Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-16
PENSION PROBLEMS.
Serious Charges Against the Bureau
officials Made on the Floor
of the House,
DEMAND FOR AN INVESTIGATION.
A Lively Discussion Which Almost Leads
to o Challenge According to
the Code Of Honor.
DEMAND FOR AN INVESTIGATION.
INCREASE OF THE CLERICAL FORCE
Nov Necessary to Garry Out the Provisions Of the
Dependent Bill.

WASHINGTON, July 15-The House to-
dny took up the consideration Of the bill ap-
propriating S636, 1Sg for an additional cleri-
cal force to carry into effect the provisions
of the dependent pension act. The add.
tional force provided for IL $50.
Mr. Dockery, ol Missouri, criticised the
majority Of the Committee on Appropria-
tions for not reporting bill making nm hp-
preparation to pay tho pensions, which
would be granted under the dependent pen.
hion bill, and intImated that the failure was
Attributal to political reasons. The appro-
priation would not be made before the No
vember elections
Mr.. Cannon said that the money would be
appropriated aud paid, just as rapidly as
the pension certificates were issued.
STARTLING ARRAY.
Mr.. Dockery charged that the majority
was affrighted by the startling appropria-
tionE which had been made at the present
session, and was running away from the
provisions OF the pension laws and refusing
TO appropriate the necessary money until
alter the elections Mr.. Cutcheon, of Michi-
gan, inquired whether the gentleman had
any doubt that the appropriations already
made would cover all pension claims which
might be adjudicated before the next session
of Congress.
Mr. Dockery replied that he was not
called upon to pass on that question. Con-
gress appropriated for the ensuing fiscal
year, which ended on the Both OF June. He
was insisting that this rule should not be
departed from, albeit the appropriations of
this session were mounting up. Mr.. Cut
cheon suggested that it was a time-honored
custom 10 bring in deficiency bill. Mr.
Dockery was glad that the gentleman had
acknowledged that it was the intention of
the majority to bring in an enormous def
cheney bill after the election.
A DEFICIENCY PREDICTED.
Mr. Sawyers, OF Texas, predicted that the
next session of Congress would be called
upon to appropriate no less than $40, 900 to
supply deficiencies in the appropriations
for the present payment of pensions.
Mr.. EnlOe, OF Tennessee, thought that
before any increase of force we're granted
the Pension Bureau, it should be ascer-
tanned whether the charges brought against
the Commissioner were true. 1t haddbeen
alleged in a resolution offered by Mr..
Cooper, OF Indiana, that the Commissioner
had changed the ruling of the department
in the interest Of a pension attorney In this
city. This had taken hundreds of thousands
of dollars OF the peoples money and paid
1t to the claimants who were not entitled to
any. 1t had been alleged that the pension
office was corrupt from bottom to top, he,
himself, believed that the Office was reeking
with corruption in every department.
j. d. Taylor, of Ohio, did not believe
that any member had a right to make such
ngE
officer. Ii he Lgere q Man of courage he 4
would make an affidavit.
ALMOST A CHALLENGE.
Mr.. Erloe retorted that if the gentleman
wanted to find out whether he (Enloe) was
a man of courage, all he had to do was to
investigate the matter personally.
Mr.. Cannon, good naturedly offered to
play second to either or both of the parties.
Mr.. Enloe declared that every other de-
partment or bureau Of the Government, ex-
cept the Pension Bureau, was conducted on
business principles, and was open to inves-
tigation. About that bureau there appeared
TO be something sacred, or something rotten,
and in his opinion, the reason the bureau
had not been investigated, was because of
the rottenness which was concealed.
Mr.. Cooper, of Indiana, said that facts
had came to his knowledge which sub
ktantlateu the rumOrs Wnlcn had been cir
culated in the newspapers respecting the
Commissioner OF Pensions He was ready
TO prove before q competent committee that
the charges were true. He expected to
prove that the Commissioner OF Pensions
had outrageously sold out a ruling on be-
halt OF a firm Of pension attorneys in WASH
ington. he did not desire to be misunder-
stood.
NOT HONESTLY ADMINISTERED.
He was favorable to the appropriation
made by the bill, but he believed that il
the Commissioner OF Pensions would devote
the time for which the Government had
paid him, to the discharge. of the duties Of
his bureau, instead OF becoming president
ana chief manager of a refrigerator institu-
tion, based possibly on no substantial
there would be no necessity for
30 considerable number OF clerks. The
bureau should be administered honestly, and
he charged before the country, that that
was not the case at this day, and an investi-
cation would show il.
Mr. Cannon said that his party while In
power would appropriate money to pay the
debts OF the Government including this
the greatest equity-the pension debt. As
10 the statements made by the gentleman
from Indiana. he had not known until last
Friday that Mr.. Cooper had introduced the
resolution. If he (Cannon) |
had introduced such a resolution, and a
hearing was in progress, he would wait
until the hearing was completed.
Mr.. Cooper replied that the Committee on
/ Tp.,1a f. Loo =, l., 1