St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-04
BUSSEY ON THE STAND.
Pension Investigation Develops
Peculiarities.

fcCul1arICIeS.
WASHINGTON, March g.. Assistant
Secretary Bussey, of the interior de-
partment, to whom is committed the
supervision of matters relating to the
pension Office, testified today before the
special pension investigating committee
of the house. In response to questions
by Mr.. Enloe, Mr.. Bussey said Secretary
Noble told him he thought the good of
the office demanded Special Exam
iner Taylor's resignation. The secre-
tary had told witness he thought Taylor
was furnishing matter to the news
papers. Mr.. Bussey said he thought
one or two other persons had been dis
missed from the pension office on the
ground that they were furnishing mat
ter about the office to the newspapers.
The subject of the rerating of pen
sions and of making their rerating
claims date back to the time of original
disability was then taken up. Mr..
Bussey said that while looking up the
pension laws, after becoming all office
holder, he ascertained that the statutes
prohibited rerating dating further
back than the medical examination of
which the rerating was allowed. AID
investigation followed, and it was dis
covered that the pensions of number
of employees of the pension Office were
being rerated. Some cases had been
"railroaded' through in forty-eight
hours. The practice was in violation of
departmental decisions and in viola
ton of law. The pension Office was
every day getting applications
for reratings to date back and that
the thing had demoraliZed. pensioners
who thought because they were receiv-
ing large pension, they should receive
back money to the time of army service.
Under Gen. Black 1,700 rerated cases
were found, and under Mr.. Tanner 1900
cases. This number embraced only
part of the rerated cases. An average
of s., 900 was involved in each rerated
case. Witness had estimated that if
the reratings were generally followed
they would cost $500, 100000. Not all of
the employees rerated had been removed,
but only the men mainly responsible for
the practice. None of the money re-
ceived Illegally had been recovered.
Mr.. Enloe asked how it was that Gen.
WV. Dudley had been rerated with
out the facts appearing on the record.
Mr.. Bussey said that Gen. Dudley was
legally rerated under an act increasing
the pension for loss Of a leg at the knee
Joint. The rerating did not go back to
the date of the inability, but to 1856, the
date of the act increasing the pension.
Why the record did not show the re-
rating he did not know, unless it was
because the claim was for specific dis
ability. Mr.. Bussey said the greatest
abuse the pension Office had to contend
with was the practice of congressman
in pushing pension claims. He did not
see how the practice could be stopped
except by law. 1t greatly increased the
work of congressman and also of the
pension office.
In reply to Mr.. EnlOe, Mr.. Bussey
said he had never used the Office for
political purposes, and did not see how
it could be readily converted into a
political machine. His orders were that
all pensioners should be treated alike.
He believed Commissioner Raum had
managed the Office efficiency and with
integrity. and if an investigation should
demonstrate anything to the contrary ne
should be glad of an opportunity to
remedy matters.
Mr.. Enloe next inquired il Mr.. Bussey
approved the practice of giving pensions
to persons of means. Mr.. Bussey replied
in the negative, and said it was pro-
hibited by recent law. Mr.. Enloe
instanced one case, In which an Ohio
woman worth $4,000 was getting pen
sion. Mr.. Bussey replied that his office
was constantly Investigating such viola
lions of the law. Adjourned.