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

. has. Been: sanctioned BY. subsequent. sssfsn
opened. reoonsttie1ed nor; eaGnnstedi except
upon presentation Of new and mat erialievadeHce
tending to shOw tho existence OF
tends to change ethereal Status Of theclaimant
before the department. Such old! cases, ara
clearly within the rule oftres adjhdbcata Il is
ing OF cases only where there have been allow
ances OF sums arising from the increase of pen
SION; bach Tor periods great er. orless. prior to
the date OF the surgeons certificate Under the
pending claim. do not saya swo-eSor enter
tain the least objection to an increaseuf' pen
sion. the increase to commence understhe pend.
Ing claim as the law directs. and upon evidence
to support it. Nor doeI complain or these very.
pensioners whom have mentioned having. an
increase OF pension, to commence as the law di-
reefs. upon proof. and to be considered in. due,
course and with proper regard to the right to
De heard belonging to the thousands OF other
claimants Tor pensions who do not happe1s.to be:
employees In the pension bureau
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
The secretary cites Two of the casessof re-
rating, and comes to the conclusios, that: the
whole proceeding looks like an arbitrarHin-
crease OF pension to take effect from, u.
long anterior date, and to have been against
tue repeated testimony OF men not only COM
The secretary's letter then continues:
I:will not go into the other cases. They are.
before you. have said enough, T. think; to
snow that the secretary may we'll call a.halt un
I'll these cases can be more carefully examined
1 notice that you say iul your letter to me that
you have such regard for your own official and
personal reputation. andithe reputation of your
bureau that you will noo permit these to.
remain as thev att present, but will order
each one of the claimants for medical examina-
ton before men, whose word upon: medical
points will be unchallenged when stated, and
will stop at nothing which shall keep all faint Of
suspicion from the action OF your Office. This
certainly would beSa proper proceeding If it at
fected the question in hand, and I. appreciate
your desire to maintain the integrity of your
character AMI the legality Of your proceedings:
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, aud, 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, il it, goes
on unchecked andunremedied, the vast sums Of
money at the: command OF the government.
which might be distributed, illegally andt sum-
marily, to those who are not much entitled to
IL as tens OF th9usands whose cases have not
yet been heard: d raay be that this government
Is strong and great and has at itscOnmand
q surplus that no other nation has ever had,
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 the cases, it will depend solely
on aaslngle officers disposition whether the ne
sources OF the government shall be sufficient for
its maintenance or not. There are more than
enough of these applications alleadNln the field.
embarrassing daily. to exhaust indeed the. sur
plus. OF which so much has been said in connec-
ton with this matter, and I am informed that
the applications for reratlngs are greatly on the
increase, and now reach the amount of from
seven to eight Thousand week. LIDO not ask
nor desire, so far as am concerned, a re-exami-
nation. Of these applicants: but what insist
upon is that there
SHALL BE 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
advancement Of the cases before those of others
equally meritorious r. Your statement
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
enforcement of the Law in these mat
tiers than has been recently prac-
ticed for the public safety But when it
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
sioner who is abroad and unprotected the same
rights and same sums Of money as to him who
Dy official influence, attempts to get his claim
preferred. I shall act. dis am doing in the pres
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: II
| write this that you may be fully advised of
| my views and purpose and my belief In my
| authority to control all abuses in this de-
| partment by whatever means deem legal
| and efficient"
THE FIRST NSTALMENT.
| Secretary Noble intends in a few days to
| ted by the board appointed TO investigate
| Commissioner Tanners administration of
the pension Office. The letter given to- night
| is but the first instalment of what is to be a
| vigorous defense OF the position of the adj
| ministration taken in relation to the man
| agement of the pension Office under Tanner.
| 1t has been decided that the administrators
! side of the case shall be given to the public
| In a few days. The annual report of the
| fiscal year 189S-S9 of the commissioner OF
| persons has been submitted to the secretary
| OF the interior. There We're at the close of
the year 459,725 pensioners There Were
added to the rolls during the year the names
of 81 .921 new pensioners, aud the names of
1.754 whose pensions had been previously
dropped were restored to the rolls, making
| an aggregate Of SO, 675 pensioners
added during the year; 16,5O7
pensioners were dropped from the
rolls for various causes, leaving a net in
| crease to the rolls of 81. 1853 names The