Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-25
THE PENSION INVESTIGATION.
Allegations Of Irregular Rerating-Some
Beneficiaries May Have to Refund.

The members of the pension Office commits
sion are still engaged in examining cases.
They have as yet reached no definite conclu-
sion as to the extent Of the work, except that
there is considerable ground to be covered
Assistant Secretary Busey went over
to the pension Office yesterday and
called on the commissioner. They gave him
some idea of the prolonged character Of the
work, and Gen. Busey examined some of
the records showing the number of re-
rated cases. DC. The commission intend
in few days to make a verbal report to Secre-
tary Noble Of what is to be done, and then they
Will probably receive some explicit instructions
as to the course to be pursued in the future.
WHICH CONCLUSION Is CORRECT?
1t is seid that the Investigations of the COM
mission will establish one of two things.
Either that the employees of the pension Office,
in presenting to the commissioner for signature
cases OF rerating, were following a policy
which had been pursued prior to Mr.. Tanner 9
administration, or else a combination had been
formed Tor the purpose of getting through such
cases. trusting to the ignorance and inexperi-
ence OF new commissioner. The record of
the cases will demonstrate which of these con-
clusions is the correct one
ALLEGED IRREGULAR CASES OF RERATING PEN
sIoNs.
In rerating case, when it is done in accord
ance with the law, it must be shown that there
was some error in the original disposition of
the case when the rate of the pension was
fixed. An increase in the rate of a pension is
allowed on good evidence of this character.
But it is claimed that many of the recent
cases were rerated on evidence which had moth
nal pension was based. A number of
the beneficlaries OF the rerating
are employees of the pension office. 1t is also
claimed that this thing has been going ON for
some time and that the rerated pensioners are
scattered all over the country.
THE REMEDY.
In the event that the commission discovers
that any of these rerated cases are illegal, the
facts can be reported to the commissioner of
pensions, and the law points out the course
for him to pursue. The pensioners are
given sixty days in which to show cause why
their pensions were illegally granted. If they
sioner can have their pension certificates
recalled and.the amount adjusted to its legal
limits. He can demand that the back pension,
If any, should be returned, and he has full
authority to collect it as he would any other
form of Indebtedness.
This is one reason why the report of the COM
mission is awaited with good deal of inter-
est. 1t is likely that some Of the present PEN
sioners will be
CALLED UPON TO REFUND.
statement is being prepared at the pension
Office showing the number of cases that have
been made special during the four months of
Mr.. Tanners administration. 1t is found that
such cases are less than 1000.
1t is MIR. Tanners intention to show, in addi-
ton, the number of these cases in charge of
the different attorneys, and he proposes to at
tach to the paper his affidavit stating that the
list includes all the cases made special by his
order.