The morning times., 1895-08-21

Commissioner Lochren will give Cor
poral Tanner ample opportunity TO have
all bis charges against the Pension Office
duly considered The Commissioner
VIII not inaugurate an investigation im-
mctiiairly, in lbr technical sense of the
term, but viii Ia kc under adviSement what
the Corporal has said. and perhaps from
this an investigation Will be ordered. The
chances are, however, mat such inquiry
VIII not bc ordered. because AT the close
Ola long talk with the Commissioner yester-
day he lett Tine Times under the impress
sion that he assumed ne had elfeuually
disposed of the Curp"rars charges.
A. TO the charges OF incfficiency and
political bias urged against the medical
division Toy Corporal Tanner, Commits
sioner Lochrcn said that its present con
>tIntion was the same practically as it
had been under previous administrations,
and under Mr. Tanner when he was Com
missioner. He, the Commissioner, had
made some Recommendations for a change
in the personnel OF the division, and the
appointments were made by the Secretary
OF The Interior
There are thiny-eight members of the
medical division. of whom not more than
SIX have been replaced under the present
administration.
CORPORAL TANNERS CHARGE.
1t viii be noted that Corporal Tanner
r.g,a a
no changes personally, there had been
a change of sentiment on the part Of Re
publicans who thought that they were car
Tying out the policy of the administration
by being hostile To the granting ofpensons.
Referring 10 The Knapp case quoted by
Mr Tanner, the missioner said that
the application was filed in 1891, under
the act OF June p 1890, alleging liver
complaint, dyspepsia and general debility.
In 1898 the claimant filed an affidavit
that in June previous, while acting as To-
comotive engineer, he had received shock
OF paralysis. a medical examination was
held in September, 1898, and it showed
tothe mind ofthe Commissioner hartheman
was suffering from some spinal disease that
manifested itself in paralysis
For some reason the case did not reach
the medical division until last June. The
application was then rejected by DR. Bell,
for the reason that ii did not appear that
the applicant was disabled for the perform
ance OF manual labor from any OF the causes
alleged IN his application. Anyhow the
case was rejected.
Under a fairly strict construction OF the
law Dr. Bells action was technically cor
rect" Judg' - chren said, because the
law provides that the pension shall COM
mence from the date of filing the declaration
upon proof that the disability then existed"
BELL NOT CENSURABLE.
There was noStatement of paralysis inthe
declaration, nor anything out of which
paralysis might result The evidence
showed, on the other hand, that the paraly-
SIS commenced in June, 1898
A new declaration was then necessary,
but under very liberal construction OF
the law which / have adopted | rega rded
the affidavit which he made in 1893 as
supplementary declaration This affidavit
Is quite Informal, and does not contain a
great many of the necessary requirements
for declaration, or that the paralysis was
not the ersult of vicious habits.
1T is not surprising, therefore, that the
examiners here should decide that it could
not be regarded as a sufficient dcclara-
ton / do not, therefore, think that Dr.
Bell is specially cenSurable for his action
al all"
IS TO Mr. Tanners charge that the Repub-
hcans in office We're trying to discredft the
administration of the office, the Commits
sicaer said:
Il should be sorry 10 believe that there
are any employees of the bureau who
would deliberately wrong the old sol
diers and do an injustice to them for
purpose OF that kind. | should be very
slow to believe a charge of that sort.
The fact that a clerk would make a mis-
take in relation TO a case would not justify
me in believing that he acted perversely
or Intentionally. All mankind are liza BILE
TO mistakes about everything, and they
constantly occur in large offices like this"
The Commissioners attention was called
10 the charge OF long delays in the grant
ing OF pensions in the interview with
Corporal Tanner, and which the Commits
sioner had not yet seen.
WILL NOT REMOVE BELL.
These delays, he said, are usually the
fault OF the attorneys or the parties VINO
are supposed TO supply the evidence TO
this bureau, or TO the applicant himself
who is unable to furnish the proof required
Judge Lochren admitted that there was
a large lot OF cases not yet settled, but, in
the main he said, they are cases in which
the Necessary evidence has not been sup
piled. Wherever the case is complete, he
said, tho pension is soon granted.
What action will you take in regard
to the request of Corporal Tanner for the
removal OF DR.. Bel?'
Il do not think l would be at all justi-
fled IN granting that request" said the
Commissioner. ''Dr. Bell is a Republican,
an old soldier, and a pensioner himself at
thirty dollars a month. He Las borne
good reputation, and even if he had made
mistake / don't think l should cut his
head off for a mistake"
10 s.l.., -