The Washington times., 1901-10-15
THREE REPORTS OFFERED.
The Affairs of the Soldiers Home
Discussed in Detail.
Sixteen Additional Beneficinries-
Some improvements Needed at
the Institution - General Miles
Commends the Administration.

The annual report of Lieut.. Gen. Mel
son 4 Miles, as President Of the Board
of Commissioners of the Soldiers Home
of the District of Columbia. and the re
port of the annual inspection of the inst-
tuition by the Inspector General of the
Army, were made public yesterday by the
Acting Secretary Of War.
General Miles says that there is an in
crease of sixteen beneficiaries on the rolls
of the institution since the last annual
report, 1.SS5 being on the rolls on June So
1901, accounted for as follows: Present at
the home, S96; on outdoor relief, 4Oi; in
the Government Hospital for the Insane,
u; on furIough, 81; absent sick in the gen.
eral hospital at Fort Bayard, n. NJ, 5S,
and 10 suspended.
The General, in his report, then says:
THE daily average number of inmates
present during the nine months was SO.
Last year the average was S3S and the
preceding year S07.
The total number of deaths was 70.
Last year it was so. OF these 81 died at
the home, 20 on outdoor relief, , near the
home, in the Government Hospital for
the Insane, II at the general hospital at
Fort Bayard, and 1 committed suicide.
1.-The treasurers account of funds re-
ceived for the inmate pensioners shows
that he had on hand September so, 1900.
s4S 291 90: that he received during the
nine months S116f.14, and paid to pen
sioners and legal heirs of deceased in
mates SIS, ,s72.12, leaving on hand. depos-
tied in the United States Treausry, as re-
quired by law, $50595.95.
1.-The report of the governor of the
home shows that of the S26 resident in
mates, 62S are receiving pensions, fol-
lows: Two hundred and twenty-nine re-
ceive from S. to IS per month: 800. from
so TO SIG; s., from S17 to $50; 2i, from S22
TO $50; 1, $50. and l, at s72 per month.
There are POI benehciaries Of the home
who served in the war with Mexico, l69
of whom are drawing outdoor relief: S9S
who served in the war of the rebellion,
of whom 81 are on outdoor relief, and go
who served since the commencement of
the war with Spain, making a total of
s19 members who had war (other than In
dian war service.
The attending surgeon reports that $50
patients were treated in hospital; that
the daily average was 1896, and the aver
age age of patients admitted was 50.97;
that 2,1S3 were treated at sick call. and
the proportion of death to 100 inmates per
annum was 3.75.
''The ages of the inmates of the home
range from twenty-one to ninety-four
years. Forty-siX are seventy-five years of
age and over, and the average age of all
the beneficiaries is ffty-nine ana one
third years.
THE sanitary condition of the home
and grounds has been excellent through
out the period. The water supply and
drainage are satisfactory, ana there has
been no prevalent or epidemic disease
among the inmates
Increased Number of Inmates.
The increase of the number of inmates
now to be cared for, together with the
probably greater number that will 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
sufficiency and unsuitableness of the pres
ent amusement rooms, located in the
basement of the Sherman Building. deter
mined the board of commissioners, after
a thorough personal inspection, to invite
preliminary plans for the construction of
a new building as a mess hail. TO conform
In style of architecture and material to
the Scott Building. The plans for the
proposed building are now with the Sec
retary of War for his action
'"The account of the farm and dairy
shows that the cultivation of the farm
and 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 1882 |
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 in a highly COM /
mendable manner. and visit TO that In 4
stitution shows the constant and unre- /
mitting care exercised to bring the build /
ings and grounds to their present splen- /
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 Ruggles' 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 beneficiaries Of the institu- |
tion during the year ended June 30, I9u. !
was 1,s9i. He adds:
''The he'd capacity is LOIS. The number |
of men to be provided for is now S26, so
that I92 more men can be sheltered than /
are at present in the home. Additional |
dormitory space is not, therefore, needed |
at this time.
The losses by deaths and discharges |
of inmates present give vacant beds /
continuously. Tho number of men present |
on the 18th Of June. 1898, at the com |
mcncenent Of the Spanish war was 695. !
The number present after three years OF I
active service OF the army In war, on the I
Both Of June. l9Jl. Is S25 an increase Of |
81 Even with a continuation of war,
with these figures as basis Of caicu!a- /
tion, further Gormitory space VIII not be |
required for four and two-ifth years.
The young men who come to the home |
do not stay i@a@ 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 home TO assist in pushing their for
tunes; so they remain here only long
enough to put their pension applications
on the way to be granted. preferring TO !
seek active employment with its emolu- |
ments in civil life TO inactivity and no |
fail to achieve success by middle age
drift back in declining years to the home |
for permanent residence. We may. 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 n Few IncorrigibIes.
THE rules Of discipline have been duly |
enforced. The number of men tried is !,
less than for the same period heretofore |
A few incorrigiblcs. who have not sufti- /
cient will power left to withstand the !
temptation for strong drink whenever |
they get little money, have been sus- |
pended for their constant infraction OF /
the rules Of sObriCty. They come back |
with expressed intention of better CON
duct, but often fan away again after q 1