, without
proving his death to be the result of
his army or navy service, be placed on
the pension roll from the date of the
filing of her application therefor under
this act at the rate of $12 per month
during her widowhood, provided that
said widow shall have married said SOL
dier or sailor prior to the passage and
approval of this act; and the benefits
of this section shall include those wild
ows whose husbands if living would
have a pensionable status under the
joint resolutions of Feb. Is, 1895, July
1, 1902, and June 2S, 1906.
Sec. 3. That no claim agent or at
torney shall be recognized in the ad-
judication of claims under the first
section of this act, and that no agent
attorney or other person engaged ir
preparing. presenting or prosecuting
any claim under the provisions of the
second section of this act shall, directly
or indirectly, contract for, demand, re-
ceiye or retain for such services in
preparing, presenting or prosecuting
such claim sum greater than SO,
which sum shall be payable only upon
the order of the Commissioner of Pen
sions by the pension agent making pay
ment of the pension allowed; and any
person who shall violate any of the
provisions of this section or who shall
wrongfully withhold from the pension
er or claimant the whole or any part
of pension or claim allowed or due
such pensioner or claimant under this
act shall be deemed guilty of a mis-
demeanor, and upon conviction thereof
shall, for each and every such offense,
be fined not exceeding $500 or be i'm
prisoned at hard labor not exceeding
two years, or both, in the discretion of
the court.
Amend the title so as to read: "An
act to increase the pension of widows
of deceased soldiers and sailors of the
late civil war, the War with Mexico,
the various Indian wars, and to grant
a pension to certain widows OF the de-
ceased soldiers and sailors of the late
civil war" -roo att
The committee accompanied the bill
with the following report, which is full
of interest and should be read and
studied by all who are interested in
this highly important matter:
The Committee on Pensions, to whom
was referred the bill Oh. z. 1869 to
increase the pension of widows, minor
children, and so forth, of deceased SOL
diers and sailors of the late civil war,
the War with Mexico. the various In
dian wars, and so forth, and to grant
"a pension to certain widows of the de-
ceased soldiers and sailors of the late
civil war. have examined the same, and
submit the following report: @
On June 81, 1890, a law was enacted
granting pensions to officers and en-
listed men who had served 80 days or
more in the Army or Navy of the Unit
ed States in the civil war at rates rang
ing from Sc to $12 per month. accord
ing to physical disa abilities. The ensu-
ing years added greatly to the physical
disabilities of these men, and in re-
sponse to this condition. on Feb. 6,
1907. Q. further act was placed on the
soldiers and sailors upon a pensionable
basis at rates ranging from $12 to, $40
per month. The reasons that justified
the raise in pensions in cases of SOL
diers and sailors would justify the raise
in favor of the widows of such soldiers
and sailors. If So was a proper allow
ance for the widows in 1890. $12 per
month, or an increase of so per cent, is
equally demanded to-day, for two rea-
sons; first, that the widows earning
capacity and ability to support herself
is greatly reduced on account of in
creased age; second, by reason of a
higher standard, the expenses of living
have increased greatly during said time
The law of 1890 provides that its
benefits shall accrue only to those wild
ows who were married prior to that
date. 1t is safe to say that few of the
soldiers of the civil war were under As
years of age on June q, 1890, and
that the number of marriages since
that date is therefore comparatively
| limited Nor can we assume that those
who married since June q, 1890, were
Influenced by mercenary reasons. I'm
| der existing laws no widow who mar
ried since June 81, 1880, is entitled tc
a pension. 1t seems, therefore, to your
committee that there is no reasonable
basis for limiting the benefits of this
act to those widows whose marriages
were consummated prior to June 27
1890, and your committee recommenC
that the bill be so amended.
| The House provided for the widow!
| of soldiers and sailors of the civil wal
who have heretofore been barred b,
reason of nondependence as defined BY
| existing laws. 1t also provides for tht
| widows of soldiers of the Indian wars
There are very few of these widow!
now living, and this committee doe
not amend the House bill in this re
spect. The same attitude prevailed II
| regard to the widows of Mexican Wa
soldiers Those soldiers We're provided
| for in the law of Feb. 6, 1907, and thei
widows are properly provided for un
der this bill for the same reason tina
would justify considering the soldier
under that law.
The bill as passed by the House als'
| the widows of the soldiers of the Regu
Ior rrny and Navy and widows of sol