The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-05-08
STATE VETERANS CONVENE
THIRTIETH INN UAL ENCAMPMENT
OF CONNECTICUT q. Il. IL.


ship and other Reports-ReCeption Last
Evening-Eleotion of Officers To-day.
The thirtieth annual eucampment Of
The Grand Army of the Republic of the
department of Connecticut was opened
in Waterbury yesterday and will be
continued to-day. The regular sessions
of the encampment We're held in Speed
well hall
Between four and five hundred men,
city, which put on a gala attire Of flags
and bunting in honor Of the veterans.
The regular session opened at 2
o'clock in Speedwell hail. and was a
business session. The delegates were
called to order by Department Com
mander Oscar w. Cornish of Water
bury, who delivered his annual address.
He said, in part:
Comrades hail with pleasure your
coming to the City of Brass Through
the gateways of this thriving city,
whose justly-merited claims to a con-
sideration of deserved eulogy time and
circumstances will not permit, you
come in response to the assembly for
the transaction of business pertaining
to the interest of our cherished organ
izatton. That fraternity will charac-
terize our words and actions l cannot
doubt.
81 cannot boast of an increased men,
bership; for the flood tide, which began
to ebb in 1891, though receiving a tenn
porary check the following year, still
flows toward the great beyond. By no
human influence or agency can the cur
rent be stayed. The figure by muster
in is less than one-half the number by
muster out; busy death Is in our midst.
1t is very gratifying to me to be able to
report that the number of posts in good
standing January 1, 1896, are still in
tact. with a. tenacious grip on life that
is remarkable.
st believe the pension laws are wise
and Just. I regret that they must be
adjudicated as they are, largely by
those who were instrumental in making
our wounds and who sit in Judgment on
our claims. For this, however, l see no
remedy Every just pension certificate
should be placed beyond all legislative
and Judicial cavil. I do not think the
That it will, however in the not dis
tant future I firmly believe.
ITO myself personally the experiences
and service of the term now closing
have been precious and profitable, the
brightest gem in my Grand Army life,
and as look into the eyes of this en-
campment, from which beams the true
spirit of fraternity, 1 dare hope that the
feeling is mutual"
The report of Assistant Adjutant
General John H. Thatcher of Hartford
showed the following condition of mem
bership:
Number of posts December 81, 1895,
SO: number of posts December 81, 1896,
So: membership in good standing De-
cember 81. 1895, 6,20S; gain since by mus
ter by transfer and by reinstatement,
249. Total, 6,457.
Loss by death, 1856; loss by discharge
(honorable), 49, loss by transfer, &c; loss
by suspension, 27O. Total loss, SGT.
Remaining in good standing, $3.50;
number remaining suspended, 1855; num-
Der dropped, 14S; membership Decem-
Der 81, 1895, 6,2OS; membership Decem-
Der 81, 1896, $3.50. Net loss in member
ship, 27S.
Expended for charity, $7,573.7S.
"The tabulated department state
ment shows the amount of cash in the
treasury of each post to make total OF
500 s53. II in the post fund, and $54, .21
in the relief fund, and there was ex-
pended from both funds during the year
S7.573.3S for the assistance of worthy
comrades, their widows and orphans.
,U,1,a rnGte also have S2O MI az
Invested in furniture, flags and post
room property, and eleven posts own
real estate valued at $50,40943.
s.The annual account current for 1895
shows receipts Of $5,805,15; disburse-
ments, s2155.57 balance on hand in
banks, $3,649.5S.'
The report Of Lizzie H. Arnold of
New Haven, department president of
the woman's relief corps, showed:
Total amount expended in relief and
charity, 81, 351 .63; number of persons as
sisted, 1,42S; number of corps in depart
ment, 40; number of members in good
standing, 1888; total value Of corps
property (cash and otherwise) ,$11 $3.50, O5.
The report Of the department commit
Zee on Soldiers home for 1896 showed:
CAPACITY of home, 425; present March
I, 1897, 4o3; absent in state hospital for
insane, %; absent in other state hos
pitfalls, 8; absent with leave, 10; absent
without leave, L; total absent, 81; total
present and absent, asa; total number
cared for during year, 571 deaths from
March 1, 1895, to February 2S, 1897; per-
centage of deaths,7.7; number of graves
in home cemetery, 107.
Cost per capita at Fitch home for
Soldiers, $178.37, of which SS1.15 was
paid by the state and 1922 by the gen.
eral government.
Department Inspector Lester D
Phelps of Rockville and Department