Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-01-31
Fighting FOR Pensions
Veterans Of the Soldiers Home Send
Committee to Interview Law.
makers,
Legislature Memorialized and Bill
prepared to revent Taking Of
Excess Tensions.
Argue That the Rule of the Old
Trustees is Unjust Creates
Discord at the Home.

Veterans j. j. Smith, John LaPorte
mittee from Iowa Soldiers Home in
this city. visited Des Moines Tuesday
Tor the purpose Of interesting the leg
islature in the pension question and in
u bill to do away With the rule regar'i-
irg excess pensions Of the members
No one question mas agitated the mem
bers OF the Soldiers Home TO the extent
that this one has, and the controversy
has covered a period of several years.
a memorial was presented to the leg
isature by the committee, and this Will I
be backed by the signatures Of APO oil
the members, asking that the rule be I
;tbrogatsd The bill which has been |
drawn up is in the hands of the repre- /
sentative and senator from this county, |
and will be presented in both houses at |
the present session.. 1t has been the
practice at the Soldiers Home since
1894 to take away from the inmates all
OF the pension money in excess of So
per month. the exeess going to5the sup
port of the institution. This rule was
adopted largely as a disciplinary meas
Sure and in the case Of members With
the money was sent TO
them. The right TO enforce this rule
/ has been vigorously opposed from the
4 time gef its adoption, and several years
lago Was tested in the courts, the state
+, winning the suit.
The position of the veterans is out
1 lined in the following memorial TO the
4 log sia tlre:
10 the Members Of the Twenty
eighth General Assembly
tine Undersigned members of the Iowa
HSoldiers' Home having been appointed
4 a committee TO present the views of the
= members of the Home, in regard TO
NEEDED legislation on the rule in fore
lin the Home requiring members of the
Hone Who have no Dependant relatives
10 surrender par; Of their pension, to
/ be turned into the special contingent
4 fund af the Home, beg leave to offer the
/ following fer your favorable considers
4 ton:
rFirst-We believe the trustees ex-
q ceede.i their authority in that they
have by their rule added another quail
fit.ition to those named in the law as
N being necessary TO enable a soldier To
become member of the Home, while
= the law only gives them authority to
adopt rules for the government of the
d Home.
second--The rule is unjust in that,
lswhil- ii was adopted in the first place
as a measure of discipline, il in many
cases fails 10 touch the offender, be-
cause. he does not receive n pension II
| excess Of the Sc per month and does
lopsrate to punish many who have al
Ways, observed the rules Of the Home
8 ia7ia in all fairness should not be pun
tished for the wrongdeing of others.
sThird-It is unjust. that 1t does not
bear equally on offenders who receive
!. more than Sc per month, for while one
may have TO give up s. per month, an
other may and is compelled to give 81
sc and IS per month.
Fourth-rhe knowledge Of the I'M
Sd fairness in its workings in the Home
has been the chief source of diseontsn'
!. in the Home and has to great extent
:, DESTROYED the harmony that should OK
i ist between the officers and members
,5Iof the Home. ard which We believe
would if the rule was repealed, tsne
= greatly to make the Home what III.
people. and legislature intended II TO b'
. in fact as well as in name
o Fifth 1t is unjust that in many
eases 1t makes the soldier pay mor'
. money into the state treasury than I
o costs the state to support such membe
ia the Home. for instance. nefnbe
getting pension OF 81 per month
nays Sc par month to the state, or 81
Der year. The general government al
lows the state 500 per year for hi
support. a total Of SIP that the stat