The Portland daily press., 1900-08-30
Report of the Business
Committee.
Report Against Changing Mem
Orial Day to Sunday.

strictly a day of business. For those
members who were not burdened with
the responsibilities attending the position
of delegaDe to the convention of the
Grand Army. it was day for anything
and everything but business. From
morning until night the convention lab
ored at It's work in Studebaker hall lis
tening to numerous reports from officers
and committees while the vast majority
of the old soldiers went TO the parks,
took boat rides upon the lake and those
who had not seen blood enough in their
younger days, accepted an invitation
from the packers to visit the stock yards,
where they beheld more slaughter than.
HAD taken place at the "Bloody angle''
at Spottsylvania and in the Bloody
lanes at Antietam combined.
The convention opened at 10. 80 O'Clock
and from the start business was pushed
with energy. The opening session was
entirely of social character and was
open to the public. The afternoon meet
ing was of an executive character. The
forenoon meeting was reopened with
prayer by Chaplain Granin. The audi
ence rose and remained standing during
the prayer.
Mayor Harrison then formally well
coined the soldiers to Chicago. His adj
press was happily received. Commander
in-Chief Shaw replied, expressing the
thanks of the army for the hospitality
shown them.
AS Genera Shaw resumed his seat, J.
NJ. Longneck er. commander of the de-
partment Of Illinois, rose to greet the
visiting veterans. He made a speech
which evoked much applause. General
Lewis Wagner, who responded for the
members OF the army, was no less felici-
tous In his reply, expressing the graft
tudS Of his comrades to the men of lii
nois.
General Shaw then read his annual
report, which was in part as follows:
THE PENSION QUESTION.
Your administration from the first re-
garded the pension question as one of
paramount importance, and to It's cOnsid-
GRAFTON brought the best available re-
sources Of the order. 1t was believed
that unless wise and desirable amend
ments were secured to the act OF June 81.
1890, during the year, there would be
grave doubts whether these could ever be
obtained. With this view OF the situa-
ton plan Of campaign was early agreed
upon, and the work begun. Y our Com
mander-ln- CHIEF appealed to the public
conscience Of the nation in two addresses
one delivered in New York and the
other in MashingtOn-in behalf Of right
and righteousness concerning the pension
problem and demanding the fultfllment
Of the pledged faith o. the people in
pension matters. These addresses were
widely distr1 buted and without much ex
pense to our organization.
The result of the publication of the ad-
dresses wassa deepened interest in this
much discussed problem. Your pension
committee formulated such amendments
as bore out the recommendations of the
Thirty third National Encampment, and
pressed them upon the attention of the
Congress with resOlute courage and un-
falling dignity and earnestness. To keep
alive the interest In this work, your Com
mander-in Chief made a tour of vista
tions through southern departments and
constantly pressed to the front the Obiecus
sought in the legislation IN question The
claim made, was that our pension laws
were most liberal and In the main salts
factory, and that the complaints made
were generally against their interpreta-
ton by those charged with their execu-
ton. 10 avoid irritation OF an unhappy
sort, amendments were thought necessary
SO as to make clear the meaning OF our
pension laws, beyond the changing rules
established for executing them by differ
emit officials. 1t is a source of great grati-
fcatiOn to be able to state that the
amendments to the pension law of 1890
proposed by your administration were
unanimously passed by the Congress and
that every. speechanmade was in their
ic hcIf hot
liberal and just execution Of present pen
sion laws, little further in way of pension
legislation Will be necessary to secure for
the great majority of the dependent
saviOrs OF the nation the fulhllment Of
the pledged faith of the people in behalf
Of those who periled their all, In the
morning of their lives, for Liberty and
Union. The report of the Pension Com
mlttee viii give full details of its work,
and you special and close consideration
Is drawn to this Important review of the
years efforts along pension lines. In
view OF the high character and promi-
nence OF the members of this committee,
your Commander-in-C Chief has left this
branch of the work of the Grand Army
to be mainly presented by them to the
Encampment.
The last year of the Harrison admins
tration there was paid out for pensions
fiscal year ending June 3d. 1S95-S156,
sos, t37.94.
In June, 1888, under the Cleveland adj
min1stratiOn, Board of Revision was
created-the action of the previous adj
ADMINISTRATION was reviewed, thousands of
cases were reduced and dropped, so that
for the year 1894, the first year of that adj
ministration, there was paid for pensions.
Sl3p $50, 626 II, or a reduction of SIG, 8l9,-
911.S7.
PENSION COURT OF APPEALS.
The fact that different rules and differ
ent interpretations OF the same laws have
been established in the execution of pen
sion legislation, makes it clearly appar-
emit that pension court OF appeals should
be provided, so as to insure the fair and
impartial judicial settlement of all dis
puted claims for PENSIONS in competent