The National tribune., 1908-04-16
THE WIDOWS, PENSION BILL.


emily getting together upon the widows
pension bill, with a possible recession
of the Senate from its amendments.
The Sulloway bill as it passed the
House was as follows:
That from and after the passage of
this act the rate of pension for widows,
minor children under the age of i6
years and helpless minors, as defined by
existing laws, now on the roll or here
after to be placed on the pension roll
and entitled to receive less rate than
hereinafter provided, shall be $12 per
month; and nothing herein shall be
construed to affect the existing allow
ance of 50 per month for each child
under the age of 16 years and for each
helpless child; and all acts or parts of
acts inconsistent with the provisions of
this act are hereby repealed: Provided,
however, That this act shall not be so
construed as to reduce any pension un-
der 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 dur
ing the late civil war and who has been
Ionorably discharged therefrom has
died or shall hereafter 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
application therefor under this act at
the ;ate of $12 per month during her
widowhood, provided that said widow
| shall have married said soldier or sailor
prior to June 81, $50; and the benefits
of this section shall include those wild
ows whose husbands are given a pen
sionable status under the act of Feb.
| Is, 1895, and the joint resolutions of
July /, 1902, and June 2S, 1906.
Sec. g. That no claim agent or attor-
ney shall be recognized in the adjudica-
| tion of claims under the first section of
this act, and that no agent, attorney or
/ other person engaged in preparing, pre-
senting or prosecuting any claim under
| the provisions of the second section of
this act shall, directly or indirectly
contract for, demand, receive or retain
for such services in preparing, present
| ing or prosecuting such claim a sum
greater than SO, which sum shall be
payable only upon the order of the
Commissioner of Pensions by the pen
sion agent making payment Of the pen
sion allowed; and any person who shall
violate any of the provisions of this
section or who shall wrongfulIy with
| hold from the pensioner 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 misGameanor, and upon con-
viction thereof shall, for each and every
such offense, be fined not exceeding
| $500 or be imprisoned at hard labor not
| exceeding two years, or both, in the
| discretion of the court.
The Senate amended the first section
so as to read as follows:
ias u ha
approval OF this act the 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 bow on the pension roll oil
hereafter snail be placed on the pen.
sion roll under any existing law anG
who is receiving or is entitled under
said law to receive a pension at a rate
of less than S12 per month. shall bt
increased to and allowe DIT $12 pei
month. and all acts and parts OF act:
inconsistent with this act are hereby
u repealed: Provided, however That thi!
act shall not be so construed as to re
duce any pension under any act, pub
lie or private.
The second section was amended s,
as to read that the widow should b,
; placed on the pension roll from tn,
; date of filing of her application tha
she should have been married "prio
TO the passage and approval of thi
act;" that the widows whose husband
r ''if living would have a pensionabl
status under the joint resolution of Eel
10, 1885," should receive the benefits
and, further, "that nothing herein con
tanned shall be construed to affect tn
. existing allowance of 81 per month 70
each child under the age of 16."
[ These amendments have been tn
Y question at issue between the tw
: Houses, and they are now the suhjee
:. of debate in the Committee of Confer
! ence. A full meeting OF the committe
:, will be held this week, probably afte
n we go to press, and it is sincerely hope
n that the committee will arrive at
Il conclusion and the bill be speedil
S adopted by both Houses to bring an i'm
2 mensity of relief to tens of thousand
d of as worthy and deserving women a
t. there are in the land.