Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-11

Average u m Der
present. .-....---... I295o lo9ol
Average number ab-
sent. lo.oo5 H,ozo
Whole number cared
Tor. r....-----.--.--..- 1s,otS -,'nS.
Deaths. ......... AI l,o.o
Average age number
cared for or........... 81 %
Average age of
those who died. SO 6S
Amount expended
for support sl,S24,7 727 6O Sl943,SS5 "a
Annual cost of main
tenance............. al W l39 oO
Pensioners, number 6,649 l.. l9U
Average pensions. l5S 10 lZo 10
Pensions paid to in
mates. 1,05l, 543 5S 1.41l, 4l 10
lies by Treasurer s2s.lsl % l,o4e,H7 oa
Average number in
State Homes. 4,5l6 5,2S2
Average paid in
State Homes. 3S1, SO 42 520,69I 50
Average in National
and State Homes. T,45l Is, 223
1t will be sadly noted that the old vets
are getting shaky on their pins. There was
an increase in attendance during 81 of near
ly 1000, and the death rate increased over
II per cent, though the average age of those
who died was four years greater than that OF
the deaths in 1890.
The Homes Overlooking.
General Pearson states that the National
Homes are overhowing, and many are
obliged to sleep on the floors for want of
room. Accordingly the management has
decided that any soldier who is drawing
SIG month pension is not eligible, or, in
other words, that he can make shift to get
along in some shape outside until there is
more elbow room in the retreats. There are
20 State aud Territorial homes in addition
to the national ones. Some of the State and
Territorial homes take all the soldiers pen
sion and others so per cent, while the ma
tional ones take nothing. Each State home
gets 500 per man from the National Asso-
citation. through its managers, and a State
appropriation besides.
In nearly every instance the real
estate on which the National Homes
are located was given voluntarily by
citizens, and many of the buildings were
put up without expense to the National
Government. The grounds and buildings
in most instances have become very val
uable such as in the cases of Milwaukee
and Minneapolis, and when they are no
longer needed for present purposes the in
crease in value will have compensated the
Government tor all its outlay.
An Appeal to Congress.
The board thinks that Congress should
barracks room which is badly wanted
already. The shortage will increase
for some years to come. In an,
swer to the charge that many of the
soldiers resident at the Homes could make
their living outside, the doctors who in
vestigated have reported that all the in
mates are unfit to care for themselves.
There was some complaint on account of
the vets being furnished with stimulants by
the authorities in charge, but General Pear
son states that experience has proven the
wisdom ofsupplying liquid comforts as some
of the old fellows could not restrain their
appetite for drink and going outside for it
fell into the hands of the Philistines every
time they drew their pension.
Now they have no occasion to go abroad
for spiritual comfort, and in the homes they
are protected from e1tortion and from the
of undue stimulation, and the
profits made by the sale of liquor go to the
increase of the inmates comfort, so that
the qualification of appetite is not an en-
tire waste to those who thus e1pend their
pensions and at the same time they are
deferred from rather than encouraged to in
dulge to excess.