given in report. examined on any one day, and one dollar for the examination of each additional applicant on such day: Provided, That if twenty or more applicants appear on one day, no fewer than twenty shall, if practicable, be examined on said day, and that if fewer examinations be then made, twenty or more having appeared, then there shall be paid for the first examinations made on the next examination day the fee of one dollar only until twenty examinations shall have been made: Provided further, That no fee shall be paid to any member of an examining board unless personally present and assisting in the examination of applicant: ProRate to be vided, That the report of such examining surgeons shall specifically state the rating which in their judgment the applicant is entitled to. And it is further provided, That from and after the passage of this Act, all pensioners now on the rolls, who are pensioned at less than six dollars per Increase to $6 month, for any degree of pensionable disability, shall have their pensions increased to six dollars per month; and that hereafter, whenever any applicant for pension, would under existing rates, be entitled to less than six dollars for any single disability, or several combined disabilities, such pensioner shall be rated at not less than six dollars per month: Provided also, That the provisions hereof shall not be held to cover any pensionable period prior to the passage of this Act, nor authorize a re-rating of any claims for any part of such period, nor prevent the allowance of lower rates than six dollars per month, according to the existing practice in the Pension Office in pending cases covering any pensionable period prior to the passage of this Act. rate. For salaries of eighteen agents for the payment of pensions, at four thousand dollars each, seventy-two thousand dollars. For clerk hire, four hundred and fifty thousand dollars: Provided, That the amount of clerk hire for each agency shall be apportioned as nearly as practicable in proportion to the number of pensioners paid at each agency, and the salaries paid shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, but the appointment of the clerk to sign official checks, who shall receive the same compensation at each agency as was paid during the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-four, shall be made by the pension agent without other or further approval. For fuel, seven hundred and fifty dollars. For lights, seven hundred and fifty dollars. For stationery and other necessary expenses, to be ap proved by the Secretary of the Interior, thirty-five thousand For rents, twenty-three thousand and seventy dollars. AN ACT making appropriations for the payment of invalid and other pensions of the United States for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following sums be, and the same are hereby, appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the payment of pensions for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, and for other purposes, namely: For Army and Navy pensions, as follows: For invalids, widows, minor children, and dependent relatives, army nurses, survivors and widows of the war of eighteen hundred and twelve and with Mexico, and the survivors and widows of the Indian wars of eighteen hundred and thirtytwo to eighteen hundred and forty-two, inclusive, one hundred and forty million dollars: Provided, That the appropriation aforesaid for Navy pensions shall be paid from the income of the Navy pension fund, so far as the same may be sufficient for that purpose: Provided further, That the amount expended under each of the above items shall be accounted for separately. That whenever a claim for pension under the Act of June twenty-seventh, eighteen hundred and ninety, has been, or shall hereafter be, rejected, suspended, or dismissed, and a new application shall have been, or shall hereafter be, filed, and a pension has been, or shall hereafter be, allowed in such claim, such pension shall date from the time of filing the first application, provided the evidence in the case shall show a pensionable disability to have existed, or to exist, at the time of filing such first application, anything in any law or ruling of the Department to the contrary notwithstanding. Act 6 Mar., 1896. mencement un Date of com. der Act 27 June, 1890. ex penses of exam For fees and expenses of examining surgeons for services Fees and rendered within the fiscal year eighteen hundred and ninety-ining surgeons. seven, seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. And each member of each examining board shall, as now authorized by law, receive the sum of two dollars for the examination of each applicant whenever five or a less number shall be examined on any one day, and one dollar for the examina tion of each additional applicant on such day: Provided, That if twenty or more applicants appear on one day, no fewer than twenty shall, if practicable, be examined on said day, and that if fewer examinations be then made, twenty or more having appeared, then there shall be paid for the first examinations made on the next examination day the fee of one dollar only until twenty examinations shall have been made: Provided further, That no fee shall be paid to any member of an examining board unless personally present and assisting in the examination of appliRatings to be cant: Provided, That the report of such examining surgeons given in report. shall specifically state the rating which in their judgment the applicant is entitled to. For salaries of eighteen agents for the payment of pensions, at four thousand dollars each, seventy-two thousand dollars. For clerk hire, four hundred and fifty thousand dollars: Provided, That the amount of clerk hire for each agency shall be apportioned as nearly as practicable in proportion to the number of pensioners paid at each agency, and the salaries paid shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior. For fuel, two hundred and fifty dollars. For lights, five hundred dollars. For stationery and other necessary expenses, exclusive of clerical services, to be approved by the Secretary of the Interior, thirty thousand dollars. For rents, twenty-five thousand eight hundred and thirty dollars. Approved, March 6, 1896. Act 13 Mar., 1896. Death sumed absence. from AN ACT regulating proof of death in certain pension cases. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of pre- the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in considering claims filed under the pension laws, the death of an enlisted man or officer shall be considered as sufficiently proved if satisfactory evidence is produced establishing the fact of the continued and unexplained absence of such enlisted man or officer from his home and family for a period of seven years, during which period no intelligence of his existence shall have been received. And any pension granted under this Act shall cease upon proof that such officer or enlisted man is still living. Approved, March 13, 1896. Pension ceases, when. Act 28 May, 1896. AN ACT making appropriations for the legislative, executive, and judicial expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Legislative, executive, and the following sums be, and the same are hereby, appro-judicial expenses appropriations. priated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, in full compensation for the service of the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, for the objects hereinafter expressed, namely: PENSION OFFICE: For the Commissioner of Pensions, Pension Office. five thousand dollars; First Deputy Commissioner, three thousand six hundred dollars; Second Deputy Commissioner, three thousand six hundred dollars; chief clerk, two thousand two hundred and fifty dollars; assistant chief clerk, two thousand dollars; medical referee, three thousand dollars; assistant medical referee, two thousand two hundred and fifty dollars; two qualified surgeons who shall be experts in their profession, at two thousand dollars each; thirty-eight medical examiners who shall be surgeons of education, skill, and experience in their profession, at one thousand eight hundred dollars each; ten chiefs of division, at two thousand dollars each; law clerk, two thousand dollars; fifty-eight principal examiners, at two thousand dollars each; twenty assistant chiefs of division, at one thousand eight hundred dollars each; three stenographers, at one thousand six hundred dollars each; seventy clerks of class four; eighty-five clerks of class three; three hundred and fifty clerks of class two; four hundred and thirty-eight clerks of class one; two hundred and eighty-seven clerks, at one thousand dollars each; superintendent of building, one thousand four hundred dollars; two engineers, at one thousand two hundred dollars each; one hundred and seventy-five copyists; thirty-three messengers; twelve assistant messengers; twenty messenger boys, at four hundred dollars each; one painter, skilled in his trade, nine hundred dollars; one cabinet-maker, skilled in his trade, nine hundred dollars; captain of the watch, eight hundred and forty dollars; three sergeants of the watch, at seven hundred and fifty dollars each; twenty watchmen; three firemen; twenty-five laborers; five female laborers, at four hundred dollars each; and fifteen charwomen; in all, two million and eighty-six thousand seven hundred and ten dollars. Per diem, etc., investigations. Proviso. Chief and as For per diem, when absent from home and traveling on duty outside the District of Columbia, for special examiners or other persons employed in the Bureau of Pensions, detailed for the purpose of making special investigations pertaining to said Bureau, in lieu of expenses for subsistence, not exceeding three dollars per day, and for actual and necessary expenses for transportation and assistance and any other necessary expenses, including telegrams, five hundred thousand dollars: Provided, That two special sistant, special examiners, or clerks, detailed and acting as chief and asexaminers. sistant chief of the division of special examiners, may be allowed from this appropriation, in addition to their salaries and in lieu of per diem and all expenses for subsistence, a sum sufficient to make their annual compensation two thousand dollars and one thousand eight hundred dollars, respectively, and whenever it may be necessary for either of them to travel on official business outside the District of Columbia by special direction of the Commissioner, he shall receive the same allowance in lieu of subsistence and for transportation as is herein provided for special examiners and detailed clerks engaged in field service; and the Secretary of the Interior shall so apportion the sum herein appropriated as to prevent a deficiency therein. Additional special examiners. Books. For an additional force of one hundred and fifty special examiners for one year, at a salary of one thousand three hundred dollars each, one hundred and ninety-five thousand dollars; and no person so appointed shall be employed in the State from which he is appointed; and any of those now employed in the Pension Office or as special examiners may be reappointed if they be found to be qualified. For the purchase of statutes and other necessary law books for the Pension Office, two hundred and fifty dollars. |