The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-18
STILL HAVE GRIEVANCE
INMATES AT SOLDIERS HOME
WANT PENSION MONEY
The Old Soldiers Are Averse to Turn
ing Over All but $4 to the Institu-
ton When Their Quarterly Checks
Arrive-May Yet Make Trouble.

Congressman Fletcher some months
ago was appealed to by inmates Of the
soldiers home at Minnehaha to take
some steps which would prevent the
officials at the home from holding back
part of the pensions drawn by the
Ola veterans who are quartered there
The telegram from Washington, sent
out by the press agent of the Fifth dis
trlct congressman, states that as soon
as he returned to Minneapolis he would
take the matter up, rectify the mistake
and see that the inmates of the home
We're allowed their full pension.
The annual session Of the board of
managers of the institution was held
last week, but nothing was done, and
in fact Congressman Fletcher did not
bring the question to the attention Of
the board.
Speaking of the plan of Withholding
a part of the pension money received
by the inmates of the home, one of this
officials connected with the institution
SAID last evening:
Have Everything Found.
"There has been considerable talk
about the action of the managers in
retaining part Of the pension money
which is paid to the old veterans.
Some people consider it an outrage,
and number Of the politicians have
taken the. matter up in the hope of
making campaign ammunition for
themselves. The facts are that the
national government pays to the home
$500 per capita annually for each old
soldier
From this source the home derives
about $50, 600 each year. The largest
amount ever received from the retain
ed pension money in any one veal. has
been $4,000, and this amount helps
out the institution nicely The inmates
when they make application to enter
the home sign an application which
provides in plain terms that ali pen
sion money received by them in ex-
cess of 81 per month shall be turned
over to the home. There is really moth
ing very exacting about this when it is
considered that the old soldiers are
furnished all they require in the way
of clothing, food, shelter, medical at
tendance and even tobacco.
There is nothing they can spend
their money for except it is car fare
and luxurfes, and the 81 per month
which is retained by them would ap-
pear to be sufficient. The old veterans
are great sticklers for principle, how
ever, and nearly every one of them Is
heartily opposed to the plan Of retain
ing any part of their pension money.
With some of them, the officer in
time the pension checks come to hand.
The checks for the money come in the
name Of the pensions, and are sent to
the home in a package. Before they
can be cashed it is necessary that the
person they are made out to shall in
dorse them.
outburst Every Quarter.
Each quarter when the checks
come to hand there is an outburst
from majority of the pensioners and
and letters are written to the congress
men calling attention to the outrage,
as the veterans call it.
There is really nothing that the
board of managers can do in the mat
ter, as the funds OF the home do not
warrant the abolislling Of the rule
There has been considerable talk about
| passing d law in congress to the eff
| feet that no money shall be paid on
| the per capita plan to any state insti-
| tuition which retains the pension mon
| ey of any of the inmates, but nothing
| has been done in this direction. The
| veterans are keeping the discussion
| UP, however, and it would not sur
| prise me if the managers would be
| compelled to either give up the per
capita revenue from the government OF
| the plan of retaining a part of the
| pension money of the inmates