Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-03-31
PROVISIONS I
FOR PENSIONS
Summary Of Enactments Of
the Recent General
Assembly
LIBERAL TO VETERANS
Increases in Amounts and Property
neutrality-suspicious. Can Now
Have $1,000

Richmond, March 81 While the
recent General Assembly made no
striking changes in the provisions for
Confederate pensions, it dealt iber-
ally with the men who fought the
South's battles and the widows who
survive them.
Chief Pension Clerk, J. H. John
son, of the States Auditors office
has prepared the following sum-
mary of the recent Legislatures pen
sion acts:
"The last General Assembly passed
new pension law, but about the only
changes of any consequence as CON-
pared with the pension law as amend
ed in 1912, were increases in pen
sions and property limitations.
"Under the old law applicants for
pensions whose property assessment,
real and personal, was as much as
$3.50, or more, were thereby barred
from the benefits of the pension law.
Under the new law the limit is ex-
tended to $1,000. Applicants eighty
wears old or more, however, can en-
JOY the possession of property, real
and personal, assessed up to 81 800,
and draw pension.
''The date limiting the marriage Of
widows is unchanged; that is, those
married to Confederate soldiers ION
whose service they apply for a pen
sion) after May l, 1868, cannot draw
a pension. There was strong dis
position to extend this to 1870. but
it was thought unwise to make so
many radical changes at the same
time, fearing that consequent uncer-
tain demands under so many changes
would exceed the appropriation.
There are some other, but minor
changes, enmiMating some of the OBJ.
jectionable features of the old law;
one of which is to continue the pen
sion of any pensioner who, after be-
coming incapacitated to care for him
self or herself, is compelled to leave
Virginia to live with some relative
in State that does OF provide pen
sions for Confederate soldiers and
their widows. Under the old law the
pension ceased upon a termination of
the residence of the pensioner in this
State. This feature worked quite a
hardship on some pensioners each
year.
"This late General Assembly was
quite liberal to our pensioners. Inc
appropriation was increased from
s54O,OOO to $572,OOO to pay 1916
pensions, ad for 1917, S562,OOo, to
which will be added the unexpended
balance of 1916 on account of loss
from the 1916 roll by death. The add
ing of this unexpei1ded balance, as
provided by the appropriation Dill
conforms with the recommendation
of the auditor in his last annual re-
port.
Those heretofore received S7S fol
loss of limb have been Increased un-
der the new law to $S5. The pension
for total disability has been increas'
ed from $43.2O to $50 for partial dis
ability from $3.50 to s35. Widows
whose husbands have died since the
war. have been increased from s3(
to s33; those whose husbands los'
their lives during the war were IN
creased from S4S to $50. The matron'
who served in hospitals during tht
war, also on our pension roll, wer'
advanced from S4S to $50. I'M
| amount paid for total blindness, sleO
| was not increased. The unexpende'
balance for 1916 appropriation, OF
account of death of pensioners, add
ed to the 1917 appropriation will eft
feet another apprecrable increase il
all pensions for the year 1917. Th
limit of income, $500, remains tn
same.
"The new law necessitates chang
in all the pension forms, and tn
pension department. of the Office o
the Auditor of Pubric Accounts i
busy in preparing and mailing ne'
/ certificates to all pensioners to b