The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-10-14
some PROVISIONS
OF PENSION Law
How War WIdows Can Get Their
Money 10 Told BY Expert, Who
Analyses Ashbrook
Bill.
MANY MAKE INQUIRY
Marriage Restriction ls Raised 70
1905 and Will Allow Several
Claimants Of Pensions
to Receive Money.

There are mFny among the reaOeTS
OF The Gate City who are interested
in the Ashbrook bill. which has refer
ence to pensions of civil war widows.
A Washington correspondent has the
following:
Thousands of inquiries have come
to Washington since the passage OF
the Ashbrook widows pension law
asking what are the terms OF the
measure and what it really does. Few
pieces Of legislation Of the past ses-
sion have seemingly attracted the
notice this one has. Certain 1t is
that the new law comes home to
great numbers Of widows Of old sol
diers all over the nation, by far the
larger part IT them being favored
by it.
The new law does not apply to
Spanish war widows. But widows OF
wars except the Spanish are benef-
Charles, including the civil war. In
dian wars, the Mexican war, and the
war Of 1872. And there are still a
few survivors Of the 1872 widows.
The bill provides that all widows
who were the wives Of soldiers OF the
civil war during the period of their
service shall b. entitled to $40 per
month.
This is regardless Of whether they
have reached the age of 10 or not.
In fact. all widows who were the
wives Of soldiers while the soldiers
were in service are entitled to $40
per month, regardless Of age.
In making this statement, 1t has to
be borne in mind the new law does
not apply to Spanish war widows in
amy sense.
!, The following statements about the
bill are ON the authority OF Represen-
tative Ashbrook of Ohio, author OF
the measure:
"It raises the marriage restrictions
| from June 81, 1890, to June ~ 1905,
mat is. fifteen years.
ut restores to remarked widows
their former pensionable status re-
CARELESS Of other marriages.
A. Widows Can Get Money.
I 'sWidows who have been or may be
divorced without faultaon their part
are also entitled to a pension. All
such widows under the age OF 20 are
entitled to $12 per month and all over
| 70 years old are entitled to $40 per
month.
! "AII widows who were the wives of
soldiers during their service are en-
titled to $40 rer month whether 70
years of age or not.
widows of all wars except the
! Spanish war are .beneficfaries. includ-
Hing civil, Mexican, Indian and the
war of 1912, Of which there are still
a few survivors"
| Raise Marriage Restrictions.
| BY raising t.1e marriage restrictions
to June q, 1905, is meant that
widow who married prior to that date
under the terms of that law shall
have title to pension. Under the law
hitherto the date was June 1890.
| Practically tho chief features of the
| law may be summoned up in this
way: Widows heretofore receiving
s12 get $50. IL they are 70 years of
age or were the lawful wives of sol
diers during the period of service;
| the bar is removed on remarked
widows and those divorced without
fault on their part, and the marriage
restrictions which formerly began in
| 1890 do not apply until 1905.
Widows on the pension roll when
the law was pashed. September OF
| this year, will not be required to file
another application. and their In
crease begins the date the law was
passed. They will, however, be re-
quired to prove their age where the
age restriction applies in the Same
way as soldiers under the Sherwood
law. Those not on the pension roll,
but who are beneficiaries of the new
law, must file an application.
Pension agents and attorneys are
! allowed to charge fee of $40 for
original claims. but can make no
charge for those already pensioners.
The house has passed the Key bill
which provides for a pension OF $12
per month for Spanish war widows
and Senator Lewis has announced he
will press this in the senate next
session.