The Saint Paul globe., 1900-01-28
SOLDIERS HOME TRUSTEES

File Their Annual Report With Gov
Lind, as Required by Law.
The annual report of the board O
trustees of the Minnesota Soldiers hom
has been printed, and a copy filed will
Gov Lind, as required by law.
DR.. A. A. Ames, of Minneapolis, ant
DR.. Charles Griswold, Of st. Paul, are .tht
consulting surgeons DR.. Ames also /:
county agent for Hennepin county for tn;
disbursement of the relief fund in thai
county, a work that demands much time
and careful investigation. This work ht
does, as do all the other county agents
without any compensation.
Members Of the home performing regu
lar detailed duty receive no pay, their ex
emption from dining room work and ia
tigue details being considered sufflcien
remuneration therefor. A few deals re.
quiring special skill or involving excep-
tional responsibility are granted small
monthly allowances. Nurses and firemef
are sometimes employed from the outside
as competent men for these duties canno
always be selected from among the In
mates of the home. Upon the whole
however, the aggregate monthly pay rol
is less than 1t was several years ago.
The adjutant's report gives the popula-
ton as 361 at the close of the period COW
: cred by, the report, 124 being admitted
during the year, and 102 were discharge e6
z or died during the year, making. net
gain of 22. Of the total population 252 are
receiving pensions from the United States
government ranging from s6 to $50, the
greatest number receiving the minimum
All pension money over 81 is turned over
to the officers of the home for the support
of the institution. The average age Of
the inmates of the home is siXty-thT e.
years and seven months, and the averag &c
length of service is placed at 278 months
Many skilled laborers are included In
the roster of the institution, but the
greatest number are laborers, that class
being about third of the total popula-
ton. Doctors and lawyers are represent
ed by three each. Hennepin county fur
nished 1872 of the entire population of the
home, and Ramsey county contributed
5S.
The iquartermaster' report gives the
per capita cost of maintaining the griz-
zled herores Of a four years war at $lS1. 23
The home property is reported in good
state of repair, with the exception of the
general dining room, which is very much
in need of repairs, The product of the
farm during the year amounted to nearly
$500. ss4s aa
The total cost of maintenance was $685.
100.55 The United States government paid
on per capita allowance S22, ,376.0S, and the
members of the home contributed pension
money amounting to $12, 1850, leaving the
net cost Of the institution to the state
SIS, 014.07.
The members Of the home have by theil
voluntary labor kept the home up in ex
cellent shape, and the grounds in a beau
tiful condition during the summer months
Twenty inmates died at the, institution
during the year, and all were. given re-
spectacle burial, with appropriate servfce
held In each case
The legislature at It's last session appro.
priated $4,000 for an Increased water sup.
ply. An eight-inch well has been sunk
to the depth Of 1,019 feet. The water
comes up to within fifteen feet of the
top, is of excellent quality and connected
as the well is, with large duplex pump
the supply is ample for all occasions, ordi.
nary or extraordinary.
We have also taken steps to improve
the system Of heating, which we believe
will result in a large saving in the item
of fuel and increased efficiency of the
heating arrangements.
We have also admitted to temporary
membership in the home for medical
treatment several men who served in
Minnesota regiments in the Spanish
American war; this action is authorized
by the law, as amended by the legislature
at the suggestion of this board
DR.. D. r. Greenlee, who was recently
succeeded by DR.. o. S. Pine, as surgeon
reports the health of the inmates partic.
ularly good, and the death rate as no.
tably low, the average age at the time ol
death being sixty-seven years. Severa
very old men are being cared for in the
hoSpifa1 one WaV mast ntnafu
Regular religious services have beer
held regularly by both the Catholics and
PrCtestants. Commandant Thomas Nc
MILAN acknowledges receipt Of many
courtesies and delicacies from the ladies
of the relief corps and other kind-hearted
people.
Receipts
Balance on hand Aug. 1, 1899 9..... $500 rs
Per capita allowance, United
States government. ........... q, 376 Oe
Pension money paid in by mem
Transferred from the. relief fund. 1000 0t
Annual appropriation Gestored).. 10000 OI
Total ..,....................... SIS, 6S7 26
Expenditures
For home support So, 339 II
Balance on hand. d........ s........... 2,3H 90
Total ........................, s7s, ,6S7 26
1t may be well at this point in our re-
port to speak of the criticism made
against this board for paying for repairs
out of the support fund. The amount al
lowed this board by the legislature for re-
pairs is only s1,500 per year, a sum much
too small to take care Of twelve buildings.