Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-16
NEW BOARD OF REVIEW
Appointments by the Com
missioner of Pensions.
TRANSFER OF CLERKS
VACANCIES MADE NOT TO BE
FILLED UNTIL AFTER JULY
Ten Officials Dismissed Have Not Been
Reinstated, as Rumor Predicted
They Would Be.

Inc COMMISSIONER ol pGllSitiiS lou-iN Hli-'
the places made vacant on the board of
review of the pension bureau by the dis
n:ssal of ten members under charges of in
competency, and thus took the final Off
cial action necessary to close the incident.
Now that the places Of the men dismissed
have been filled it is probable that the ru-
mCrs that have been current for several
weeks past to the effect that the men dis
missed would be reinstated will die natu-
raj death. The action of the commissioner
was taken this morning because of the evil
dent need of the services OF the new mem
bers of the board of review. The vacancies
were all filed by transfer from other d.
visions of the office of old and experienced
clerks. The appointments to fill the va
cancies caused by the transfers will not Ue
made until after the LIST of July. The new
members of IT, board of review are Charles
r. Cleaves o. Maine, Allen d. Albert OF
Pennsylvania, Morris E. Sabin of WlScon-
sin, Charles Reed of Maryland, Israel
Stockton of Illinois, ]. Finney Engle or
Pennsylvania, DR.. w. l.. Chamberlin of In
diana. Walter b. Pettus of Kentucky. L.
Fletcher Dennis of Kansas. A d. Wilkin-
son of Pennsylvania, William Mehn of
louisiana n. A Straight of Pennsylvania
and Charles Hanback, of Pennsylvania.
Thirteen Clerks Transferred.
1t will be Observed that there are thir-
teen men in the list of those transferred
to the board of review while only ten va
cancies existed by reason of the dismissal
of the ten clerks adjudged guilty of mis-
conduct The three extra members of the
beard were so detailed because of the OK
ira work on the board and to fill vacancies
caused by death or resignation. 1t would
have been necessary to appoint three new
members of the board even If the ten men,
bers under charges had not been dismissed
At the time the dismissal was announced
Commissioner Warner stated that he did
not believe he would ill the vacancies until
after the 1st of July. He gave as ms rei-
son for this course of action that under Inc
act of Congress making appropriations Tor
the pension bureau for the fiscal year end
trg, June 80 1906. a considerable reductloh
of the number of examiners was authof-
lied, and he did not intend to make Inc
promo tons necessary to I'LL up the podIu
of review until he could see how many OF
the vacancies could be utilized by promo
ton of clerks who were thus legislated ouI
of office
This policy has been pursued throushout
the bureau and few vacancies have been
filled except those that were absolutely
necessary for the conduct of the business
of the office. The commissioner does not
desire to be placed in the position OF nav
ing to dismiss any one on the 1st or july,
when the new appropriation bill becomes
effective. In the present instance, now
ever the work of the bureau was getting
behind, and 1t was IOuNU lldl liIe
force of the board of review could not
carry on current business In the manner
required All vacancies existing thereon
were consequently filled.
The Incident Closed.
AS stated, the action of the commissioner
today effectually closes the incident of the
suspension and dismissal of the ten mem
bers of the board of review who were
charged with incompetence, 1t will be re-
membered that about six weeks ago Com
missioner Warner addressed notes of in
quiry to ten members of the board, the
highest authority in the pension bureau on
pension claims, except the commissioner,
calling on them to explain why they had
allowed pension applications in certain
specified cases of -penSionable appli-
cants. 1t developed that six pensions were
granted to members of a certain regiment
of Pennsylvania militiamen, who were never
in the United States service. and who were,
therefore, not pens!onable by the United
States. It was found also that two claims
from members of the New Jersey regiment
of the same status had been allowed. The
members of the board were very much sur
prised at the action of the commissioner,
but pleaded guilty of making the mistake.
The commissioner took the matter under
advisement, and about ten days after re-
ceiving the last reply to the charges all
of the ten members OF the board affected
resigned 1t is asserted by some of the
members that they were told that if they
resigned they would be reinstat ted shortly.
Commissioner Warner denied that any such
hope had been held out to the members OF
the board. The designations were for
warded to Secretary Hitchcock who
promptly approved their acceptance by the
commissioner and the members of the
board were therefore instantly separated
from the service. Ever since then there
have been rumors that the dismissed clerks
would be renstated, and that their posi-
tions were not to be filled for that reason
The action of the commissioner in filling
,o octt tnda <affa ~, :;
these rumors, and signifies that the last
official action In the premises has been
taken.