Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-09-11

Philadelphia, Sept. THE Grand
Army of the Republic Wednesday Sc
lected Chicago as the place OF the next
encampment. When the report OF the
committee on pensions was read a mo-
tion was made to refer it to the COM
mittee on resolutions. After discus
sion lasting nearly four hours, the re-
port was referred back to the commit
tee on pensions, with instructions that
it be presented at today's session, en-
bodying recommendations and resolu-
lions. The complaint of the veterans
as contained in the pension commit
tees report is that the law governing
the granting of pensions is mlscon-
strued by the pension commissioner.
Mrs. Lizzie Baer of Wisconsin was
elected senior vice-president of the
Woman's Relief corps.
Surgeon General Albert S. Pierce re-
ported that during the past eighteen
months II, 1908 deaths occurred in the
grand army. The report says 1,672
deserving sick and manned soldiers
are not receiving pensions. In gov
eminent state homes for sailors and
soldiers there are 6,431 inmates. Fifty
four old sailors and soldiers are IN
almshouses. In his report Daniel L..
Ducus stated there are 6,682 soldiers
graves unmarked.
The report of Thomas ]. Steward,
adjutant general, was in part: THE
total membership of the Grand Army
of the Republic in good standing June
80, 1898, was 1918 posts with mem
bership of 5000; ON December 81,
1898, 7,178 posts with membership OF
298,747. and on June 80, 1899, 6,965
posts with membership of 287, 1881.
Expended in relief during the year
$160,955. ga. The year 1890 was the
high water mark in membership, (409,
4S9). Every year since the then has
shown a decrease. Each year shows
an increasing death rate"
The report of Quartermaster GEN
eral Fred w. Sphinx of Chicago, showed
total receipts of $26,3O8; expenditures
S14,636; balance on loans $11, 672; in
yestments in u. S. bonds $4,000.
The address of Senior Vice-Com-
mander-in-Ch w. G. Johnson OF Gin
cinnati opened with a memorial trib-
ute to Commander-in-C James A.
Sexton, Past Chaplain-in-Chief Rev.
Thomas c. Warner, and George K.
Mallory, a member of the national
council of administration, all of whom
died during the year. An encouraging
review of the work of the Sons OF Vet
Grams and the Women's Relief Corps
followed. The latter has membership
of 141, 800 and expended for relief dur
ing the year SCI, 1872 The Ladies of the
G.. A. r. also came in for a good
word.
There were lively times at Wednes-
days session of the fourteenth annual
convention of the national association
of naval veterans. At the convention
held in Cincinnati last September, a
resolution providing for the admission
of veterans of the Spanish war was in
PRODUCED and laid over until this year.
After a spirited discussion Wednesday
the resolution was Overwhelmingly de-
feated and when the result was an
nounced, the Farragut delegation from
New York and the delegates from Ad-
mira1 Bogg's association, Newark,
N. J., walked out in a body It is their
intention to start an opposition asso-
citation to be known as the United
States veterans of the navy. Rear Ad-
mira1 Foss of Minneapolis was in the
chair and made an able address.