Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-28

Will They All be Dismissed?-Gen.
Raum at the Surgeon Generals Office.

Gen. Raum. the commissioner Of pensions,
spent some time today at the surgeon generals
Office, where DR.. Ainsworth and his corps Of
clerks have charge Of the records Of the late
war. While this is not q division of the pen
sion Office yet il has . very important func-
ton in the transaction Of the business Of that
oficer. From the records are obtained the
military career Of the applicant for pension
and before case can be properly adjudiated
report must be received from the surgeon
generals Office. The commissioner, in pur-
suance Of his policy to make himself familiar
with The workings Of the pension Office, made
today thorough inspection Of this branch of
the surgeon generals Office. He intends in
the same way to visit the various divisions Of
the Office.
SECRETARY MOBILES LETTER TO COL. SMITH.
The main topic Of discussion at the pension
Office today was the letter of Secretary Noble
to Col J. E. Smith. who until recently was
chief OF the certificate division Under date of
October Fl the Secretary writes:
Your letter Of the 10th instant was duly
received. Gen. Daniel Z. Sickles has
called upon me in regard to the same mat
ter. As / told him l now tell you. have
no charge 70 make against your military
/ deem il to be the best interest OF the service
that men who had been rerated in the bureau
| should not continue there to exercise their in
duence in that direction. either by their pres
ence or their counsel, aud that the new COM
missioner should have better opportunity to
| correct the evils, which considered and do
| now consider of the grossest charac-
ter; and, / stated to you when you
called l would endeavor to inform you
upon what principles l intended
to run this department, now state to you that
this is one of them. think two things may be
put down as fixed, viz, that reratings will be
allowed only where there is previous obvious
mistake. and that the application will be heard
only in its due order, and not upon a prefer
ence obtained by official position or otherwise.
upon proper proof"
ARE ALL RERATED EMPLOYEES TO BE REMOVED.
The conclusion that is generally reached,
based upon this letter, is that the Secretary in
tends to remove all the rerated employees of the
pension Office. The names of thirty employees
whose pensions we're rerated were given in
the report OF the commission and were printed
| recently in The STAR. 1t is said. however.
that there are some twelve others whose names
were not included in this list. Some Of the
employees mentioned have already been dis
missed. 1t is thought that before any action
is taken relative to the dismissal of these en-
ployes an effort will be made to recover
the money which il is claimed has been paid to
them illegally. The employees are consider
sonaily effected are rather reticent to talk.
They are evidently waiting to see what will
turn up.
THE GENERAL OPINION
at the Interior department seems to be that
! all the rerated employees of the pension
| office will have to go. This is what
it is thought the letter of the Secretary
| means Secretary Noble busy nearly all
day in talking with the chiefs of the various
bureaus and had nothing to say about pension
matters.
COMMISSIONER RAUM SAID
that he had read the Secretary's letter, but as
yet had no conference with the Secretary rcla-
tive to these cases. He expected, however, to
have talk with him before long.
The rerated officials, at least some
of them, were seen standing in groups
about the building today. evidently discuss
ing the situation. Some of the pen
sion officials today expressed the opinion that
if one of the rerated employees was dismissed
all the rest ought to be-