The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-02-24
Their Maintenance at the Soldiers
Home Costly.
GENERAL PENSION BILL NEEDED
II VIII BE Prepared BY a Committee
of the General Assembly-Mr. VIII
son. of Pittsylyania, Attacks the
Institutions OF Learning.

the ola veterans who are IN need and TO
devise some systematic steps by which
they might be assisted in the most efec-
tive manner. ~ was agreed that the
maintenance Of comparatively few Of
them at the Soldiers Home was TOO cost
| ly and the suggestion Was made 20 keep
| only such oiu soluIers mere who need
n.edicai assistance and TO pay pension
TO the others.
A committee was finally appointed to
draw up a general pension bal which Is
! 10 take the pace OF the numerous re-
, l.ef bias ana the conference then adjourn
| ed 10 meet again al the same place this
! evening
Lpol motion OF Mr. Y. d. Jennings, Of
| Lynchburg. Captain Parks. OF Page. was
chosen chairman Of the meeting Mr.. T.
-. Jennings was then made secretary.
/ Captain Parks stated that the body had
gathered in response 10 a call issued dur
ing the day. requesting that all Coniedc-
rate soldiers who were members OF the
General Assembly. and who were inter-
ested i'm the welfare of the veterans OF
the war. assemble in The hall Of the
/ House Of Delegates.
Mr.. DarnaI. Of Pittsylvania as the
originator of the meeting, stated that the
call had been issued In order that the
proposed appropriation TO the Soldiers
! Home might be discussed. He though,
from the facts as shown by an Inspection
OF the institution, that u did not cost
$3.50 annually for the maintenance OF each
Inmate The clothing they wore, ne
! thought. was OF the most common ma
| terlal. ana the food served them was
poor. II the money appropriated by the
State was being diverted. 10 would be well
tor the Legislature TO take some steps
towards otherwise using this appropria-
/ ton. so that the old soldiers might re-
ceive the fun benefit OF IT,
Tpon motion Of Mr.. Pitcher. Adjutant
| Caldwell. Of the Soldiers Home was re-
! quested to make a statement as to the
management of the institution.
COST OF MAINTENANCE.
Adiutant Caldwell stated that IT cost
| for rauons fer man in quarters thir-
! teen cents per day. The average cos.
Der CAPITA for other necessary expenses
| amounted TO twenty-four cents per day.
Il cost per capita annually $lzI2) for the
| maintenance Of tho inmates. upon Ia"
! basis Of an average of 2i5 men. When
/ "a man was I'm the hospital his raw food
cost twenty-one cents FER day, the per
! capita cost for his maintenance there be-
| ing $1,000.
Adutant Caldwell was asked If he did
! not think any inmate OF the Inst tuition
would be willing TO accept pension OF
I ago annually and live at his own home
/ The officer replied that In several cases
/ he cited one. inmates had been given an
| annual pension the an CUNT turned over
/ TO them. and they had been discharged.
The result had been. in every Instance
/ that the veteran so discharged. had spent
/ the amount allowed him D. the STATE and
within few weeks apain appl ed 4of
admission 20 the Home
Captain Minter. OF Bedford. said that
| there was no question as 10 the lniegr ny
| and well meaning Of those who conducted
! the institution They were engaged In
/ % noble work The question 10 be con-
sidered however was. were not favored
Few being cared for according 10 the
| ideas of the benevolent officers OF the
| institution. while thousands a. other vet-
Grams were suffering some OF whom
were receiving, IL was true. the mere
| plttance of q pension of $l5 annually. lie
thought that the House should be con-
verted into a hospital and only those
| actually in need of medical attention be
| received while the appropriation could
| thus be reduced and the remainder be
/ applied IN equal proportion 20 the
needy Confederate veterans al over the
State.
Adutant Caldwell then stated that the
Home was gradually becoming a hos
pital and I'm six years IL would in real
ity be such an institution. The inmates
were growing more feeble every oay'
MIR. JENNINGS VIEWS.
Mr.. T. ID. Jennings, Of Lynchburg.
said that he could give some light as TO
the question whether the inmates would
not prefer TO receive a pension and leave
the Home He cited the case OF a
veteran. who had accepted so ana left
| the institution. He was now In Lynch
burg and an Offset Of charity. This
man was now extremely anxious to br
ro-admitted 10 the Home. Mr.. Jennings
said ne believed sincerely that if the
inmates we're discharged and given 500
In two years they would again be knock
ing al the door of the Soldiers Home.
Every dollar spent I'm the latter institute
ton was "eloriously we'll spent"
To those who had recently been placed
upon the pension roll, be was In favor
of increasing the amount from SO 10
$40 or even $50. lie was not, however.
I'M favor Of Gripping the Soldiers Home.
DR.. Quesenbcry. of Caroline. was IN
favor OF equalzng the pension list, and
nauguratlng some general system.
| CAPTAIN Parks said that as far as the
Soldiers Home was concerned, no man
had a higher appreciation for the inst'
tuition. and those who conducted g. than
did he In his county six men were on
the pension list, but no Confederate SOL
der had ever been an inmate Of poor
house there. and as long as he had a
voice IN his community no one ever would
be- The State was being abused however
I'm the granting Of pensions. Many were
on the rolls who were not entitled 10
pcnslon. lie explained his bill which pro
vides that all pensions shall be declared
null and void. and proper application b
made through the county courts TORE
any one shall he placed UPON the list.
The old soldiers throughout The STATE
were becoming dissatisfied. They wer'
Getting little or nothing. and vet they
heard Of the state appronra'ing for'v o.
cry thousand dollars 90 the Soldiers
Home wre~o the inmates we've bo'ne koD
st an exrcrse Of reoriv s'A per capi 2
annually. The soldiers could be Kept al
home for eco rer voar
VIrWS or OTHERS
Centain Nf'rter then made on e'o9ren
onr-.l ~ tho hoav n toxic some a-'i1'
IN behaif ~ me oid Corfedero'e s"l'i'r
For II would he hut n few veare bofnr'
he ,oioe ~ M veto~an m the la'e wal
would 10 raised in the General Assembly
- v'i-r'~ta
Ce~fain NYi~'or thon rofor~nd ~ M
constitution drown I'm f0r 'he gover7
..,art ~ tho state. S~af'ed he said fol
| the very purpose 81 c~'.~lipg tho f'~r1