The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-14
SOLDIERS HOME REPORT.
Annual Statement of the Affairs Of
the Institution.

son A Miles. as President OF the Board
Of Commissioners OF the Soldiers Home
OF the District Of Columbia and the re-
port of Jhe annual inspection of the msti-
tuition by the Inspector General of thu
Army, were made public today Ey tn,
Acting Secretary OF War
General Miles says that there is an ia
crease of sixteen benoGoiari,s on the rolls
Of the institution since tho last annual
report, l,$>5 being on the rolls ON june 90
1901, accounted for as follows. Present at
the home. S26; on outdoor relief. 400; in
the Government Hospital for the insane
-: on furluuEh. 81, absent sick I'm the gen
cral hospital az Fort B-yarG. y. Nj. ~
and 10 suspended
The General. i'm his report. then says.
The daily average number ui inmates
present during Tho nine months was 500
Last year the average was >@> and Tho
Tho total. number Of deaths was e.
Last year IL was So OF these ID died a-
the home. -n On outdoor relief. - near the
nome in the Government Hospital fur
the Insane, 4, ut tGe general huSriJI! 40
Fort Blyard. and ! committed suicide.
IT." treasurer account Of funds re-
CciN'd for the inmate pensioners shows
that he had ON hand Ssutembar 30. 1890.
AtN.-.Iyi- tlHt ne received during the
nlnC months NI.1Hl-l4. and paid To per-
SioIors and legal heirs of deceased in
tied in the United States Trsausrv. as Pc
Cul~td by law. $50 595 -.
1.-THE report of the governor Of the
home shows that of the >lE resident in
mates. 62N are receiving pensions. as fol-
lows Two hundred and tw,uty-uiue re-
ctlN" from Nh 10 s. per month. BOO. from
$40 10 sic; g. from 81 Co so. p from So
10 -, ]. So, and ], at S,- per month.
There are 2.l benetciaries of the home
VINO served IN the war with Mexico Jog
OF whom are drawing outdoor relief. .gS
fn HH
OF whom s.. are on outdoor relief and ri
VINO rived since the commencement af
the war with Spain. making a total ~
dian war service.
he attending surgeon reports that 500
L.iIt-'JN were treated I'm hospital that
the DAILY average was 90 gf. and the aver
az oEt OF patients admitted was 51eI.
tIlal -la5 were treated at sick call and
the proportion OF death TO 100 inmates Der
annum WIS 215
Inc ages of the inmates Of the home
range from twenty-one 10 ni1etv-four
years. FOrty-siN are ScvCnty-five wears of
age ana over. and the average age Of all
third years
The sanitary condition Of the home
ana grounds has been excellent through
out the period. The water supply and
SIali'se are satisfactory. and there has
been no prevalent or epidemic disease
among the inmates.
Increased Number of Inmates.
The increase Of the number Of inmates
now 20 be cared for together with the
probably greater number that VIII have
TO be provided for in the future owing
to an increased army. has made the pres
ent kitchen and bakery arrangements no
longer adequate to meet the changing
CONDITIONS This, In addition to the in
sufhciency and unsuitableness Of the pres
ent amusement rooms located iu the
basement Of the Sherman Building deter
mined the board Of commissioners after
thorough personal inSpectiOn 10 invite
preliminary plans for the construction OF
new building as mess hail. 10 conform
IN style Of architecture and material to
the Scott Building The plans for the
proposed building are now with the Sec
rotary of War for his action
The account Of the farm and dairy
shows that the cultivation Of the farm
ana the establishment Of the dairy have
proved profitable IN producing early and
late vegetables and a better quality OF
milk than can be supplied by contract
The library Of the home contains zoe
volumes. Nine daily and twenty-five
weekly papers and sixteen monthly mag
aZineS are provided. The daily average
number OF books issued was sixty-One.
The affairs Of the home have been ad-
ministered by its officers fin a highly com
mendable manner. and visit 10 that in
stitution shows the constant and Unre-
hitting care exercised TO bring the build
ings and grounds To their present spIen-
did condition. What is true Of the care
given the buildings and grounds is also
true Of the care shown the inmates. whose
welfare and Contentment have been look
ed after with great personal interest by
the officers
General RuEEIes' Report.
The report Of Brig. Gen. George D.
Ruggles. Governor Of the Home. which is
embraced In that Of General Miles, says
that the total benefciaries Of the institu-
ton during the year ended June 50. 1901.
was lssL He adds:
The bed capacity is l .O1S. The number
OF men 20 be provided for is now S26. so
that ls2 more men can be sheltered than
arr at present in the home. Additional
durmitory space is not, therefore, needed
at this time
The losses by deaths and discharge
OF inmates present give vacant beds
continuously. The number Of men present
on the 9th Of June. 1898. at the COM
mCncement Of the Spanish war was $50.
The number present after three years of
active service Of the army in war. on the
S0th Of June, 1891, is S26, an increase OF
IL Even with a continuation Of war.
with these figures as a basis Of caIcula-
ton. further GOrnitOry space will not be
required for four and twO-ffth years.
The young men who come To the home
do not stay long unless totally disabled
from gaining their subsistence in civil
life, They have the prospect Of years OF
life before them, with all their posSibili-
ties Of success. and they still have friends
at hone to assist in pushing their for
tunes; so they remain here only long
enough 20 put their pension applications
oH the way to be granted. preferring 70
seek active employment with it's emolu-
mcnts IN civil life 10 inactivity and no
future at the home Those OF them who
fail 10 achieve success by middle age
drift back in declining years 10 the home
for permanent residence We NAV. there
fore. not look for any considerable in
crease to the number OF inmates from this
class Of men. now mostly soldiers from
the Spanish war and the Philippines for
fifteen OF twenty years in the future.
Only Few IncOrrigibIes.
The rules Of discipline have been duly
J-forccd- The number Of men tried is
less than for the same period heretofore.
A few incorrigibles. who have not sufi-
cient viii power left 20 withstand the
temptation for strong drink whenever
they get little money. have been sus-
pended for their constant infraction OF
the rules Of sObriety They come back
with expressed intention OF better CON
duct. but often fan away again after a
season Jf good behavior. These are nm
tortunateS. who have 10 be dealt with
firmly but kindly
'Sixty-two entertainments were given
at STANLEY i2ll during the autumn win
ter. and spring. season OF six months at
an expense, exclusive Of light and heat.
OF SfIA3Z
The weIl-being Of the patients has
been very much enhanced since the install
lauon OF the apparatus in the kitchen re-
ferred to In my last report and the inau-
guraton Of the plan which permits us 10
hire able cooks from civil life. rhe food
Is well prepared and very satisfactory TO
the patients. Another source Of great
comfort 10 the patients has been the con
struction Of a bandstand In front Of hos
pital. where the Home band holds a CON
cert from Iu-5J TO 80 a. m. twice a week