Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-07
PAYS THE INCREASE
Local Agency Disbursing
Money for Pensions.
TO WIDOWS AND CHILDREN
New Law Allows $18, 900 More Than
During Last Quarter.
MANY BENEFITED BY THE ACT
Provisions Regarded as Important,
Tightening Work Of Bureau.
Text Of the Measure.
MANY BENEFITED BY THE ACT

last There are approximately 5000 pen
sioners of the class mentioned in the Dis
trict. and each is receiving So more than
he or she received for the previous quar-;
ter. Such is due to the widows pension
law" which became effective April 10 last.
There are approximately 100000 pen
sioners throughout the United States af-
fected by this act. About 10000 are be-
ing paid by the local agent whose field
includes the District of Columbia. Mary
land. Virginia. West Virginia. Delaware
and a foreign countries: Agent John r.
King Is, therefore, handling approximately
$4,000 more in pension vouchers than
during the previous quarter.
May Benefit Business.
1t is confidently expected that the large
increase in the amount of money Uncle
Sam is paying those dependent upon him
will be felt beneficially this week, if it
has not already been felt. in the volume
of business in the District and contiguous
territory. The first payments under the
quarter ended May 4. so that the local
agency is the second to feel the change
The President signed the bill April ~
with foresight, 1t is explained. as it was
just half month from that date until
May T., This made the increase of 81 a
month-from IS to $12-easy to calculate
from the time the act was approved and
went into effect. All the pension Office
had to do was to order the payment of 81
additional on May 4. SIS additional on
June and $40 additional July 4.
No Time Lost.
No time was lost by Commissioner War
ner in putting into effect the new law. It's
passage and approval was anticipated
and orders were sent to the agents all
over the country to make the increase in
the vouchers as rapidly as they were pre-
sented. These orders went out the day
Following the approval of the act. Dur
ing the present fiscal year, which ends
June 30. total for the entire country of
ABOUT So6O.Om In increases is being paid
out. one-third having fallen due May 1
and the remainder June 4. For the quar-
ter beginning July about 500, 600 will be
paid in increases under the new law.
Congress appropriated $12OOO,UOO to
meet the increases in the next fiscal year
This makes the total amount carried for
the year 19OS-19O9 in the general pension
bill 1852 100000. The greatest amount
ever appropriated heretofore was S156.-
30SOOO. in 1893. Last year it was S13S.-
0OOOOO.
While, of course, the most important
section of the new pension law is that
which gives the 80 per cent increase to
the WIDOWS. minor children and other
law. there Is another provision that is
highly important and Is having a marked
snect on the work OF the pension office
1t Is the elimination of the so-called de
pendence clause of the act Of June 81,
1880. which required that a widow prove
that she was not receiving an income of
$50 year or more before a pension
would be granted her.
Congress Removes Requirement.
moved by the law passed at the last ses-
sion OF Congress-. Since April 10 any Wild
ow who can show that she married a SOL
der before June 81, 1890. and that her
husband served at least ninety days in the
army and was honora bly, discharged. is en-
titled to pension of $12 month from
the date Of the filling of her application,
provided she has not remarked
Something like 100 applica tons were re-
ceived as a result OF this change the day
after the approval of the act was made
public. Ten days later the applications
reached the high-water mark. 1.225 be-
Ing received at the pension Office April
80 Up to last evening about 10000 appli-
cations had been received. The force Of
1.400 employees of the pension bureau is
being kept busy going over these claims.
1t was stated yesterday by Commissioner
Warner that they are being adjudicated
at the rate of about 100 day.
Lighters the Work.
While the work has increased in one
respect as result of the new law in an
other way it has decreased. 1t Is not nee
essary to refer as many cases as hereto
fore to the field for. special examination.
When the dependence clause" was in eff
feet it was frequently very difficult to de-
termine whether or not Widows in
come was above or below $3.50 a year.
Often il was found to f1uctuate, and In
cases where the applicant owned farm,
for instance it was hard to compute the
amount of money that should be allowed
for her own labor and to discover just
how much the crops realized in an aver
age year.
made to dodge the law, by covering up
the exact facts. and so "doctorlng &C
count books as to make it appear that
the income was less than $3.50 year.
Ali of these conditions gave the special
examiners in the field lots of work to
do With nothing to look into with re-
gard to an applicants income. no matter
whether she be receiving 81 year from
her property, or 100000 a year, these
cases are wonderfully simplified.
Text of the Law.
The following is the text of the new
pension law. Public 9S:
THAT from and after the passage of
this act the rate of pension for widows,
minor children under the age of sixteen
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 a less rate than here
matter provided. shall be sl2 per month
and nothing herein shall be construed
to affect the existing allowance of s.
per month for each child under the age
of sixteen years and for each helpless
child: and all acts or parts of acts in
cor sistent with the provisions of this
act are hereby repealed: Provided. how
ever. that this act shall not be so con-
strued as to reduce any pension under
any act. public or private.
Sec. >. That If any officer enlisted
man who served ninety 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 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 fling of her ap-
plication therefor under this act at the
rate of ST. per month during her widow
hood provided that said widow shall have
married said soldier or sailor prior to
June % 1890: and the benefits of this
section shall include those widows whose
husbands. If living. would have a pen
sionable status under the joint resolutions
of February Is, 1895; July l. 1902. and
June %. 1906.
Sec. 3. That no claim agent or attorney
~hal he recognized in the adjudic alton of
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