Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-04

Assistant Secretary Busssy Conssnpss Bis
Testimony Before the Special Committee.

Assistant Secretary Busssy Conssnuss HE
Testimony Before the special Commisses.
IN rrIIs or TIE OPERATION on TER ..cox-
PLErEp FILES oRprE" AND sars hi poEs NOT
THINK WASHINGTON ATTORNEYS WERE ayKx
An UNDUE ADVANTAGE UNDER IT.
The examination Of Assistant Secretary Bus
sey Of the Interior Department was continued
today by the specisl pension Office investigst-
ing committee. Mr.. Enloe, sitter eliciting the
information that there were . number OF CON-
plants from pensioners Of delay in the
adjudication Of claims, asked II an
order had been issued practically
taking the Office force from work under the old
laws and putting il to work on the adjudication
Of cases under the dependent and disability act
Of 1880.
been employed, but added that large number
OF claims arising under the old Law, in which
the evidence was insufficient TO meet its re-
quirements. had been sdjudioated under the
new law through an order issued by himself to
the commissioner. He may have stated yes
terday that no such order had been issued,
because be did not then recall the order.
Mr.. Euloe then examined Mr.. Bussey with
reference to the completed Hlss" order.
which, il was charged. had been issued at the
request Of Pension Attorney Lemon and gave
Mr.. Lemon considerable advantage in prose-
cutting claims. Mr.. Bussey said he believed
the order facilitated the adjudication of
claims. II was true that many claims
found BY the board Of review to be incomplete
were put on the completed files but no cases
known in advance to be incomplete we're put
utth VII hat
order originated He had heard that be-
fore 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 IN.
der the former method.
Mr.. Enloe asked what effect the order had
upon claimants who had no attorneys. MIR
Bussey replied that the Secretary had issued an
order directing that in all cases where claim
evidence necessary to have their claims put on
the completed flies.
Mr.. Enloe-Then the pension office acts az
an attorney for claimants who have NO At
torney2
Mr.. Bussey replied in the negative and said
that no preference was given to either class
Each case took precisely the same course. but
In order to prevent injustice, which Deputy
Commissioner Lincoln had suggested might he
the result OF the order the Secretary had called
special attention TO claims not represented by
attorneys which numbered about 1900 only.
Mr. Bussey did not believe the order gave
Washington attorneys an advantage over coun-
try attorneys. he had heard charges that Mr..
Lemon received an advantage from the order.
but did not believe them. Mr.. Lemon, from
his experience, made 3 practical suggestion,
and may have had some influence in securing
its adoption.
Chairman Wheeler asked IL that order did
not 60 into effect immediately, aud If in that
way an advantage was not given to local attor'
neys who knew Of IL in advance Of other per
sons. Mr.. Bussey said las believed that the
order WAS telegfaphed all over the country the
day IT was issued, but Mr.. Wheeler called at
tention to the fact that Commissioner haum
had testified that II WAS live weeks before II be-
came generally known.
Mr.. Bussey said there was no "snap judg-
ment about the order, and that he had II
under consideration a month before issued MIR
Lemon may have suggested il. but today wit
ness believed it was q fair, just, good order
and constant notice to claimants that they
| should see that their claims were made com
piete.
Chairman Wheeler asked IL witness had heard
OF a business transaction (the indorsing of ,
motel between Commissioner Raum and Mr.
Lemon the day after the order was issued.
MIR. Bussey said he had no personal knowl
edge of it. Mr.. Lemon had given the office lea
| trouble than any other attorney.
Mr.. Little suggested that perhaps the pen
sion office had given Mr.. Lemon less troubl,
than other attorneys. and inquired If MIR. Bus
| sey knew OF notes being Endorsed for othel
employees by attorneys. The reply was a mega
tive Witness informed Mr.. Euloe that be did
not know whether or not Mr.. Lemon put IL
1000 claims at once after the order WAS issued
| involving fees Of $l00, 600.
Mr.. Enloe then began q series OF inquiries
| as to whether or not pension employees wer,
afraid to testify for fear of removal, but moth
ing definite was ELECTED.
Mr. Enloe asked about the case Of the Penn
sylyania militia called out by President Lin
coin for the Gettysburg campaign, who, by az
| opinion promulgated yesterday, it was hell
had a pensionabie status, although they vert
not regularly mustered in. The cast
under consideration was that Of Mr.
| Manley of the forty-seventh Pennsyl
vania. Witness did not remember th,
| attorneys name. After witness had passed Oh
| 1t he secured the connrmatory opinions Of As
| sistant Attorney General Shields and Attorne,
General Miller. He read the opinion Of th,
Attorney General, holding that It was the in
tention OF Congress that volunteers and militia
| men who rendered regular service, although
not mustered. should be entitled to receiv,
pensions. II gave $4,000 soldiers s,pension
able status. but witness did not believe man,
men in addition to the fifty seven heretofor,
would be very difficult for them TO show ths
| any diseases they had at this late day was tn,
| result of a very brief service in the war.
Representative DUNCAN OF Ohio called atten
ton TO a claim in which Senator Allison, Rep
| resentative Gear and Representative Seerle,
had sent five calls for information which haC
remained unanswered in the pension office fo
year. when il was found that no request has
ever been made on the War Department fo
| necessary information. Mr.. Bussey doubtet
the statement and asked for the name Of tn,
| specific case.
Referring to the board Of pension appeals
which passes judg mept finally on complicated
| or troublesome cases, Mr.. Eploe asked If an,
persons practicing before that board wers
| sons or relatives of the members
Mr.. Bussey said he did not know, and will
some heat protested against promptings from
imam Of that character, - pointing toa mar
| behind Mr.. Enloe. Mr.. Enloe retorted that hs
| did not know that that was Mr.. Busscys bust
| ness; and the chairman said that the com
| mittee would get information from any source
that was reliable.
Mr.. Bussey said he did not intend to refec,
on any ones character, but when his board wal
reflected upon he wished the charges made
specific and not by insinustiou.
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