Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-02-27
NOBLE A WITNESS.
The Secretary Talks Plainly to
Enloe's Committee. s..a
BLUEhER oPA sERGBANT-AT-ARMs

Nj
He InSists on Reading Subpoena and
the Secretary Informs the COMMITTEES
that lie is Not Taking Orders-Raum
DeclaFcd Effieient-Status of the silver
Question: Possibility of Postponement
UntiI Next sessiop-A ",Ionte Carlo,
Broken Jpwants the Prayer Re-
corded-offelaI Notes.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.-Secretary Noble
Appessfsd before the special house commit
zee investigating the pension bureau and
she first thing he did was to give the com
mitiee. TO understand that he was not to be
ordered around by the house or its com.
mlttees rs If he was plain citizen of the
United States. He informed the commit.
tee that the specially appointed sergeant
at-arms who served the subpoena upon
him in his Office insisted upon reading the
paper to him, despite the secretary's as
surance that it was entirely unnecessary,
as lie would, of course, appear before the
committee. Enloe explained the action of
the emergency sergeant-at-arms by saying
that it was undoubtedly because he was
instructed Thursday that in serving a sub
poena 1t was required of him to read it.
uiiA iiN was lEtlOTdllJ Us TO Jiip ulSIlncIiOu
that should be made in the secretary's
case.
Not Subject to Forthwith" Process.
The secretary said further that he had
taken the officers action to mean that
there was some doubt as to whether or not
he tNoble) would attend, and that if he
did not he would be compelled to do so. .
lie referred TO the matter for two reasons:
First, the president had intimated in his
message that a free investigation of any
OF the departments would be welcome
and he, OF course, was in entire harmony
with that wish. Secretary Noble said he
wanted congress to examine his depart
ment, 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 forthwith,
and without limit Of time II came here
voluntarily" added the secretary, "and
without any force of writ"
Some Old straw Threshed.
Enloe proceeded Immediately to his
business and made no comment on the
secretary's remarks The first subject of
inquiry was the removal of g. B. Raum.
Jr., for alleged crookedness in obtaining
The secretary could tell nothing more than
was already on record He had considered
that the good of the service required young
Raum's removal The young man was
permitted to resign out of consideration
for his father. General Raum. After
young Raum had left the bureau two men
called on Secretary Noble and made affi-
davlts against the young man. copies of
which he (the secretary would supply the
committee.
Good Cause for All Removals.
The secretary did not know that Com
missioner Raum had asked the
president to interfere in his sons
case. There We're number of
questions about other dismissals, one of
which, that of Special Examiner Taylor,
the secretary said had not been made at
Raum's request. but because it was plain
that Taylor and Raum did not get on to-
gether, in which case it was for the good
of the service that change should be
made. The secretary stated in reply to an
inquiry that he gave his attention to re-
movals in his department, and if a re-
moval was made it was for good cause
Edorsed Raum's Administration.
Secretary Noble explained the re rating
system of the pension office. and said the
commissioner of pensions was conducting
the work of the pension bureau with great
efficiency. The relation of the board of
pensions appeals to the pension bureau
was explained by the secretary at the re-
quest of Enloe, who thought that it
was not allowed by statutes, but was
simply an administrative feature. After
few more questions of little general in
terest the committee adjourned to Mon
day.