Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-05
STANDING BY RAUM.
Assistant Secretary Bussey Sticking
Closely to His Text.
HE Is MADE A LITTLE Ratified
By His Investigators Getting Tips From
Some Outside Sources.
PRETTY LIVELY SESSION FOR AWHILE

WASHINGTON, March 4.-The examina
tion of Assistant Secretary Bussey, Of the
Interior Department, was continued to-day
by the special pension Office investigation
committee. Mr.. Enloe, after elicting the
information that there were q number oi
complaints Of pensioners of delay in the ad.
judication of their claims, asked if an order
had been practically made taking the Office
force from work under the old laws and
putting it to work on the adjudication Of
cssss 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 arising under the old law,
| in which the evidence was insufficient to
meet its requirements, had been adjudicated
| by himself to the Commissioner. He may
| have stated yesterday that no such an order
had been issued, because he did not then re-
| call the order.
Mr. Enloe then examined Mr.. Bussey
with reference to the completed fles''
order, which, it was charged, had been
| issued at the request of Pension Attorney
Lemon, and gave Mr.. Lemon considerable
advantage in prosecuting claims.
A Lawyers Fine Hand Appears.
Mr.. Bussey said he believed the order
facilitated the adjudication of claims It
was true that manv claims found bv the
board of review to be incomplete were put
in the completed files, but no cases known
in advance to be incomplete were put thef.
Witness did not know with whom that
order originated. He had heard that be-
fore it was issued an experiment had been
made on some of Mr.. Lemons cases.
Practical experience, Mr.. Bussey declared,
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. MI.
Bussey replied that the Secretary had is
sued an order directing that in all cases
where claimants had no attorneys they
should be notified that evidence was neces-
sary to have their claims put in the COM
pleted files
Mr. Enloe-Then the Pension Office acts
as an attorney for claimants who lave no
attorney?
Mr.. Bussey's Own Idea of 1t.
Mr. Bussey replied in the negative, and
said that no preference was, given to either
class. Each case took precisely the same
course Mr. Bussey did not believe
the order gave Washington attorneys
an advantage over country attorneys He
had heard charges that MI. Lemon received
an advantage from the order, but did not
believe them. Mr.. Lemon, from his e1-
perience, made practical suggestion, and
may have had some influence in securing
its adoption.
Chairman Wheeler asked if the order did
not go into effect Immediately, and if in
hot oIx 81 - -
local attorneys who knew of it in advance
of other persons.
Mr.. Bussey said he believed that the
order was telegraphed all over the country
the day it was issued, but Mr.. Wheeler
called attention to the fact that Commits
sioner Raum had testified that It was
five weeks before it became generally
known.
Mr.. Bussey said there was no "snap judg-
ment" about the order, and that he had 1t
under consideration month before issued.
Lawyer Lemon Not Any Trouble.
Chairman Wheeler asked if witness had
heard of a business transaction, the indors-
ing of note, between Commissioner Raum
and Mr.. Lemon, the day after the order was
issued
Mr.. Bussey said he had no personal know
ledge 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
1000 claims at once after the order was
issued, involving fees of 100000.
Referring to the Board of Pension Ap-
peals which passes judgment finally on
complicated or troublesome cases, MI. En-
loe asked if any persons practicing before
that board were sons or relatives of the
members
Mr.. Bussey said he did not know, and
with some heat protested against prompt
ings from imam of that character" point
ing to man behind Mr. Enloe. Mr. Enloe
retorted that he did not know that that was
Mr.: Bussey's business; and the Chairman
said that the committee would get infor-
nation from any source that was reliable.
Mr.. Bussey said he did not intend to re-
fleet on any ones character; but when his
board was criticised, he wished the charges