The Delta independent., 1889-10-22
A STATEMENT BY SECRETARY
NOBLE.

A STATEMENT BY SECRETARY
NOBLE.
Reasons for Reversing Ruling Of the
Late Pension Commissioner.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16.-A statement
prepared at the Interior Department in
support Of the action Of Secretary Noble in
resembling Commissioner Tanners order
advancing pensions from e to a per month
In certain cases, was given out tonight 1t
calls attention to Section 4,69S1f, Revised
Statutes, providing that exccp. in cases OF
permanent specific disabilities no increase
Of pension is allowed, to commence prior
TO the date Of the examining surgeons Ger.
tifcate, ETC., and enters at length into
consideration Of the various degrees OF
disability and the reason for having al
lowed tho e pension. The statement says:
"1f now, by order OF the Commissioner,
without regard to medical examination, q
man who has been receiving e is advanced
to ", without . man who was more dis
abled and who had been rated at a being
himself advanced, it is obvious injustice
done TO the higher graded man. If, how
ever, the allowance was made after an ex-
animation by a surgeon, everything has
been done in due order and according TO
law. If arbitrary orders Of the Comris-
sioner are the basis, it must result that
few are made fsvorites and q great mass
who have to depend upon medical eIami-
nation, put at great disadvantage. There
fore, it was decided that there is no au-
thority in law for the order arbitrarily in
creasing great mass OF pensions in the
face Of the statute and which order is not
extended to all cases. slight P"lsidera-
tion Of this matter viii show thH to give
away e66, a month Of public money on
such an order Is this would be
but the beginning of system by
which millions could be expended,
uncontrolled by law as it was unau-
thofizcd by precedent. There would bc no
more harm in giving to Senator Mandcrson
1900 or more than there would be in Civ
ing 5000 men >66, ,0oo In either case it
would be an unauthorized distribution Of
public moneys and the door OF the Treas
ury might As well be open TO actual inva.
sion as TO have such warrants drawn upon
1t TO be cashed without questioning. 1t is
also obvious that such course as this
would not benefit the soldiers ultimately
as 1t Is intended only 10 benefit those who
are least disabled
Quotations are then made from Tanners
recent letter to Dalzcll, in which Tanner
says that he issued the order with view
to putting these g men up to a or drop
ping them on the rolls, and in which he
said that he ordered them for examination
before their home board The statement
says;
The order rs made was arbitrary, un-
qualified and required an advance without
examination, to the amount specified, 81
per month. II did not propose to drop any
one, rs the letter pretended It did, and it
did not order any one for examination, as
the letter pretended II did. 1t was an un-
authorized, unqualified and illegal order
for every pcnsioncr TO be advanced to q
who was receiving less. It was proposed
To have IL take effect on March Ga. There
IL no expression, no disposition to prevent
any deserving soldier from acquiring all
the pension his disability entities him TO,
ctthcr by original application or appiica-
ton for increase. All that Is being done is
to maintain the law, TO be literally con-
strucd, but by no means disrcgardcd, and
70 allow each In his turn without partially,
all he is entitled to.
Pension Commissioner Tanner was seen
this evening regarding the above statc-
mcnt and made lengthy reply in which
he sharply criticizcs Assistant Secretary
Busscy and alleges that tho judicial rea
sons Of the latte. are cmanations from the
mind Of . member OF the Pension Board OF
Appeals who was appointed under the
Cleveland administration, after having
failed to pass the civil service examina
tion. Mr. Tanner arraigns Busscy for un-
He looked into the law and found that no
had that power, as IL is broadly stated that
rating fixed by medical boards arc subject
10 revision by the Commissioner. He saved
q vast amount of time and trouble In issu-
ing that order. Then, )" said he, Il gave
verbal orders that those pensioncd at less
than q who had applications on file for an
increase, accompanied by the certificate Of
. medical examiner, held within q year,
should have their claims adjudicated on
that examination and 60 up to q or on tho
roll. also ordered verbally that all
others should be scnt an order for medi-
cal examination and abido the result on .
l,us q,