Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-09-15
THE REPORT.
The Committee Wants an In
vestigation.
THE RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.
Members Of the G.. A. 4, Discuss the
Management of the SOL
diers' Home.
THE REPORT.
The RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.

l
receive the report of the investigating
committee appointed to inquire into the
charges of Encouragement of the Sol.
dier's Home at Santa Monica. Comrade
Francis took the chair, and announced
that the reading Of the report was in
order. The committee presented their
report, as follows:
COMRADES; Ata meeting OF comrades held
III this city on the 18th inst. to take action upon
| certain charges rejecting upon the manage
ment and condition OF the Soldiers Home at
santa Monica, committee OF comrades was
duly appointed to visit said Home and inyesti-
gate the condition Of affairs so far as possible
today
This committee would respectfully report that
they have performed the duties assigned them
SO lar as possible in the time allotted, and now
submit the following:
Resolved, That the evidence obtained by this
| committee, by personal inspection of the
| quarters and food and an examination of nu
merous subordinate officers aud comrades Of
the Home, and an interview with the Governor
thereof, iustifes the report of the committee
| as follows:
| First. Toe meat furnished is net such as re-
| quired by the contract
second. The proper and necessary supplies of
| food and delicacies are not furnished the Hos
ptal Department.
Third-We are of the opinion that the Quar-
termaster Sergeant and Commissary Sergeant
are incompetent to fill the positions they
occupy.
.FouIth-Civilisns In many instances are EN-.
pioyed where inmates could be employed at
lesg expense.
Fifth-Civilians and soldiers employed, as
well as the subordinate officers, are supplied
| inmates not employed
Sixth-The present condition of affairs at the
home is. in our opinion, due to the fact that
the Governor neglects to give personal atten.
tion to tho inspection of the supplies and gen.
eral condition OF the Home, nor does he require
orreceiye reports from his subordinate officers
especially appointed to make reports concern
ing quantity or quality of supplies furnished
We find that the Surgeon and Hospital Stew
ard are fully competent, and give their. undi-
lsigned) u. W. Field, Chairman; M. F. Tar
BILE, Secretary; George Gard. J. A. Donnell,
F: W.Tyer. W. J Brown, John W. Francis, A.
Johnson,
Mr.. Shaw took the floor and denounced
the method OF the present management
OF the institution, and said that steps
should be Immediately taken looking TO
reform in the manner OF conducting the
Home.
Colonel Nudge, of Shiloh Post. said
that he understood the committee's work
to be simply that of investigating the
charges made against the commanding
officer at the Home, and not an inquiry
as to any dereliction ofthe Government in
the matter of supplies. He said that the
committee, in making its Investigations,
found that there was lack of the proper
kind of food. The contract made by the
Government calls for beef from the head
to the feet, which takes in all the porter
house and sirloin steaks, as we'll as the
poorer portions. The committee found
that this contract was dead letter,
as the meat which was on the table, and
which had been regularly supplied TO the
institution for long time, was nothing
Dut the poorer parts of the beef, none Of
the loin portion being sent to the Home
This statement, the Colonel seid, was
made to the committee by number of
the inmates, and did not meet with
single contradiction. The committee
also found that there were three Ser
geants appointed by the Governor of the
institution to inspect and receive Or re-
ject any meat that was sent. There had
not been an inspection OF this kind for
two months past, according to the state
ments made by the Sergeants themselves.
The coffee served TO the inmates was of
very poor quality, and there Was no but.
ter on the table at the monday meal.
Inquiry revealed the fact that butter is
never served at dinner. The Colonel
stated that he believed the Governor of
the Home en- honest man and gentle
man beyond all question, but thought
that he did not possess high degree
of efficiency for the position he now oc-
cupies. He was questioned by the COM
mittee as to why he did not look after
his appointed inspectors and see that
they did the work for which
they were appointed. He replied that
he thought them trustworthy men, and
supposed they did their duty. Colonel
Nudge went on to say that Governor
7 eichel was certainly laboring under
great difficulties in some directions, and
instanced the absence Of refrigerators,
bath rooms, and other conveniences al
most necessary to properly conduct such
an institution as the one commanded BY
him, for which he deserved the consid-
Grafton OF the committee; but the men,
bers of the committe oould find no excuse
for his not looking after his subordinates
and knowing that their duties were prop
erly performed
Commander Gard was called upon to
express his views on the subject, but he
excused himself from making speech,
and referred the comrades to the COM
mittee's report, which, he said, expressed
his feeling in the matter.
| Another comrade took the floor and
said that he was not on the committee,
but had looked about the Home on his
visit there yesterday, and had questioned
many of the inmates. They told him
that the dinner yesterday was better
than usual, and that it had been
especially prepared, the managers know
ing of the committees proposed visit.
The comrade spoke of the sick men who
were confined in the hospital, and who
had to put up with the same food as that
served to those who were entirely we'll.
No delicacies are given them, and nine
tenths OF the inmates complain about the
management of the Home.
Col. Dunkelberger took the floor and
said that he had visited the Home with
the committee, and that the statements
made by the preceding speakers were
partly correct but that he could not agree
with them on all of the assertions
made. He said that there was syrup on
the table every day and at every meal
and that the inmates always had
well cooked vegetables with the meat,
which he claimed was not of bad quail
ity but good, tender and wholesome.
Inquiry among the inmates By him, re-
vealed the fact that they hal ncver been
served with any fainted meat, and that
an old veteran who had been in othel
Soldiers Homes told him that the food
provided at Santa Monica was better, OF
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