The morning call., 1893-09-04
A Soldiers Home Arrayed
Against Itself.
AN ACRID VERBAL CONTEST.
Old Soldiers at Yountvilie Oppose 8
Plan to Deposit Their Pensions
With the Directorate.


and fought it out. The veterans came out
victorious and there was rejoicing and
handshakng for hours after the verbal
battle beneath the gnarled oaks on the in
spection grounds.
On August 20 the directors met in San
Francisco and concluded to adopt some in
novations in tactics, management and
! financial control at the home. Among the
usageS discussed was the plan in vogue
| at national soldiers homes-the COM
mandant of the home having absolute con-
troll of a pensioners money during his
! stay in tho Institution. The directors con-
| cluded that an arrangement of this nature
would have a salutary effect upon the
morals of the veteran contingent at Yount-
vile. and accordingly the following order
was promulgated:
Members of the home who are pensioners
shall. within ten days after receipt of same.
! pay it over 10 the commandaut or such officer
as he may designate. The commandant shall
remit to the treasurer Of the association all
pension moneys so received, and on the 25th of
each month shall make a reQuisltlon for each
| pensioner who shall desire the same.
! The pension money thus collected shall bs
| deposited in a separate account in the name OF
| the ASSOCIATION and shall not be a part OF the
! general funds of the home, except IS may
/
! the board Of directors may, IN special cases.
decide that portion or all of the money which
may have been deposited by any member can
! be expended for the support of the wife, minor
| children or dependent relative of such men,
! ber. or in such other manner they may deem
proper; and such part of it as shall not have
sooner been paid shall be returned 10 him
upon his discharge from the home
That in case of death of pensioner any
money due him and remaining in the hands OF
the treasurer shall be paid 10 his legal heirs if
| demand is made within one year; otherwise
the same shall escheat TO the home.
That failure or refusal OF any member to
make payment at the time specified and in the
! manner provided shall be considered viola
tion OF the rules, and the cOmmandant is hereby
directed TO give such offender his honorable
discharge from the home. Any member
discharged shall not be readmitted within six
months from the date Of his discharge.
| The veterans read this new rule over
and over, then read it again, making sure
Of its terms and defining the extent TO
| which it abridged their existing privileges.
Then open war on the ebjeetienab able inno-
vation was declared and all flags of truce
were destroyed. The directors had can
didly told the veterans that the care of tho
pensions was intended for their own good;
that it would have a tendency to check
dissipation and eXtravaganees that the
monthly allowance of SIS was sufficient to
purchase tobacco. paper and kindred luz
uries, and that in the end they would have
a comfortable nestegg in case discharge
or removal arose.
The men, however, could not see it that
way. claiming that former experience had
taught them that they were the proper
cust0dians of the amount which the Gov
ernment pays out
1t was intended that the obnoxious order
should take immediate effect. and, in view
Of the speedy arrival OF pension day, the
following anti-furlough order was posted
in order to check absence without leave,
with its probable expenditure Of the
monthly stipend:
Pursuant TO instructions from the board OF
directors, dated August 26, it is hereby or
| dered that no furloughs will be issued to men,
befs OF this home who are pensioners. from this
date until September %. or until each pen
sioner so applying shall have transferred mis-
! pension to the association, as provided In the
resolution recently adopted. From and after
this date until September 20 there shall be
written upon every honorable discharge issued
TO DenSioner: No objection TO his readmls-
sion is known to exist after the expiration OF
six months. BY order Of
COLONEL G. H. A. Dn1PFEL,
Commandant.
The pension transfer and the anti
! furlOugh orders ombined to furnisn force
| for many an animated discussion in the
barracks, and formidable array of antag-
onism was prepared for use by the vet-
Grams.
Yesterday the directors held an ad-
journed meeting at the home, and besides
Commandant Dimpfel there were present:
". G. Burnett. president Of the board OF
directors; Captain j. c. Currier, treas
urer; j. J. Scoville. secretary, and Direc-
tors q. w. Arbuckle. 81. T. Hobart, G. A.
Fuller and 6. II. Stevens. At 1880
o'clock 800 veterans, representing the
active members of the five companies,
formed in a column and were inspected by
the commandant and the directors. Sus-
picious whisperings in the long line IN
duced Colonel Dimpfel to order the men
TO form hollow square. and then he said:
Comrades, Mr.. Burnett will now ad-
dress you upon the subject which is near
est your hearts this morning-the matter
of your pensions"
Mr. Burnett explained the motives of
the directors in formulating and issuing
the deposit order, saying that its enforce
ment meant the betterment of the mems
condition and the advancement of the well
fare of the home. His remarks were not
kindly received. and frequent Interrupt
tons were made. The speaker fell back
and then Director Arbuckle stepped for
ward and began similar line of explana-
ton, saying
1.-THE management will take good care
of your money"
Yes, so did RoyceP' rejoined grizzled
old private, and cheer OF approval en-
sued.
I'VE think the sum we have stipulated
SIS month-wiil be quite enough for
ordinary expenses. Some of you, of
course, are not receiving large pensions,
and your monthly allowances would not
exceed 81" continued Mr.. Arbuckle.
1.-Two dollars ain'C enough to buy to-
baeco," said a feeble old fellow who
leaned on a stick. ''Some of us are in
debt around here, and how on earth are
we going to pay up if you directors insist