Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-07-30
PExsIoN Aerxr IA unr.
Busy with His Own Aifairs He Lots the
Bureau Run ItseIf--Tbis Is His Busy
Season with Refrigerator,

Scabuh WIN tNcihiEerhtOrs.
WASHINGTON, July 23.-"Green B.
Raum seems to be bigger man than
Blaine" said an interior department
official to me to-day. "At least, he is
able to do about as he pleases."
This remark was made during con-
versation in which the prolonged alb
sence of the commissioner was being
commented upon.
"Did Commissioner Raum have
leave of absence granted him by Secre-
tary Noble about July LIST ?" l asked of
Mr.. A. Q. Tanner, chief of the appoint.
ment division, to whom had been re-
ferred for the information.
eyes, sir" was the reply. "Ie asked
for leave OF absence and his request was
approved by the Secretary"
"Was there any limit placed upon his
leave?"
"On July list Mr.. Raum requested
leave of absence for "a day or SOL that
was the only request granted. The Sec
rotary went away on the 3D., and can
not Of my own knowledge state whether
Mr.. Raum returned in July or not. My
records show that the leave granted was
ss | have stated"
The truth of the matter is, that with
an assumption and indifference that sets
aside all law, custom or precedent, the
commissioner extends his leave of alb
sence to suit himself and his private
ii business.
The law of the department is that no
chief of bureau or subordinate under
the heads of the departments can leave
his post and the city without approval
Of his superior, the head of the depart.
ment.
Raum asks leave of "a day or SO" and
takes month.
No one in the employ of the govern
ment from the Secretary of State down
has been absent from his desk to the
extent this autocrat of pensions has
been. Up TO July LIST he had been away
240 days out of the 10 months of his
administration. He left Washington on
the I'd or Sd of the month for "a day or
so" and had not returned up to a late
hour this afternoon, nor has he init
mated when he will return.
Days pass by and not word is heard
from the man who is drawing $4,000 a
year to manage bureau in which
$126, 900, 900 was spent last year. The
only interest he seems to take in the
pension office is to boast to the people
Of Chicago how 81" am going to dump
100000 original cases on the country
next year; how 81" am going to stir up
my" clerks and not have so many
claims hanging in "my Office
He does not take the trouble to keep
informed as to the doings of his bureau,
and the only intimation that his subord-
mates have that there is head TO the
bureau is an occasional telegram dated
from Chicago, the headquarters of the
Universal Refrigerator Company, an
nouncing that he will return in "a day
or So" A week passes and no Raum.
Again comes a telegram that he will
be back on Monday" Several Mondays
come and go and the commissioner is
still missing at the bureau.
The question is, how long shall this
continueP Office-holders who have a
regard for the dignity Of their positions
wonder how a chief of the most import
ant bureau in the government is allowed
such freedom. The supposition is that
Secretary Noble and President Harrison
are not aware of his continued absence
from his office. There Is a squat com.
ing, however. / am reliably informed
that upon Secretary Mobiles return
Raum's negligence will be duly reported
and closer attention to his duties de-
manded.
General Raum is thoroughly indiffer.
ent to the indecency of his conduct
His position was accurately outlined to
me by pension bureau official, who
said that the commissionership, with its
$4,000 salary, was merely an anchor
that Raum had cast to windward. II
furnishes him with bread and butter
while his whole time and attention is
devoted to the refrigerator company
Should he happen to make stake Out
of the latter he will complacently give
up his government job as not having
enough in 1t TO justify his spending
even one-third of his time in Washing
on.