Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-24
His Office Receiving a Thorough Invest
cation nv a Snecial Cnun,,,ittnn

His Office Receiving Thorough Inyesti-
CATION by a Special Committee.
WASHINGTON, July 23d.-Messrs. Ewing,
Bruce and Campbell, the committee ap-
pointed by Secretary Noble to investigate
the charges of corruption in connection
with the re-ratipg of pensions, commenced
work this afternoon. The Secretary has
been very much troubled about the condi-
ton of affairs in the Pension Office, and he
wants to ascertain exactly what the facts
are.
Commissioner Tanner is also desirous of
free and full investigation, and when the
members of the Commission called on him
this morning he directed Captain Fisher
the chief clerk of the office, to provide
room for them and to afford them all the
facilities needed in carrying on the work
of their investigation, which will cover the
period of year back, and a still longer
period II 1t is deemed necessary
1t Is stated upon rather good authority
that rather loose practice of re-rating was
begun under Commissioner Black, and
gradually became more and more liberal
When Commissioner Tanner came in, he
announced his policy of great liberality TO
the old soldiers in the matter of pensions,
and 1t had an influence on the re-rating
which was then going on, and gave it even
sIOp6 dbi llDSTdllV.
The re-rating, however, was checked
when the work of reorganizing the Medi-
cal Bureau began, and for some weeks past
no cases of this character were allowed.
There is a feeling of great uneasiness
among the officials of the Pension Bureau.
Those who have been benefited by the re-
rating were, in a number of instances at
least, quite innocent in the matter, as their
cases were taken up and re-rated without
any application on their part.
They, however, received their back PEN
sion, and are enjoying the increased rate
Others forwarded their old cases as much
as possible, and large portion of the work
is attributed to the policy which had been
pursued prior to the present Administra-
zion.
The friends of Commissioner Tanner
claim that he courts and invites the fullest
investigation, and they assert that the re-
port OF lhe Commission will show that the
Commissioner in his official conduct stands
unimpeached. 1t is, however, asserted by
others of his friends that he has been ''in
the hands of the Philistines," and that his
confidence has been betrayed and things
done which he was ignorant of.
One Of the first of the Pension Office Of
hclals called before the Commission was
Mr.. Smith, chief of the certificate division,
whose pension was recently rerated and his
monthly advanced from $40 to $50
Nothing of interest was elected, and the
proceedings were very uninteresting
The general feeling is that the present ad-
ministration of the Pension Office was in
favor of straining the last point in favor of
pensioners. The members of the Commits
sion have no idea when they will finish the
work.
They have instructions to make q thor
ough investigation and report the facts to
the Secretary, without regard to whom it
hurts
1t is understood that the scope of their
work will be enlarged, so as to include the
matter of making cases special. 1t has
been charged that several prominent attor-
neys have been specially favored Com
missioner Tanner has given instructions
regarding cases made special, that the
names of attorneys in such cases be pre-
pared, and it will be submitted to the Com
mission, and they can include that in their
report.