St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-27
NOBLE ON The RACK.
The Pension Bureau Investi-
eating Committee Begins
Its Work.
Secretary Noble Asserts the
Dignity Of His Position at
the Outset.
Young Raum's Discharge and
the Re-Rating Scandals
Rehashed.
Friends and Opponents Of
Anti-Option Bills Still
Testifying.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 - Secretary
Noble was examined today by the spe-
cial house committee appointed to i'll
vestigate the management of the PEN
sion Office. The secretary said that at
the outset he wished to make state
ment. A messenger from the commit
tee had called on him, and he said he
would attend, but the messenger had
insisted on reading the summons to
him, notwithstanding he (the secretary
had said it was not necessary. He took
this to mean that there was some doubt
as to whether or not he would attend,
and that if he did not he would be COM
PEELED to do so. Mr.. Enloe said he could
explain that. The messenger had been
told to read the summons to another
witness, and probably took it for granted
that that course was necessary with
every one.
Secretary Noble said he referred to
that for two reasons. First, the presi-
dent had intimated in his message that
free investigation of any of the de-
partments would be welcomed. and he,
of course, was in entire harmony with
that wish. The secretary said he wanted
congress to examine his department,
and he and his officers would give any
information they could. In the second
place; for the benefit of his successor, he
wanted to protest that the head of an
executive department was not subject
to process of the house to come forth
with and without limit of time. ST
come here Voluntarily" added the sec
rotary, land without any force of writ"
Young Raum's Removal
Mr.. Enloe then inquired about the re-
moval of young Green b. Raum. The
secretary narrated the facts of how Civil
Service Commissioner Lyman called on
him in May, 1891, with paper making
charges against young Raum for receiv-
ing money, either directly or Indirectly,
through colored mau in the treasury
department. for the appointment of
man named Smith, another man named
johnson personating Smith in the nee
esSary civil service examination.
The secretary said it had never been
his practice to wait very long under any
circumstances. and he Immediately re-
quired young Raum'S resignation. He
did not examine into the matter beyond
the report of the civil service commits
sion. Young Raum was the son of the
commissioner, ami he gave him time to
find something else to do before his
resignation should take effect. He
treated young Raum mildly, as he
thought the circumstances required
that he should do so because of the
young mans relationship to the COM
missioner.
Mr.. Little, of New York, asked if it
was customary to give men whose resig-
nations were demanded thirty days
leave. The secretary said there was no
rule on the subject. He had expected
there would be some criticism of mis-
action, but, the man being young, he
would rather let him go under such Cir
cumstances than to shirk the response
bility and criticism.
summarilY Fired.
Mr.. Brosus, of Pennsylvania, and Mr..
Payson asked if an opportunity had been
given young Rauta TO defend himself
from the charges made. The secretary
replied: mo, because l thought the
charge of such a character, affecting
| charges were brought to me by an Off
Ger of a government bureau, where l
had investigated the matter, and be-
cause they made statements so appar-
emily truthful, determined to rid N.Y.
self of it at once. l thought the good of
the service demanded that he should 90,
and | sent him." The secretary said he
had done nothing with reference to the
fraud on the civil service commission,
for the commission looked to him to
take care OF young Raum, and it would
take care of the Offense against it.
Mr.. Enloe then asked the secretary
about the filing of charges against
young Raum by Messrs. Howard and
Engle, clerks in the pension Office.
charging young Raum with demanding
money from them. He told Mr.. Bussey
to call the commissioners attention to
this matter, and request him to see to
it, The commissioner said the charges
were circulated to injure him, and filed
counter charges, with demand for the
removal of these men, and Special Elk
aminer Taylor, who was suspected by
the commissioner of being connected
with the matter. The secretary told
Mr.. Enloe that he thought the charges
about balanced each other. Young
Raum was out of the service, and he
refused to remove Howard and Engle
Taylor he had asked to resign, because
he {Mr. Noble had prev iously come to
the conclusion that 1t would advance
the governments interest. The COM
missioner and Mr.. Taylor were not get
ting along together. There was
A Conflict of Authority
between them, and he thought the COM
missioner should be sustained rather
than Mr.. Taylor. Mr.. Enloe proceeded
to question the secretary as to the re-
moyal of persons without cause. Mr.
Noble SAID all removals were for cause.
He could not recall instances, but the
records of the office were unimpaired
and would show the cause for each re-
mOVal liz was ru1R that pauSa inI,ct
be assigned for all removals. He did
not remember that in 1889 he had re-
moved large force of special examin-
erS. Mr.. PaySOn said he would show
that the men were not removed but
merely called i'll from the field, because
the funds were practically exhausted.
Mr.. Enloe said he would show by some
of the men themselves that they were
removed.
The secretary was next asked about
the reratings which occaSioned so much
comment early in tie administration of
the pension office. He said that the re-
sponsibility originally rested on Com
missioner Black, and when he found
Commissioner Tanner was proceeding
to carry into effect his predecessors
ruling to degree highly Injurious to
the government he promptly stopped it.
He thought it intolerabIe that employees
should undertake to rerate themselves,
and he maze them feel the weight of his
authority. Those reratingS were not
for large amounts each month. but as
they went back long time the aggre-
gate was considerable. Mr.. Noble said
he wished to say, SO far as the efficiency
OF Commissioner Raum was concerned,
that he thought he was running the
pension bureau with great efficiency.