The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-09
Elected at the Annual EnCdmp-
ment Of the Veterans Of
the Nation.
Corporal Tanner Scores Commissioners of Pen
sions Evans for Making Certain
Rulings.

the full extent to which he is entitled.
This is due him, anu there should be no
cavtl or question about his receiving it.
In his report Alfred Lyth, the senior
vice commande--in- chief, referred to
the visit of Post No. 2, Department of
New York, to Hamilton, Ont, saying
that the cheers which greeted the
comrades on arrival and the reception
on the part of the citizens of Hamilton
were illustrations of the recent draw
ing together in sympathy and feeling
of the two great English-speaking ma
tons.
The report Of the adjutant general,
Thomas J. Stewart, contained the fol-
lowing figures as to the membership:
The members in good standing June
80, 1897, numbered 319,456. The gain
10.94O; transfer, 1875; reinstatement,
1867; from delinquent reports, 4551;
total, 32,45 The losses were, by death,
1888; honorable discharge, 1880; trans
fer, 4471; suspension, 25,033 dfshonor-
able discharge 165; by delinquent re-
ports, 7O41; by surrender of charter,
1925; total, 46, 306. So the members in
good standing June 80, 1898. numbered
$685. The number of members re-
naming suspended at that date was
1868. Reports received from depart
ments showed that $3.50 members pre-
viously reported as suspended had
been dropped from the rolls. The
amount expended in charity during the
year was SILL 03.
The report of the quartermaster gen.
eral. A. J. Burbank, showed that the
receipts during the year were SIT, 1875
and the expenditures $14694, the bal
ance on hand being $780,
Alonzo Williams, inspector general,
reported that the organization is still
o. in Onn6 oil oh
rapidly decreasing in numbers. 1t was
still doing very efficient work through
out the land.
When the annual reports were being
read, especially Gobin's. there was con-
siderable cheering at the mention of
President McKinley's name, but when
the name of Secretary Alger was men
toned in connection with the recent
war there was an uproarious demon
Stration in his favor. After the reports
had been referred to their respective
committees. many resolutions were Of
fered specifically indorsing the admin
istration of General Alger in the War
Department. The temper of the en-
campment, as shown to-day, indicates
that the resolutions will indorse the
management of the recent war.
A resolution was introduced to have
the school histories use the term of
the war between the States" instead
of the war of the rebellion" 1t is
quite likely that resolutions will be
adopted providing for the use of the
term of war for the preservation Of
the Union" There will also be an effort
made to secure representation for the
colored men in the national encamp-
ment.
The first business In order at the
afternoon session was a lengthy report
from the committee ON pensions. 1t
cited the fact that extensive investiga-
lions had been undertaken by the de-
partments of different States, and after
close inquiry there had not been a
single case of fraud discovered which
could be traced to member of the
Grand Army of the Republic.
The report made a somewhat ex-
tended comparison Of the work accom-
plished now and during the last year
of the administration Of General Grant
This showed that the efficiency Of the
department in the way of prompt dis
posal Of claims had been vastly in
creased. The committee gave figures
showing that the death rate was rap
idly increasing among pensioners. 1t
is estimated that the increase In the
number of deaths will be such that in
1920 the number of pensions will be re-
duced to a little over 100000, and that in
1910 the list will be obliterated.
When a motion was made to accept
and adopt the report Corporal Tanner
of New York arose to discuss 1t. He
said that in the main he agreed with
all the committee had reported, but
with that portion of the report which
dealt with the administration of the
pensions officers he did not agree, and
he went on to speak in criticism Of the
present Commissioner of Pensions, Hon.
H. Clay Evans. With evident feeling
he said:
Il stand ready to be responsible here
ara elsewhere for all statements 1 NAV
make on this subject and 1 declare that
Commissioner Evans called his chiefs
of divisions together and using lam
guage which indicated intense feeling.
if not anger, instructed them to disre-
gard totally every application based
on deafness or rheumatism He fur
Their intimated that if any one declined
to accept his suggestion he would find
chiefs who would obey his orders"
Corporal Tanner declared that in his
opinion it was clear that the man who
would make such an order had him
self never heard the sound of cannon
nor slept in the open air, and he was
not surprised, therefore, to find that
the Commissioner of Pensions had an
army record which consisted of three
months and sixteen days as a sergeant
in the commissary department.
A delegate from Kansas followed