The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-03-09

|
| Attorneys-Lemon and Raum's Business
Transaction.
WASHINGTON, March THE examina-
ton OF Assistant Secretary Bussey OF the
interior department was continued today
by the special pension office investigating
committee. Mr. Enloe, after eliciung the
| information that there were a number of
complaints from pensioners of delay in the
| adjudication of their claims, asked if an
order had been issued practically taking
the Office force from work under the old
laws and putting it to work on the adjudi-
cation of cases under the dependent and
disability act of 1890. Mr.. Bussey denied
that the entire force was so employed, but
added that large number OF claims aris-
| ing under the old law, in which the evil
] dence was insufficient to meet the require
ments, had been adjudicated under the
new law through an order issued to him
sell by the commissioner. He may have
stated yesterday that no order had been
issued, because he did not then recall the
| order.
Mr.. Enloe then examined Mr.. Bussey
with reference to the completed files"
order which, it was charged, had been
issued at the request of Pension Attorney
Lemon and gave Mr.. Lemon consider
Mr.. Bussey said he believed the
| order facilitated the adjudication of
| claims. 1t was true that many claims
found by the board of review to be incom-
| plete were put in the completed files, but
no cases known in advance to be incom-
! plete were put there. Witness did not
know with whom that order originated.
He had heard that before it was issued an
experiment had been made on some of
| Mr.. Lemons cases.
Practical experience, Mr.. Bussey de-
clared, had demonstrated that under the
completed files order greater efficiency was
obtained than under the former method.
| Mr.. Enloe asked what effect the order had
upon claimants who had no attorneys.
Mr. Bussey replied that the secretary had
issued an order directing in all cases where
claimants had no attorneys they be noti-
fled OF the evidence necessary to have their
claims put in the completed files.
Mr.. Enloe-"Then the pension Office
acts as an attorney for claimants who have
no attorney"
Mr.. Bussey replied in the negative and
said that no preference was given to
either class. Each case took precisely
the same course, butin order to prevent
injustice, which Deputy Commissioner
! Lincoln had suggested might be the
result OF the order, the secretary had
| called special attention to claims not
represented by attorneys, which num-
bered $4,000 only. Mr. Bussey did not
believe the order gave Washington at
torneys an advantage over country at
torneys. He had heard charges that Mr..
Lemon received an advantage from the
order, but did not believe them. Mr..
Lemon, from his experience made a prac-
tica suggestion, and may have had some
influence in securing it's adoption.
Chairman Wheeler asked if that
order did not 60 into effect Immediately
and if in that way an advantage was not
given TO local attorneys who knew OF it in
advance of other persons. Mr.. Bussey
said he believed that the order was tele-
graphed all over the country the day it
was issued, but Mr.. Wheeler called atten-
ton to the fact that Commissioner Raum
had testified that it was five weeks before
1t became generally known. Mr.. Bussey
said there was no snap judgment" about
the order and that he had it under con-
Slderatlon month before issued.
Chairman Wheeler asked if witness had
heard of a business transactiOn-the in
dorsing OF a note-between Commissioner
Raum and Mr. Lemon the day after the
order was issued. Mr. Bussey said be had
no personal knowledge Of it. Mr.. Lemon
had given the office less trouble than any
other attorney.
Mr.. Little suggested that perhaps the
pension office had given Mr. Lemon less
trouble than other attorneys.
Witness informed Mr. Enloe that he did
not know whether or not Mr.. Lemon put
IN !, 900 claims at once after the order was
issued involving fees 100000.
Referring to the board OF pension APP
peals, which passed judgment finally on
complicated or troublesome cases, Mr..
Enloe asked if any persons practicing be-
fore that board were sons or relatives of
the members. Mr.. Bussey said he did not
know, and with some heat protested
against promptings from a imam of that
character. pointing TO man behind MIR.
Enloe Mr.. Enloe retorted that he did not
know that was Mr.. Busseys business; and
the chairman said that the committee
would get information from any source
that was reliable. Mr.. Bussey said he did
not intend to reflect on any ones charac-
ter, but when his board was criticised he
wished the charges made specific and not
by lnsinuation.