New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-10-23

the repeated testimony of men not only COM
petent, but selected to determine the cases
The secretary's letter;then continues:
Twill not 60 into the other cases. They are
before you. I have. said enough. L think; to
show that the secretary may well call ahalt un-
TIL these cases can be more carefully examined |
1 notice that you say iui your letter to that
you have such regard for your own official and
personal reputation. andithe reputation of your |
bureau that you will noDpermit these cases to:
remain as thew are att present, but will order !
ton before men, whose word upon. MEDICAL
points will be unchallenged when stated, and |
will stop nothing which shall keep all faint Of
suspicion from he'actien of your office. This |
certainly would beia proper proceeding if it at
fected the question in hand. and /. appreciate |
your desire to maintain the integrity of your
but it is not the question what may yet and
hereafter be found out about these men,. The
question is
WHAT. sHoU1DsHAvE BEEN DONE
upon the record ass it stood when the Judgment
was rendered, and. the materiality and impor-
lance OF this questions arises, not only from the
effect it may have upon the particular individuals
named In these several papers, but upon the
course of procedure that will affect, If it. goes
on unchecked andtunremedied, the vast sums Of
money at the command OF the government.
which might be distributed, illegally and sum-
marily, to those who, are not much entitled to
1t as tens of thousands whose cases have not
yet been heard: d Iaay be that this government
is strong and great, and has at its>command
but II sums Of money to the amounts above
mentioned may be granted without any: further
consideration. of fact or law than seems to have
been given In these cases, it will depend: solely
Onia,sangle officers disposition whether the ne
sources or the government shall be sufficient for
its; maintenance or not There are more than
enough of these applications aleadNin the field.
embarrassing daily. to exhaust indeed the sur
plus, OF which so much has been said in. connec-
ton with this matter, and am informed that
the applications for reratings greatly on the
increase, and now reach the amount of from
seven to eight Thousand week. I do not ask
nor DESIRE so far as am concerned re-esarli-
nation. OF these applicants: but what insist
upon, is, that there ...... d. ..
SHALL BE A RECONSIDERATION
of these allowances on the Record, and that any
further allowances for them that may be made
shall be made In due course of proceedings upon
new application. new evidences and without any
ADVANCEMENT Of the cases before those of others
that the pension board of review reported that
out OF twenty-four cases re-rated one was
broadly and Two reasonably open to suspicion.
in connection with what have already pointed
ont in these other cases. indicates that there is
need of far greater circ1mspection and rigid
enforcement Of the Law in these mat
tee ha4 the has psb R
becomes a question of okicial authority and Of
fetal responsibility, and the good Of the people,
the preservation of the treasury and the melting
out OF exact justice to- all and giving the pen
s1oner who is abroad and unprotected the same
rights and same sums of money as to him who
by official influence, attempts to get his claim
preferred. shall act. as I am doing in the pres
emit instance, regardless of personal considera-
tions, and intent upon the strict and exact en-
forcement of the laW.
The secretary further says that he intends
to have all these cases re-examined and has
ordered an investigation of the practices of
the pension Office and that he will defer any
further orders until the Investigating board
reports The letter closes as follows: Il
writ hat no T,1lI1 Of
my views and purpose and my belief In my
partment by whatever means deem legal
and efficient"
THE FIRST NsTALMENT.
Secretary Noble intends in few days to
give to the press the entire reports submit
ted by the board appointed TO investigate
Commissioner Tanners administration of
the pension office. The letter given tonight
is but the first instalment of what is to be
vigorous defense of the position of the adj
minstration taken in relation to the man
agement of the pension Office under Tanner.
1t has been decided that the administrations
side of the case shall be given to the public
In u few days The annual report of the
fiscal year 1SSS-S9 of the commissioner OF
persons has been submitted to the secretary
OF the interior. There We're at the close of
the year 409, 725 pensioners. There were
added to the rolls during the year the names
of 51.921 new pensioners, aud the names of
1.754 whose pensions had been previously
dropped were restored to the rolls, making
an aggregate Of 53,675 pensioners
added during the year; 16,5O7
pensioners were dropped from the
rolls for various canses, leaving a net in
crease to the rolls of 81, 1853 names This
average annual value of each pension at the
close of the year is shown to have been
$138. Is. The amount paid for pensions
during the year was $SS,275, 1925. The
total amount disbursed by the agents for all
purposes was $50. 131 968. A. Amount paid
as fees to attorneys, 1855, 5s3 AZ. There
was disbursement of $l4, 515.72 for the
the payment OF arrears Of pensions in cases
where the original pension was granted prior
to Jan 25, 1879, and the date of commence
ment OF pension was subsequent to discharge
or death. In the aggregate 1,24s, 146 pen
sion claims have been flied since 1861 and
in the same period 789.121 have been al
lowed. The amount disbursed on account of
pensions since 1861 has been 81, O52, 21S,-
413 II. The issue of certificates during the
year shows a grand total of 145, 1913 OF
this number 81, 1921 were original cerrii-
Gates
SOME RECOMMENDATIONS
Commissioner Tanner recommends the es-
Enlistment of two additional pension agen-
cies to relieve the overworked offices at
Columbus, Ohio; Chicago, Indianapolis and
Topeka, Kan. He recommends that con-
gress be asked to amend the act Of June 6.
1874, SO as to extend the benefit OF ali pen
sion laws as to rates to all pensioners whose
| pensions have been granted by special
acts passed subsequenr to said date.
| and that the benefit of pension he
granted to the widows Of soldiers
who died from causes originating in the ser
vice prior to March 4, 1861. during the time
of peace. He further recomme5s.s, as did
his predecessor. that the act of March 8,
ST., be amended so as to grant pensions to
those who, having participated in the rebel
lion against the United States, subsequently
enlisted in the navy and were disab. ed
therein The act referred to confines its OPP