fact of such accident or mistake shall have been determined by said State Board of Pensions, and said amounts shall be paid out of said appropriation before the same shall be apportioned among the persons entitled thereto.

Sec. 1083a. That from and after the approval of this Act (February 20, 1902), the County Board of Commissioners of the various counties of this State shall have the right, in their discretion, to extend county aid to indigent Confederate soldiers in their respective counties, at the home of such soldiers or at the home of some relative* or friend: Provided, That it shall be established to the satisfaction of said Board that such soldier is deserving of aid and is physically unable to earn a support and that he does not obtain a sufficient pension from the State to support him.

Sec. 2. That no ex-Confederate soldier shall be disfranchised by reason of his having received, or receiving such aid as aforesaid.

Sec. 1084. That after the approval of this Act, any person to whom a pension should be paid under the laws of this State shall die before receiving the same in any year, the amount shall be paid to the Clerk of Court of the county where claimant resided, and by him paid out in defraying the expenses of the last illness, or a monument, or both of such claims, upon like proof as required in case. of executors, and any balance to the widow, children, person with whom the deceased resided at the time of his or her death, or in the order named, without charge or commission: Provided, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to extend the right to a pension beyond the year in which pensioners shall die.

Sec. 1085. Any person drawing a pension shall be competent as a witness in behalf of an applicant and competent to make the proof herein required by affidavit.

RULES.

FOR THE GUIDANCE OF COUNTY PENSION COMMISSIONERS AND PENSION BOARDS AS AUTHORIZED BY THE CODE

AND ACTS OF 1902.

Columbia, S. C.

Ist. The County Boards will meet and organize at once by electing one of their number County Pension Commissioner.

The Pension Commissioner of each county will attend in the County Auditor's office on each Saturday in January, 1909. This Commissioner is charged with the duty of preparing all pension papers in a condition to go before the County Board (which County Board meets on the first Monday in February). The Pension Commissioner is cautioned to use in each instance the proper blank for the applicant.

Immediately after the adjournment of the County Board (the first Monday in March, 1909) the Pension Commissioners will proceed to prepare the list as follows: Use the Pension Report for pensioners of 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907 and 1908, marking off those dead, removed from the State, transferred to another county, or dropped, giving reason. Then make a list of the applicants for 1909. The County Board can sign report, after making corrections therein.

If it is proposed to raise any pensioner from the class in which his name is enrolled, it will be necessary to prepare a new application, setting forth the facts, and if approved by the County Pension Board, send the same to the State Pension Board. In no instance must he send an application for a person who is already on the roll, except where it is proposed to raise said applicant to a higher class, and then the application must so state.

TRANSFERS.

A suitable blank will be furnished him, on which he can certify to other Commissioners and County Boards that the party desiring to go to another county is regularly on the pension list in his county. We do not want approved applications to come here from any county where the applicant is an approved pensioner in some other county.

COUNTY PENSION BOARDS.

The County Pension Boards elected this year under the pension law shall meet during this year, and elect one of their number County Pension Commissioner, who shall perform the duties prescribed in the Act approved February 25, 1902.

The County Pension Boards are instructed instead of meeting in January, 1908, to meet the 1st Monday in February, 1908, and pass on all the applications prepared and submitted to them by the Pension Commissioner, approving or disapproving the same. They will meet again the first Monday in March, 1908, at which time they will examine and verify the lists submitted to them by the Pension Commissioner, and sign and immediately forward the same to the Comptroller-General. They are instructed to give due notice of the manner in which applications must be made under the law, as the State Pension Board will not consider applications for pensions except where they come in the regular way and time prescribed by law.

Do not send to this office disapproved applications for pension. By Act approved 24th day of February, 1906 (see Sec. 1085), a pensioner is allowed to certify as a witness.

Class A Those who as a result of wounds received in the war are physically helpless, or who while in such service lost both arms, or both legs, or are totally blind, whether the result of service or not, or who are disabled by paralysis and are unable to make a living, and whose income or his wife's does not exceed $150. This does not include soldiers whose disabilities arise from diseases and causes arising since the war, except those totally blind.

Class B-Those who have lost one arm or one leg and whose income or his wife's does not exceed $150.

Class C, No. 1-Those soldiers and sailors disabled by wounds received during the war, whose income or his wife's does not exceed $75.

Class C, No. 2-Those soldiers whose income does not exceed $75, irrespective of age.

Class C, No. 3-Widows of those who lost their lives while in the service of the State or Confederate States, and whose income does not exceed $100. Where a widow of a Confederate soldier marries after the death of her second husband, she is entitled to apply and draw a pension on account of the services of her first husband, provided she is entitled under the other provisions of the pension law. Such widow must apply in her own proper name, but at the same

time state that she is asking for a pension as the widow of her dead husband, giving his name, company and regiment, etc.

Class C, No. 4-Widows above the age of sixty (60) years whose income does not exceed $100, or if not sixty years of age, can receive a pension if married at close of war.

County boards cannot be too careful in these matters of "income" or "physical condition."

He is a very poor man whose gross income from labor, rent and other sources does not exceed $75, or poor lands, if any, that will not produce this amount gross.

Property sufficient to produce $75 in applicant's or his wife's name debars him.

Where soldiers or widows dispose of their property by giving or selling to their children, they are debarred.

Pensioners who move to another State are not entitled to a pension. The pension law provides that this fund shall be distributed April 1st; therefore, it is very important that you mail the pension lists, with the approved applications of your county, promptly on the first Monday in March.

Let County Boards act promptly and fairly, giving the State Board full information, with complete reports for each county, the surgeons of the Boards are requested to give full information in wounded classes; stating not only nature of wound, but extent of disability arising therefrom.

In making reports to the State Board, the reports should be signed by each member of the County Pension Board.

A. W. JONES,

Comptroller-General, Chairman.

D. R. FLENNIKEN,

W. H. HARDIN,

DR. B. M. LEBBY,

DR. WM. WESTON, Surgeon.

Attest: KATE F. MAHER, Pension Clerk.

At the annual meeting of the State Pension Board, Mr. A. L. Peters, contractor, appeared before the Board, and after making a full and satisfactory report, petitioned the Board to pay him the 10 per cent. which had been reserved. The Board passed a resolution that he be paid the amount, which was done.

I do not think it necessary to make further appropriation, as there is a balance of $1,680.00, which will be sufficient, in my opinion, to cover any additional applications.