Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-10-21
Tanner Makes I Reply to Sec'y
Mobiles Letter.
Gen. Raum Appointed to the Comnissioa'
sfship Of Pensions.
Chill Evinces a Desire for Closer Com
mercial Relations with the United
States.



Ex-Commiss.oner Of Pensions Tanner il
out tonight in a long statement in reply t
Secretary Mobiles letter of July "a. on ths
subject Of rera,ing pensions to pension EN-
ployees. Tanner de nies that he defed See.
retary Noble on the subject of rerating OF
on question of dominant authority in the
administration of the pension bureau.
II did submit" Tanner says, ito him il
au official letter the question which arose in
my mind as to whether the power 70 put te
test pension which might be under suspic
ion of having been granted in excess of pow
er vested in the hanfs of the secretary oI
commissioner, and Quoted to him the sec
ton Of the revised statutes which had raised
the question in my mind in submitting the
question to the secretary for his decision
did it in the most respectful manner Of which
| was capable.
II is proper | should state that when took
the office as commissioner found the ques
ton of re-rsting in office was and had
been since March 23. 1889, operating in
accordance with decision rendered on that
date by Hon. George A. jerks, then assistant
secretary of the interior, who, in the case of
Charles A. Watson, in broad terms declared
that If in any case adjudicated under the act
of March Sd, 1879, the arrears Of pension
not graded according to pensioners
disability neither section 1893 l-2
nor any other provision of the law prohibits
the re. adjudication Of cases.
The claimants contention was in part for
pension on account of sunstroke. He made
no claim for that disability until Is year s
after his discharge. jerks states that viii lie
the presumption from the fact that he made
no claim until ID years after his discharge,
was not in favor Of the view that his dis
ability was great. still he holds that the
applicant should have an opportunity t. show
the extent of his disability during that period
since his discharge. He adds that if evil
dence should show that for any portion of
the time since his discharge he has been dis
abled in degree greater than for which
pensioned, the pension for that
period shoul be increased to cor
respond with the degree of disability.
The legal contention | leave to the eminent
gentlemen. Secretary Noble and late Assist
ant Secretary jerks. jerks ruling was Law
through the department until 1 revoked it.
and must say in so far as it permits . man
disabled in the service of his country to
prove bis disability aud receive the compen-
satiou which the law provides, am in hearty
accord with it. Secretary Noble sees fit to
cons,rue the sta ltes to make them less
liberal to soldiers than did his eminent DEM
ocratic predec, s.er, a Il the responsibility
must rest with bum. AN not willing while
so doing that lie shall go unchailenged and
arraign me as operating without reason be-
yOnd the pale of the law
Tanner relates the circum stances preced-
Jog the appointmen Mt of the committee to in
vestigste refsted eases which led up to it.
Gen. Bussey told him that the Secretary 8
suspicious wtre aroused AS to the correctness
of the account in the cases of ten employees
and that be WAS then instructed to investi-
gate. Tanuer said he placed the papers in
the cases at Busseys disposal, and "told
him said Tanner, "ss | afterwards told
Secretary Noble. when first took the Office
there was a mlgh.y tide Of humanity surging
into tie pension office claiming my personal
attention, and al the same time . good many
cases in oae way and another. pressed on
NV personal attention Twas thoroughly i'm
bued with the belief that we ex pressed in the
presses and on the stump in the late campaign
as to the restrictive policy Of the pension
office on s,liier claims. | had thought un-
ul became familiar with the workings of
the bureau that SO long as I pursued the
practice lail dGwn for me by men of expert
ence IN ,tfiee, the la thing was in danger
ut doing WAS Of doing too much
Tauuer says be ordered re-rated cases of
employ ga to he reviewed in the pension office
by oiIice experts. Of 33 cases they reported
simply II crease cases, not re-rated cases.
Action was taken in two of the others, right
in part In one case injustice had been done
the p nsioner, as he had not been granted
enough. SIX cases were reported a. wrongly
favored The rest were certified to by the
commissioner as absolutely correct.
al mentioned these things" Tanner said, i,
ito the secretary, and mrde a report to him
Of the action taken in connection with "a
cases, stating that l proposed to take the step
the law prescribed to put impeached cases to
tie test and cause the refundment to the
treasury of money paid out If the cases did
not s'srd the test prescribed by law.
To my slfprie | received a reply from
him under cate Of Aug. lss, in which he
stated, you have endeavored to hasten for
your own means, to get board to arrive at
conc usions in anticipation of anything l
might do consider this not only dis
respectful but insubordinate to the last de-
gree and | hereby direct you to withdraw
any cases YOU have under consideration in
regard 10 shich have heretofore told you.
int nded to act from the consideration of
any persons you have selected to ante date
my action; you will report your
immt diate obedience of this order
TO me. You will disband any
board YOU have undertaken to form for the
purpose of investigating the business still in
my hands upon which | am officially engaged.
replied at once, signifying my obedience
to his peremptory order and totally repudiated
ali thought of iosubor,instion, disobedience
or the slightest disposition to proceed in any
insidious manner People not extremely
nervous will be able to Judge whether, il
had desired to so proceed, would have vol.
unfairly reported in full to the secretary
hat | was doing"