Arizona republican., 1899-06-16
HOMES FOR SOLDIERS
Which Receive and Care for Vefer-
 ans who Served as Volunteers.

No part of the lately published vol
 ume containing the report Of the sec
 retary of war is more interesting than
 the account of the National Home for
 Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, an insti-
 tuticn about which but little is gen.
 era.ly known.
 This institution is composed of eight
 branch homes; tc-wit, the Eastern, the
 Central, the Southern, the Western,
 the Northern, the Pacific, the Marion
 and the Danville situated in as many
 different states. Each of them is un-
 der the immediate charge of local off
 cers appointed by the board of man.
 agers. The aggregate population of
 the homes is over 19,OO0. The general
 government of the institution is in
 vested in 6 board of fourteen manag-
 CTS, three of whom, the president of
 the United States, the secretary of war
 and the chief justice, are members by virtue Of their offices. The other elev-
 en are chosen from time to time by
 congress for a term Of six years. The hoard of manager elects from it's own
 members a president, two vice presi-
 dents and a secretary, and, from non members, an inspector general, an as sistant inspector general and general treasurer. The president has his per-
 manent headquarters in Hartford, Conn. and the secretary at Princeton,
 H.; the board meets from time to time at places agreed upon. The ad- ministratoTs of each branch home are selected by the board of managers from honorably discharged officers and soldiers; a recent inspection shows that their duties gre discharged with commendable zeal and efficiency The purpose of this institution is to receive and care for veterans who have rem dered service to their country as vol unteers, but who are unable to earn a living ty reason of disabilities in cured under the colors. It is to be expected that unfortunate survivors of the Spanish-American war will be presently compelled to look to the gov ernment for shelter, food and clothing, and the secretary of wnr recommends that s/ch legislation be enacted as shall admit honorably discharged sol diers, who have taken part in that con test, to the home for disabled vClun- teers. New buildings will be erected fer the benefit of survivors Of the | 5 Spanish-American contest, and the re- i port before us advises that these shall be placed in the southern states, where | the advantages incident to mild eli | mate may be secured.
 The records published here show | that, Of the 19,000 disabled volunteers | present during the past i year. the average daily number of sick | was 2.01O in hospital, SS3 in convales- | cent Cuart1rs and 471 at sick call. l They are said to receive proper care and attention from an excellent corps | Of surgeons and nurses. In the hos pitals, trained female nurses have been substituted for the veterans to whcm used to be delegated the charge of their sick 'brethren. What these homes lack as yet is a central medi- gal authority who should either be a 5alaried member of the board of man agerS CT an assistant to it's president, and who should supervise the medical administration, especially as regards he purchase and distribution of medi- gal supplies. The mortality during -lta last year was 50.9 per 1000, a pro portion which speaks well for the medical administration, as, with the age of the veterans of the civil war, a higher death rate from rear to year was to be looked for. The general condition and police admins ration Of the grounds and buildings is pronounced by the inspector eXcep- ionally good, and, evidently, an effort $ made On the part Cf the local officers Q make and keep them attractive.- Golfers Weekly.