The San Francisco call., 1896-02-21
LYONS POST GA, R.
AT "F|X BAYONETS," !"
The Charges of Mismanage-
ment at the Veter-
ans Home
DENIED BY ITS OFFICERS
They Point Out the Blunders in
the Condemning Reso.
lutionS.
THE USES OF THE CANTEEN.
How the Expenditures Are Made-Re.
port of the Commandant
Last Year.

". a. H., OF oakland, have liked their bat
tle-stained bayonets, and their long-silent
bugles are blowing sonorous sounds No
| foreign foe, however, brings the vengeful
| steel from its sheath and neither the call
OF menaced Venezuela nor the wall of mur-
dered Armenians musters the veteran
lighting men of the Republic.
Lyon Post is decidedly in the pathway
Of war nevertheless, and the object of their
wrath Is the board Of directors of the Sol
diers' Home at Yountville. At a meeting
last Tuesday set of resolutions were
| adopted, as published yesterday in THE
CALL, strongly condemning the directory
IN their present management of the home
at Yountville.
The resolutions charge extravaganza on
the part Of the directors, misrepresentation
OF funds, drunkenness on the home
grounds by the officers of the institution,
and the expenditure of public money for
Lobbying purposes.
The charges are sweeping in their tenor,
even going so far as to complain that the
directors constructed the sewer so that the
drainage from the home emptied into Napa
Creek above Napa City, from which the
residents of that place obtained water. 1t
would seem, at first glance, that the mem
bers of the Common Council of Napa City
were the better judges of the sewerage
question, but the old troopers of Lyon
Post severely criticize their comrades in
the directory.
They ask that the Grand Army of the
Republic at the next encampment, at
Santa Cruz, transfer the home to the
State of California, regardless of the i'm
Go - = h. hoM
have fifth interest in the institution and
would fight that proposition as they once
fought Santa Anna at Buena Vista. The
Governor is asked to investigate the
charges and cause suit 10 be brought
against the treasurer of the Veterans
Home Association to recover all moneys
paid by the association for services rem
dered the home while a member of said
association; also against the directors for
all moneys misappropriated by them.
A representative of The CALL inter-
viewed number of G. A. r. men yester-
day and heard them deny in detail the
! charges. 1t is the general belief among
the officers of the association that the reso-
lutions were inspired by Comrade d. w.
G.. Thompson, late commandant of the
home, who was removed by the directory
several weeks ago. Thompson and the
board were at sabers' point during much
of his administration, and peace was only
declared when he was mustered out OF
office.
II do not know anything about the orig
inator of the charges" said Vice-President
G. W. Arbuckle, "nor who he is, but he is
certainly most ignorant in Grand Army
affairs, and especially in matters pertain
ing to the home. His mistakes are repre-
hensible, because he could have easily in
formed himself.
Now let us take the charges one by one
and discuss them. 1t is untrue that one
of the directors is paid 5000 year for SER
vices as treasurer of the home. 1t is also
untrue that he has $1,000 pension money
under his control. There is $13 900 depos-
tied in the different banks in this City on
interest for old soldiers now at the home,
and the treasurer can no more control
that money than you can. Pension money
is not paid in bulk to the pensioners at
Yountville. A few dollars is given them
from time to time, and the rest is paid to
their families, if they have any. When
they leave the institution, all money due
is paid to them. The treasurer's bond is
only 10,000, it is true, but under the cir
cumstances that is considered sufficient.
"The directors maintain an Office in this
City at the following monthly figures:
Office, $35; secretary, $3.50; treasurer, $50;
medical examiner for admissions to the
home, about SIS; total, $4,000 a year. The
articles Of incorporation of the Veterans
Home Association says in the third para
graph that the principal place of business
of the corporation is in the City of San
Francisco. Lyon Post certainly knew that.
There is no saloon on the grounds of
the home, unless the canteen can be called
by that name. All military posts. be-
lieve, maintain canteen where liquor is
sold to soldiers under restrictions that will
wholly prevent intoxication. The in
mates of the institution cannot be con-
fined, and the canteen Is maintained to
prevent those addicted to liquor from get
ting drunk away from the grounds, where
they cannot be taken care Of. There is no
drunkenness at the Veterans Home, I
assure you, and the sweeping charge that
directors can be seen in a state of intoxica-
ton is as silly as it is false.
''The sewer, which is said to empty 10000
gallons OF filth into tributary of Napa
Creek, has never been complained of by
the people of Napa City. AS matter Of
fact it empties into dry creek ten miles
from the city. and the contents are ab-
sorbed into the soil before they reach the
main stream.
"In regard to the misappropriation of
funds the State and National governments
give us $142 Sc yearly per man for the sup
port of the home. If we can save by
economy and good management from that
we make much needed Improvements.
Every purchase or expenditure is passed
upon by the supply committee, and not
bill is paid until the State Board of Ex-
aminers, comprised of the Governor, the
Secretary of State and the Attorney Gen
erai, have scrutinized it. The directory is
perfectly willing to have Governor Budd
| investigate at any time the affairs of the
institution. The charges are not only un-
true unjust and unpatriotic, but they
show limited knowledge of the plain
facts of the case that is unexcusable.
"Past Commander E. W. Woodward Of