The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-05-03

charity and loyalty to his fallen com rade. Let the children of America De encouraged in their work of love ano devotion to the memory of their coun- try's defenders In strewing flowers upon the graves of soldiers they are learning the sentiment of veneraton' and in the placing of flags they are gathering into their hearts a love of country which shall grow as time pass es. and their determination to defend their country will increase as they ad- vance in years.
 IN CONCLUSION.
 Now comrades, before I lay down the gavel and relinquish the charge which you placed in my hands one year ago, 1 must again thank you for the great honor which you then conferred upon me Whomsoever you shall choose tc be my successor, I ask for him the same courtesy and kindness at your hands that you have uniformly be- slowed upon me. Whomsoever he may be he will be worthy of your support and encouragement. Any man who can be a member of this encampment has been tried in the fires of war and has not been found wanting. May the com ing administration be successful one, and may it be an instrument of much good to the department and to the Grand Army of the Republic.
 ASSISTANT ADJUTANT GENE
 RAIis REPORT.
 The report of Assistant Adjutant-Gen- eral John H. Thacher, of Hartford, shows that the membership of the de- partment December 91, 1899. as 49oo. There were 14S deaths during the year The assistant adjutant-general says
 Dry statistics show very little of the work done during the year, which has been one of hard work, the aim being to keep the posts alive if possible With this in view I am glad to be able to re- port the loss of only one post, and thanks to the earnest efforts of Comrade F. s. Bishop, commander of post Nor wich, we have promise that this post shall take hold and go on again. And right here I want to acknowledge the obligations I am under to Comrade Bishop. In doing this missionary work he has been untiring in his work in be- half of the department whenever asked. Also I desire to own to the many favors shown me by all the comrades of the department; having served them so long it has become rather a pleasure than a duty.
 ASSISTANT QUARTERMASTER-
 GENERAL.
 The report of Assistant Quartermas- ter-General William E. Morgan, of New cI,p hot by fifty-threee posts for relief of needy persons during the year ending Decem- Der 31, 1899, the sum of S6,40492, of which amount four posts distributed $3. 462 .S0 It is stated in the assets of the department that the total inventory of supplies on hand amounts to $2SS, p. The posts having the largest relief funds are the Merriam of Meriden, $l0- GOO: Elias Howe, Jr., of Bridgeport, $S,- 0S302; Admiral Foote of New Haven, $9,0S315; Robert 0. Tyler of Hartford, sS,275.09. and Mansfield Post of Middle town, s4 23659
 SOLDIERS HOME COMMITTEE.
 The report of the Soldiers Home com mittee was as follows:
 In company with the department off, cers they visited the home on July [, 1899, and after very thorough exami- nation of its appointments and manage ment are highly gratified with the exist ing conditions, We feel 1t but just that the thanks of this department should be extended to the state of Connecticut and it's officers for the generous provision made for the comfort of our old and needy comrades. yet we are of the opin- ion that additional provision could be made for their comfort with very slight expense by constructing small rooms in the barracks where veterans of kindred tastes and habits could be grouped to- gether instead of the large ards now In use. Should there be additional eX- pense attending the improvement, it would be cheerfully borne by the tax payers. We would therefore suggest that all future additions to the home be built with reference to furnishing more privacy to the comrades than can be had with the present system We sug- gest to the department the propriety of urging this point upon the general as- sembly of the state. We think it might also be impressed upon them that the expense Tn CdGlHB TOT lUlS ilOIIle VIII Hot all be wasted, as the home will certain ly be required by the state after the last veteran has departed, for some one of the charities that the state must sus- tain
 We think it but fair that our worthy comrades of the Soldiers Hospital board, Comrades Dickinson, Beers and Morgan, who have served the state and this organization so long and faithfully, without fee or reward, giving much time of value to themselves. and of great benefit to the state, to the. work of the board should receive from this encampment an expression of the ap- preciation of this department for their services and we recommend that the thanks of the. encampment be rendered to the above-named comrades by ris- ing vote.
 We cannot close this report without most heartily commenting the superin- tendent comrade, James N. Coe, and his able assistants, for the zeal and energy displayed by them in administering their trust.
 THOMAS BOUDREN,
 Ii. M. ADAMS,
 l.. B. CLARK,
 LESTER T.. PHELPS,