The National tribune., 1901-04-18
RHODE ISLAND ENCAMpMENT.
Views Uf Department Commander Read on
Pension Question.

the evening rendered TO the retiring Depart
ment Commander, Walter A. Read.
department Commander Reads address:
was carefully prepared document, treatin:
the various subjects of interest to GranC
Army comrades in thoughtful manner. high
ly interesting to the members OF the En-
campment.
Regarding pensions, Commander Read said
| This subject Is one of deep interest q
every comrade In the Department, whether ht
| Is a pensioner or not. Perhaps no other qucs
tion has received much consideration, Ol
been so widely discussed or the attitude OF
| the veteran 10 this subject been SO grossly
! misrepresented, unjuStly criticised, or mis-
understood. The veteran realizes that nC
| Government treats It's citizen soldiery with
| more consideration, or is more liberal in
| providing for the wounded, the disabled and
| INDECENT than the United States, and that the
| laws relating 10 pensions are ample and sufi
| c.cnt IL honestly and fairly Interpreted and
| promptly executed. He feels that many of the
| delays, vexationS and reflections NAV be due
| to the inSutficiency of the clerical force and
| red-tape methods of the Pension Department,
| but principally from The various interpreta.
! tions placed upon the laws by the several
| Commissioners; that frequently the applicant
| gives up in despair, dies. before his case
is examined or he is notified that additional
| evidence Is required.
The question of pensions has occupied the
attention OF every National Encampment for
years, and committees have from time 10
| time. been appointed TO make thorough in
yestigatlon of the methods OF the Pension
Department.
'IThe committee appointed at Philadelphia
| IN 1879 made an exhaustive and interesting Ie-
| port to the Encampment at Chicago, in 1900,
showing they had made q careful examination
| OF all the laws relating to this subject, had
called the attention of the Pension Committee
! OF Congress to the many discrepancies found
| therein, and had called the attention of the
Commissioner to the injustice often done the
deserving veteran by different interpretations
placed upon the laws.
1T Is gratifying to report that the COM
mittee succeeded in having the laws amended
sufficiently to remove. its ambiguity, the limi-
tatlonS on widows income of sos increased
to 500; that each and every infirmity of the
applicant for pension be rated separately
and the aggregate of disabilities be the basis
OF the pension. The committee also suc-
ceeded In having bill introduced in Congress
creating a Court of Appeals TO which an ap-
plicant may appeal from the decision of the
Commissioner Of Pensions, be represented by
counsel, and have all the rights and priyi-
leges Of a court of justice. 1t is also be-
lieyed the establishment of this court would
remove from the pension roll any reproach or
appearance Of personal or political fayoritism
and place 1t and every applicant upon unas-
sallable ground of judicial decision. It will
also remove from the minds Of many Of the
comrades the impression that the Commits
SIC sioner lnyents, obstructs, and tries to look
up preteSts for thwarting the operation of
the law. Should this bill become law it
VIII insure the veterans a speedy disposition
OF their claims by an unbiased court
.honia ae ,praeIice OF granting private pensions
should, In my opinion, be severely condemned.
The record shows that many private pension
bills, usually for officers or their widows are
introduced In both branches of Congress at
every session, are passed with little or no de-
lay, while many old and destitute soldiers
wait patiently for months for a ruling upon
their claims.
Doubtless there are some perhaps many.
who honestly believe the whole pension sys-
TEN is permeated with fraud, and TO such /
respectfully direct their attention to the last
nf rhn A.
states. 1t shows the number of convictions
Tor infringement of the laws for the year end
ing June 80, 1900, to have been. Internal
revenue ), 15S, Postal 772; Pensions, I45. OF
the latter number very small fraction were
committed by old soldiers; showing the homes
~ OF the pension roll is, practically, unim-
In relation to Soldiers Home, Commander
Read said:
''The Commander accompanied by his Off
claI ana personal staff and many comrades.
inspected the Soldiers Home at Bristol and
pronounced 1t model of Its kind. Its situa-
ton Is delightful, overlooking Mount Hope
Bay, IT'S grounds well kept. its cottages clean.
ranged, with plentiful supply OF good water,
and well lighted by electricity. With ali
the appointments SO complete, II seemed that
little or nothing was lacking to make 1t a
place Of rest and comfort for the veteran in
his declining years This home reflects much
credit upon the Board of Managers and Com
mandant, as they seem 20 be in touch with
the purposes for which It was created"
The report Of the Assistant Adjutant-Gen-
eral OF necessity dealt largely with statistics
the Department TO be decreasing. Referring
to the decrease the Assistant Adjutant-Gen-
eral uttered the following words:
THE subject Of losses from other causes
than death has been referred TO BY DEPART
ment officers frequently In the past Post
Commanders have been urged to endeavor TO
apply remedy, but still depletion continues.
For the cause It is difficult to account salts
factorily- Lack OF interest with increasing
age is undoubtedly factor The fact that
so little new material is taken into the Posts
also has an influence. Experience will, /
think, prove that any organization which can
not or does not add new members suffers
from loss Of interest and loss OF members
thereby. Inability to meet financial require
ment in the matter of annual dues caused
many times by diminished income due to ad-
yancing age is probably the principal reason.
meet necessary expenses. Few IL any, In our
Department have sufficient funds on hand to
enable them to pay the bills which must be
incurred for relief rent and other purposes
without imposing an annual tax upon the
members. Therefore, the question of ways
and means seems to me the all-lmportant one
at this time.
''The plan of interesting loyal, patriotic clti-
zens. friends Of the order, TO become CON
tributing associates has been tried with some
success. Whether II can be depended upon TO
materially aid our Posts financially IS a ques-
tion the successful solution of which lies
largely with individual comrades. We must
SO conduct ourselves. individually, and as
Posts, as to win the sympathy as well as the
confidence OF the public, and show that there
Is some good in u.s. before we can expect
much assistance from that direction. It is
a serious question, comrades. Ny experience
as Post Quartermaster leads me 10 empha
size this financial feature, as in my judgment
the greatest cause Of our continued decrease
in membership
The net loss in membership for the year
1900 was ITO. The number of deaths was
so Tho Encampment adopted resolutions
The election resulted as follows: Charles
p Moies, Post g. Department Commander;
George II. Chenery, Post /, S. v. Department
Commander; James 5. Hudson, Post 10. J.
v. Department Commander; Philip F. Dillon,
Woolley. Post H. Chaplain; Patrick Eagan,
Post !; Martin V. Brady, Post 4; Moses Bud
long Post %; Edwin ClarksOn, Post g. and
Henry c. Luther, Post 10, Council Of Admin
istration.
These officers were, Installed by Com
lowing staff Of Department Commander
MOles: A. A. G., Philip s. Chase, Post /; A.
q NJ. G., Alonzo T.. Pierce, Post II; Inspec
tor William o. Milne, Post 81; J.. A., Ezra
Green. Post go. Representatives to the 3Jth
National Encampment were elected, viz:
Willis &. CaprOn, Post 1; Francis 3. Butts
Post 20; James Q. Smith, Post II. Alternates,
George L. Smith Post /: William H. Davis,
Post 4; James II. Richard, Post o.
officers of a Buffalo Circle.
J. W, Wilkinson Circle, %, Buffalo, ". Y
Pres, Eliza Zero; s. V. P, Isabella jackson;
J. v. p, Carrie A. Prescott; Treas, Anna
Julia Wiles; Con. Rebecca Mattson; Asst
Con-, Libbie Benton; Guard, Phoebe Soper;
ASST Guard, Josie Slmonds: 0rganlst, Ada