Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-01-03

cho'ffa, Is one which I Commend to your
consideration and action. The admitted
dagger Of a renewal Of the ravages of this
epidemic dQflDg lthH coming year, makes IL
proper to provide for the enforcement OF
hose regulations In regard to cleanliness
of cities and towns, sales Of unwholesome
food, .,care OF the sick, poor, &C., which ex-
perience has proven Of service In lighting
the pestilence. To understand what Is TO
De done and how TO do 1t Is only part Of
what ID necessary. obstacles occasioned
by selfish disregard of the general good or
by carfless indifference, seem to be over
come only by placing responsible power in
the hands of boards of health, which can
act without dependence upon other local
authorities. Wherever this has been done
during the past year, success In combating
the disease has been 90 great even in the
dense populations of the sea-board towns.
as to convince the public Of the necessity
and propriety, of snch measure, Iwould
therefore recommend legislation author
izlng the creation of such boards In cities
and villages; but, as their authority must
necessarily be somewhat arbitrary, it would
be proper TO make the law expire at the
end of year by its own limitation, SO that
interference with the ordinary administra-
tionl0f local affairs could not continue be-
yond the probable duration of the evil
which Occasioned Ii. v&-AA Z 49, ,s
81 SOLDIERS HOME. .. ,5.u "a
The Home for disabled soldiers, establish
cd by your action last winter, has steadily
improved in organization and adaptation TO
Its benefcent work. Its site has proven
remarkably healthy, and the crippled and
sick Inmates have been thoroughly and
kindly cared for. The school under the
charge Of the chaplain has been well at
tended, and the opportunity thus given to
those who have become untitled for severe
labor to prepare themselves for lighter en-
ployments, has been eagerly embraced by
many. The records of the institution and
the report Ofthe superintendent show that
there Is no disposition on the part of our
discharged soldiers to avail themselves un-
necessarily Of the support thus offered, but
that they arevery Generally animated by a
laudable pride in being independent and
self-supporting as soon as their physical
condition will allow. ,., .,r
The lack of any fund for the purpose OF
transportation of invaIids to or from the
Home has occasiontd some embarrassment,
and as similar difficulty has existed in
the institutions of other States, it has
been found necessary to give, from time to
time, temporary admission to soldiers not
belonging properly to Ohio, until they
could sufficiently recover strength to earn
the means Of travelling homeward. AL
though this has apparently increased the
expenses of the Institution, it may be
doubted II IL has really done so, since
other States have reciprocatcd in this mat
ter, aud we know chat In many instances
our own soldiers have been received and
cared for In other Homes. The relative
of these foreign inmates will
appear much less when 1t is remembered
that, Of the whole number, few have re-
mained any length of time.
The Board OF Commissioners of the Ma
tiOnal oOiuirrs Home expect 10 establish
an institution similar to our own in the
Valley of the Ohio during the present year,
and it is not improbable that iC may be To-
Gated within this State. 1t is estimated
that the several branches of this National
Home for soldiers will, when organized,
all the veterans who would
have claim to admission into the State in
and their full establishment will
probably supereede the necessity for the
of our own. To facilitate
their work, while accomplishing all that
the State Home can do, | would recon-
mend that, upon the location of one of the
branches Of the National Home within this
State. the Trustees of this institution be
to transfer to such National
Home the use Of the premises and appur-
tenances now occupied by them, for the pc
riod which may elapse before the compile
tiOn OF new buildings, &c, and also any
unused balances of appropriations, on con-
dition that all Ohio soldiers now in the
Home or who may have the right to adj
mission there under our laws, be received
and cared for by the National Board. /
look upon this course as the more just and
proper, because the present buildings were
erected by the United States Government
for hospital purposes during the war and
transferred to the State without charge.
% BOARD OF MILITARY CLAIMS.
The Board appointed under the statute
Tor the purpose of passing upon various
unsettled military claims against the State,
report that they have examined 500 differ |
ent CLAIM s, amounting to $00,764.27, out of |
which they have allowed. In whole or in |
part, 541, amounting to S6S, S,255.19. Others
ire still before them, and new ones are |
coming in from time to time. The appro- |
priati0n Of $4,000 for this purpose has
been expended, aud it Is probable that an
equal sum will be needed to complete the
settlement Of such as may be allowed. AS
fast as these claims can be put in form they
will be presented to the United States Gov
ernment for reimbursement.
The Board recommend that the claims of
soldiers for local bounty which, under the
orders of the War Department, was with
held from them till they should actually
ioin their commands in the field, and
which was, In some instances, lost to them
by reason of this rule, be added to the
classes they are authorized to settle, and
that an uDappropriated balance of the Re-
lief Fund be applied to this purpose.
These claims appear TO me quite as merito-
rious as any other before the Board, and /
therefore concur in the recommendation.
MILITARY cEiIETERTEs.
Learning that no record could be found
within the State Of the buriaIs in the mill
tary cemeteries, and that there was danger
that. bt tue decay or destruction of head
boards, all traces of the burial places of de-
ceased soldiers might be lost, / appointed
ChaDlain ID. w. T0liord D commissioner to
visit such cemeteries within this State, and
TO procure or make o record of the inter-
ments III them, 50 far as 1t could be done.
Therep0rt of the commission Is append
ed hereto, and the records, which have
been neatly and accurately entered In
books for permanent preservation and ref
the Executive Office. Plots have been
no atle OF the cemeteries, and the graves
numbered according to Q regular system,
ao that by means Of the record thus made,
any grave may be Identified even after the
head board IS decayed or removed, The
same system was adopted In regard to the
military prison cemeteries, and all that can
now be done to make permanent the inf0r-
nation which Is accessible on this subject