The San Francisco call., 1896-03-14
BARNES REPORT
IS UNEARTHED,
Lyons Post to Fire Some
Hot Shot at the Direc-
tors To-Day.
WAS LONG SUPPRESSED.
The Methods Of Conducting the
Canteen Characterized as
DiSgraceful.
HUNDRED PER CENT PROFIT.
Not One of the Directors Was Doing
HIS Duty or ObeyiDg the
Bylaws.
HUNDRED PER CENT PROFIT.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL. |


two years ago by the Veterans Home AS
sociation and which was suppressed by the
directors has been secured by some of the
old soldiers interested in the present
charges made by Lyons Post and it will
form large portion of the evidence that
VIII be introduced at the coming investiga
hon. Referring to this report, which
Is known as the Barnes report, General
Barnes said: at has been trampled out
Of sight and instead of adopting it the
directors applied to themselves more white
wash than Il colored man uses on his back
shed. | was 'eleemosynary counsel OF
that investigating committee and knowing
the feelings of the directors | robbed II
Of everything that might hurt the Feelings
OF the directors
The following sections OF the celebrated
report, every copy OF which vanished as
soon as II wa s rejected, are those which are
said TO sustain the charges of Lyons Post:
1t may as well be noted here that the bylaws
OF the association call for four quarterly meet
lngs OF the board OF directors. They prescribed
that prior 10 such meetings the committee
known as the auditing committee should
examine the report and books OF the treasurer
and fully verify the correctness OF his accounts
The treasurer was himself also required By ne
bylaws to present at such NEE tlngs fulll de-
tailed and itemized report OF the finances OF
the association IN his charge and OF his re-
celptS and expenditures.
Comrade C. E. X Royce became treasurer OF
the association on the 2Sth day OF January,
1892. Examination shows that almost lmrne-
aiately after Com rade Royce became treasurer
he commenced misappropriating the funds OF
the association, his first EN- bezZlement amount
ing To 1896 "a, ana occurring March =, lS92.
Al the time when the first quarterly meeting
should have been held his misapproprlations
amounted to the sum OF S54lS sea- considerable
f.rrf r1S vi
the amount miSa ppropriated at the time OF MS
resignation treasurer, and which now ap-
pears to be the sum OF S1S 1913 09.
II the required Quarterly meetings had been
held, and the treasurer had been compelled at
such meetings 10 present his books and ac-
counts for examination. and if the auditing
committee had, as required by the bylaws,
personally examined his accounts and re-
I0rred thereon, the enormous loss which the
GssOciat tln has sustained through Treasurer
Royce would hsve been rendered impossible,
and his peeulations, ii he had INDUCED IN any,
would have been limited 10 the first three
months OF his administration as treasurer me
IrOba bilIty is that Treasurer Royce knew from
past experience in the board that the directors
of the association did not hold the meetings
required by the bylaws and had not habltu-
ally or otherwise equired the treasurer to
keep any books or present any regular de-
tailed or itemized statement Of his transac-
tlQnS The loose methods which had preceded
his term OF office were in themselves an en-
couragement and instigation TO embezZlment,
OF which he promptly ayailed himself.
ton. though the committee has sought TO OBJ
tain the statements and views OF the board OF
directors concerning the condition OF the al
fGiTs OF the nome, II mas not been aided TO any
great extent il the solution OF any question,
and is compelled TO report that in whatever
direction II has turned its Investigations 1t mas
found numerous evidences OF neglect upon the
part OF the board OF directors and OF its com
Inittees which certainly justifes severe critl-
cism, ii not the institution OF legal proceed
1ngs to recover OF them the moneys Wnlch, II
they had attended 10 their duties, would never
have been stolen.
Your committee took samples of such staples
rs coffee, tea, rice, sugar and other articles as
were then on hand, and procure1 the same 10
be carefully examined and tested by the Pur-
chasing Department OF the United states Gov
erlment, dealing In similar goods 1or the Use
OF the army OF the United states. 80 lar as
these samples were concerned, none OF tnem
were Of the quality or character represented by
the sellers or the memb bers OF the committee
on supplies They were OF Inferior quality ana
sold al considerably above average market
prices even OF goods OF the poor quallty deIlV.
cred These facts and the Investigations OF
the committee lead ii to the conclusion that
the present method Of purchasing supplies Tor
the Veterans Home, through the agency OF
committee on supplies. ought TO be stopped.
There is no reason as far as the com mmlttee
can learn. why bids for supplies should not pc
solicited and advertised for in the way usually
adopted by other public institutions, nor why
contracts should not be made with responsible
lowest bidders, protected by proper bonds ana
with all the usual and ordinary guarantees Tor
the fuljliment OF such contracts. II contracts
we're made for supplies, and samples turn1shed
wherever possible, and copies OF duplicates OF
contracts deposited with the commandant at
Yountville, It would be possible for the busi-
ness TO be much more economically and salts
factorily conducted than at present. 1t is
enough to say upon this subject that the pres
ent system has given rise, whether justly or
uniustly, TO suspicious OF UNFAIR deallng ana
iIegitimate profits, which will continue 10 re-
dound to the injury OF the INSTITUTION as long
as it continues to be sanctioned by the board
OF directors.
Your committee has given considerable at
tenrion to the canteen established at the nome
in TIrIv 1892 and which has since been and
now is in operation there. Quite divergence
OF opinion has been found 10 exist as 10
whether or not there Should De any CAME al
the Veterans Home, bat there seems To be no
'fiif renee of opinion that the method IN when
the canteeu has been operated Is subject 10 just
criticism and ought to be changea at once.
Your committee has examined with some
care the annual and other reports OF soldiers
homes. both State and National, ana while the
canteen system appears 10 nave Deem aaop'ed
the Veterans Home al Yountv1lle Is i0und TO
avisf anywhere. In homes where the can
teen is tolerated no spirltuous or Intoxicating
liouors are permitted 10 De sold. no beverage
stronger than beer is permitted TO be used, and
even the per diem quantity OF that to the con-
. sumer is limited
rious alcoholic preparations and btters and
an abomiiable connection known as ''whlsky
bItters'' are freely supplied and drunk by the
OF high-grade spirits, doctored with essences
ana syraps, the effect of which upon the per
sons using ii cannot but be most injurious. NO
restraint appears to have been paced upon
he eongulapiio of these intoxicating and IN
iurious liqaids, the only limit to their use
being the pecuRiary capacity OF the veteran 10
buy. ,t -, ,,a,,o
Some of the members of the board VINO nave
appeared before the committee ana olhcefs Ut
the home have estimated the prohis OF me
canteen as high as 100 per cent rms exorpi,,
tant profit appears to have been Justlned ana
allowed upon the theory that IL would oe de
voted 20 the benefit, in some Iorn, ol we
home No such result has been reaeneu so Iar
IN the history Of the cauteen. due paruslly, no
doubt TO the fact that the moneys deTItea
from the canteen fund have nearly Ri oeen
eInbezzled by Treasurer Royce and constitute
considerable portion OF bis stealings
While the committee is not wholly agreed Us
10 the advisa bility OF maintaining the cahieeB,
1t is unanimously OF opinion that the melhoas
hitherto adopted in its operation ought 70 pe
changed, and particularly that the sale OF aicoS