The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-10-19
MOBILES FIRST LETTER
Laying Dewn the Law to the 1aas Whs
Tried - Dass The ssrpius and
Falleh tn Mako MS
COmneeeioaA.


q. The secretary acknowledges the re-
reipt of Tanners letter of July IL, marked |
unofficial, hut which ne could not receive |
as anything but an official paper. raising |
as IL did the question of authority between |
the commissioners and secretary, and as- |
serting that OF the commissioncr to be- SUI |
perior tn the matter discussed. 'four |
position, in your own iane,,age. says
the interior has power to reverse "a de
cision of the commissioners OF pcn- |
sions Of an appeal by claim
decided. On the other hand IL for any |
reason il be held that the claimant has
missioner himself is the only person who
has power 70 call a halt and reduce the
pension. The commissioners is laboring
secretary has power to correct my abuses
i'm the bureau of pensions or any other
The secretary In support of his position
quotes copiously from the revised statute.
and adds: "The commissioner h. bound
public treasury Is not unlawfully invaded
and that one citizen entitled to a right,
whether OF pension or land or anything a
money. The secretary, takes ap
sesm ses Fes"he TO Se S largely % mere insreasss
Of pension allowed for long periods prior
to the date of the examinin9 sureson's
certificate, establishing the same under
pending claim for nm increase. In fact
he says the commissioner himself ac-
pensions. The secretary contin,,es: The
cases referred to were 10 I'm number. In
each of these the claimant was an e!n-
ing a salary sufficient for his comfortable
subsistence and at his work daily. They
were S = assoGaafed m ,h oss sorn,er 1 e.i
ninistration, but they did not then prefer
their claims; they made then, soon after
the advent OF the present administration.
There was no reason under the existing
rules that their cases should
r b made sneci"i or i, Hz,sa n;S.rr through ;h
the contrary, there were then and had
been for years, printed ruling in full
iaI, except i'm ease of dcstitutiot,. or when
the applicant was at the point OF death,
yet these cases were all hurried through
by your orders while hundreds of thous-
antls of other pensioners were awaiting
throughout the land the allowance for the
promised them. These other pension
claimants were many of thom supported
by no such salaries as these par,
the association together of these men
whereby this preference seemed tn have
secured secure i nnu T.; ;,if s,c, ,has sbc;r m',r,sc
was to impose upon the commissioners.
A further fact in eacn case is that the in
certificate i'm the pending claim. and that
the sums allowed aggregate over Sl6,OO
Neither you nor can afford to act upon
personal considerations i'm "a matter OF
This maunituale. We are each buund by
law i'm ali things, and it is our duty to take
that power given to either Of ms aud alb
stain from abuse OF 1t to any degree
duties of the board of review
and 1 says II is tina, an III, ,ar,,Sana ssaa5I,Sasd
will will Uniformly refuse to disturb AN ADJUST
ment of claims by "a former atiministra-
ton except upon the most conclusive evil
q.
he reopencd, reconsiiered nor readjIstedl, !,
except upon presentation of new material
evidences tending to SHOW the TH,s'ence exist l, OF
mcnt does not entertain the least object
ion to an increase OF pension, the ir-
crease to commence under pending
claim as the law directs and upon evidence
to support II.
The secretary then reviews at length
employees whose pensions were rerated
and concludes that the rerating was lille.
not GO into the other cases. They are be-
fore you. / have said enough, think, To
show that the secretary may well call a
| halt until these cases can he more care
fully examined. / notice you say i'm your
letter that you have such regard for your
Sff'" os and erns ,c.s. enss 'hse so
of A' the s' eIaimans: in a @ fSs @ medical exam;
nas0S maS %:. and Ssrsafssr be Found s os
about these men. The question il what
should nave been done upon tneir recOru
as il stood when Judgment was rendered. II
may he that this government la strong and
great, and has at its command n surplus that
mo- other nation ever had, but IL sums OF
money TO the amounts above mentioned
| may he granted without any further con-
| sideration than seems to have been give i,
| i'm these cases. IL will depend solely upon
q single officers disposition whether the
| resources of the government shall be SUI
| ficient for it's maintenance or not. There
are more than enough of these applica.
| tions already fled. and increasing daily
to exhaust the surplus of which SO much
has been said.
OIn connection with this matter. am in
formed that applications for reratinRs are
greatly on the increase and now reach the
| amount Of from seven to eight thousand q
week. The secretary further says he In
tends TO have all these cases reexarnined
and has ordered an investigation of ths
pension office. Pending the report OF the
| investigation board ne will issue M fur
| ther order but expresses his belief in hl'
authority to control abuses i'm his depart
ment by any means he deems legal and
| expe<iiert.
| The Lone Nigh ~ ay man In Oregon.