The daily critic., 1890-10-02
RAUM CONDEMNED
MINORITY REPORT Of THE INVESTl.
GAZING C0MMITTLE GIVEN OUT
It Severely Csnsures the Commissioner
for IIis Relations 60 the Refrigerator
Company and Pension At
torney Lemon.

The minority epoIt OF the Raum
special investigating committee has
been given ont for publication. In re-
lard to the first Jharge the sale OF
refrigerator stock TO the employees In
The Pension Onice, the report comments
upon the refusal of the Commissioner
to produce the books and papers Of the
company Notwithstanding repeated
efforts TO secure them. II appears from
Mr.. Smyser's testimony, the report says,
that other persons not named owned
stock, irrCspective Of the sweeping as.
surauce of the Commissioner that the
lists he produced contained the names Of
all The stockholders
Ii also SAYS that the investigation pro
CCCded until near its close without re.
vCaling the fact that a subsidiary corp0.
ration had been organized by General
Raum, Bradley Tanner and five other
persons not named. which was 10 do
bu sintss under the present compluy's
patent, and differed from Il only In
name Both The Commissioner aud
Bradley Tanner had repeatedly stated
before the committee that no emplOve
Of the Pension Office owned directly or
Indirectly any stock in the Universal
Refrigerator Company, aud tie exist.
euCe Of the Columbia Universal Re
frirera,ing Company the sub company
was unknown 10 the minority until al.
most al the close OF the investigation.
Continuing the report refers TO the
refusal of the majority to investigate
the character Of the refrigerator patents
notwithstanding the fact that compe ent
Witnesses were present TO testify that
the history Of the enterprise was full Of
cfookCduCss; that the scheme was i'm
practicable and worthless. and that Tan
npr was a stoCkholdCr. It Is also asked
whether IL Is not reasonable 10 suppose
that General Raums official position
enabled him 10 make the deal bv which
member Cf Congress was induced to
purchase 500, 600 worth of stock.
The report then refers TO the second
ChargC-tbe advancement Of pension
claims for q certain attorney, in Consii.
Grafton of his becoming surety on the
Commissioner note for $9j 600 1t
also refers To- the evidence touching
Mr. Lemons letter, suggesting imme.
diate adjudication Of completed pen.
sion cases; to Deputy Commissioner
Lincoln's adverse report and that Of
Chief Bryant, which II says clearly de.
fires the objection to the completed
files" system, and were made while
there existed neither interest nor feeling
20 bias the judgment oA shade the testi.
mony. The report refers 10 the com.
pleiCd files order, which was mule
January last, and that, on the follow
ing day, Lemon became the surety for
nmissionCr Raum for Sl9 900
The report concludes as follows:
THUS 10 seems to us that the Commits
sioucr Of Pensions has not properly
esteemed the delicate duties and serious
responsibilities Of his great Office; nor
has he measured up TO that high sand.
ard Of patriotic consideration for the
public which should prevail In this De
paItmCnt. adiudicating the dlsburse.
ments Of nearly one third Of the entire
revenues Of the Government. The PEN
sion ONCE Is altogether too sacred a
place for the development Of the per.
sCnal thrift and enterprise manifested
In This record It was established that
the nation might properly care for those
20 whom IL owes gratitude too sacred
for iriiling. 1t Is monument 10 the
muuidcence Of a grateful people, aud
It's hundreds Of employees should be
ministers Of mercy, not stock gamblers.
That a place thus hallowed should have
been used for stock jObblng or specula-
iion, converted into a spawning place
fer corporations and stall for barter.
ing doubtful patents, Is a reflection upon
our Government, a degradation Of the
public service which we think cannot
be too strongly condemned.
The majority report will not be sub
mitted until the close Of the investlga-
iion al the next session Of Congress.