The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-03-04
The Pension Bureau Investigation.

WASHINGTON, March 3.-Assistant Sec
rotary Bussey, of the interior department,
to whom is given supervision of matters
relating to the pension Office, testified to-
day before the special pension iuvestigat-
ing committee of the House. He said Sec
Rotary Noble told him he thought the good
of the office demanded Special Examiner
Taylor's resignation. The secretary told
witness he thought Taylor was fu nishiug
matter TO the newspapers. Bussey said he
thought one or two other per
sons were dismissed from the pension
office on the ground they were furnishing
matter TO newspapers. Witness told En-
loe he never before to-day heard that young
Raum, when appointed clerk, collected a
notary fee of 25 cents from each person ap-
pointed and promoted in the pension Office
and DID not know 1t was fact that Con-
gress had passed a law prohibiting the
practice.
The subject of rerating pensions and
making their rerating claims date back to
the time Of the original disability was then
taken up. Bussey said that while looking
up the pension laws after becoming an of
nee holder, he ascertained the statutes
prohibited rerating dating further back
than the medical examination OF which the
rerating allowed. An investigation fol-
lowed, and II was discovered that the pen
sions OF a number of employees In the pen
sion Office were being rerated. Bussey
sand that the practice was in violation of
the departmental decisions, and in violation
OF the law. The practice had been stopped
and he dehed any man to show a case re-
rated In violation of the law under Com
missioner Raum's administration. Under
General Black LOO rerated cases were
found, and under Tanner l, 800 cases.
hsa1 tod E
were generally followed, they would cost
$50, 600 600.
Payson asked about the reports in circu-
lation as 10 the circumstances connected
with the re-rating of Powell an Illinois
politician, by Commissioner Black
Dugsn, of Ohio, asked: WAS that Cen
erai w. Ii. Powell, Secretary Mobiles can
oldate for commissioner of pensions? ' He
said this very thing, when attention was
called TO 1t, was what knocked him out.
Dugan asked II Secretary Noble had by
letter requested Black TO favorabIy con-
slider POwelfs case. Bussey could not
state.
Enloe asked how it was General W. W.
Dudley had been re-rated without the facts
appearing on the records
Bussey said Dudley was legally re-rated
under the act Increasing the pension for
the loss of a leg at the knee joint. The re-
rating cid not go back to the date of dis
eblhty, but TO 1856, the date of the act in
creasIng the dension. Why the record did
not show the re-rating he did not know,
unless because the claim was a specific dis
ability.
To Enloe, Bussey said the greatest
abuse the pension office had to contend
with was the practice of Congressman
pushing pension claims. He did not see
how the practice could be stopped except
by law.
Bussey believed Commissioner Raum
manager the Office with efficiency and in
tegrity.
Enloe inquired if Bussey approved of
the practice of giving pensions TO persons
of means.
Bussey replied IN the negative, and said
it was prohibited by recent law.
Enloe inStanCed one case in which an
Ono woman worth $4,000 was getting a
pension. Bussey replied his Office was
constantly investigating such violations of
the law. Adjourned.