Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-10-03
A WEAK DEFENSE
OF Commissioner Raum's Malfeasance in
Omce-The MalorIty's Say.


WAsuINGroN, October 2.-Judge Saw
yer, of New York, on behalf of the ma
jority of the committee that has been
investigating the administration Of
affairs in the Pension Office under the
Cooper resolution, stated tonight To an
Associated Press reporter that he learn
ed with surprise that the minority re-
port of the result of the investga-
ton had been given out.
He was surprised, because IL
was well understood by the committee
that the evidence was not all in, and the
| Investigation was not closed. Taking
up the allegations in the minority re-
port. one by one, Judge Sawyer said
| there was not one of the statements
that he believed was borne out by the
Ieyidence. incomplete though ii was. As
TO the list of stockholders. the proof
showed that Mr.. SmySer subscribed
alone for the stock and that the others
! interested with him made no subScriD-
tion.
With regard 20 Bradley, Commission
er Raum's private secretary, the evil
dence showed that at the outside he had
only written folr or five letters on the
Refrigerator c mpany'S business in the
Pension Office .. ring office hours. His
association with the District of Column
bia branch company was purely nominal.
his interest in IL being only one share,
for which he had not paid a cent, and
the company itself had not vet been
brought into active existence. Mr..
Tanners promotion was shown by the
testimony to have been made in fulfill
mcnt OF a promise to Commissioner
Raum'S predecessor, and had no con-
nection with this business. With this
exception there was no evidence tc
show that anybody employed in the
Pension Office was directly or indirectly
the owner of any stock in the Retriger-
ator company. The proof on the con-
trarv was directly the other way.
The majority had carefully analyzed
the testimony with regard to iavorltlsm
to attorneys, and had reached the con
clnsion from the testimony of Assistant
Commissioner Lincoln, the files clerk
and all the chiefs Of divisions, as well as
from their personal knowledge OF the
manner in which public business must
be conducted in an Office OF such magnl-
tude as this, that favoritism was impoS-
sible. As matter Of fact there had
been an absolute failure to show single
case of favoritism.
The majority of the committee earn
estly approved orders l49 and 15l, eS-
tablishipg the completed files system.
They found that under the operation oil
this system larger number Of cases
had been disposed of than ever before,
and fewer complaints had been received
from claimants and their attorneys.
! They found that there was no evidence,
not the slightest. to show that the Com
missioner had ever failed to give that
/ time and attention To his duties which
/ should be- expected, and that none OF
the business hours in his Office had been
devoted to private stock jobbing or
speculation.
Asked in regard TO the Lemon en-
dorsement. Judge Sawyer replied that
the evidence established that Captain
Lemon has endorsed notes for General
Raum to the extent of $4,000, and had
received as collateral 1000 shares in
the Gypsum Mining Company, in South
western Virginia The evidence was
that this enterprise had been brought
to Captain Lemons attention before
General Raum became Commissioner.
The only evidence before the committee
as to the value of the shares was that
one sale had been made at S3i per share.