Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-23


THE COMMISSION APPOINTED.
The Secretary Of the Interior to day issued
an order designating DR.. George Ewing and II.
L. Bruce OF the pension appeal board and
Frank l.. Campbell of the assistant Attorney
Generals Office ~ comm ssiou to make an
investigation of the cases OF rerating pensions
by the pension officials during the past year.
The object Of the Secretary in appointing the
commission is to ascertain exactly what has
been done and the evidence upon which the
cases were rerated. The commission will pay
special attention to the rerating of pensioners
employed in the pension Office. The Secretary
has been very much troubled about the condi-
ton of affairs in the pension othce, and he
wants to ascertlin 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 Capt
Fisher. the chief clerk of the office, to provide
room for them and to afford them all the IA
ciiities needed IN Carrying on their work. The
room occupied by the commission il on the
third hoor OF the pension building and they
went to work at once to examine cases. Their
Investigations will cover period of year
back and still longer period il it is deemed
q rather
LOOSE PRACTICE OF RERATINo
was began under Commissioner Black. and
gradually became more and more liberal
When Commissioner Tanner came in and an
nounced his policy of great liberality to old
soldiers in the matter of pensions. it had all i'll
nuence upon the rerating which was then
gong ON, and gave 1t even greater scope and
hoerality. Rerating, however. was checked
when the work of reorganizing the medical
bureau began. and for some weeks past no
cases OF this character have been allowed
There Is feeling of great uneasiness among
the oihcials OF the pension bureau. Those who
have been benefited by the rerating were in
number OF Instances at least quite innocent in the
Matter. as their cases were taken up aud re-
rated without any application Oh their part
They. however, received the back pension and
are enjoying the increased rate. Others for
warded their own cases as much as possible.
and IA large proportion Of this work is attrib-
uted to the policy which had been pursued
prior to the present administration and the
general feeling that the present administration
OF the pension office was in favor of straining
the last point in favor OF the pensioners.
Low BAROMETER.
In speaking OF this phase OF the case to-day
man who is familiar with the workings of the
pension office said that the employees are like
barometers and show every change in the
official atmosphere. They have had the idea.
he said, that the commissioner wanted to be
generous to the pensioners, and in consequence
their decisions we're thought to be all right as
long AZ they were i'll favor of the claimants
Since, however. this recent agitation about re-
rating and violations OF the law the barometers
have gone down, uoting change in the official
atm osphere. He said that 1t was really difficult
to get any but ordinary cases through now.
TO REPORT FACTS, NO MATTER WHO IS HURT.
The members Uf the commission have no idea
when they will finish their work They have
instructions to make a thorough investigation
and report the facts to the secretary without
regard to whom is hurt 1t is understood tnat
the scope OF their work will be eularge so as to
include the matter of making cases special 1t
has beer charged that several prominent at
torneys have been specially favored. Com
missioner Tanner has given instructions that
the record OF cases made special, with the
names OF the attorneys in the cases. be pre-
pared 1t will be submitted 10 the commission
and they can include that in their report
THE FRIENDS OF COMMISSIONER TANNER
claim that he courts and invites the fullest in
vestigation, and they assert that the report of
the commission will show that the commits
pcached. 1t Is, however, asserted by others of
his frie nds that he has been in the hands OF
the Phiiistines," and that his confidence has
been betrayed and things have been done
which he was ignorant OF.
One OF the hrst OF the pension Office officials
called before the commission Was Mr. Smith
the chief of the certificate division. whose
pension was recently rerated aud the monthly
amount advanced from go to $50.