The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-10
ENCAMPMENT GETS BUSY
Pension Committee Den0unces
 Reports of Fraud.
Condemns Treatment of old soldiern With Suspicion by Officials of Government-Net Loss of
 Membership 6,504.


 | of the Republic got down to business to- l day and the. encampment of the orders | besides hearing an address from Com mander-in- Chief Torrance and reporfs from 6 number of officers and commit- 1 tees, elected q new head for the ensuing i year.
 The new commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic is General I T. J. Stewart of Pennsylvania. who was | a leading candidate for the honor year | ago. His competitors today were General | John c. Black of Illinois, former Com | missioner of Pensions, and Colonel John McElroy of this city. The name of Gen. I eral Daniel Sickles of New York City l was presented to the convention but nc | withdrew fpom the race. William M. | Olin of Massachusetts. was elected Vice. | Commander-in-chief. and J. M. Averili of l Georgia. Junior nder-in-chief- Medical Division Scored. | Aside from the election of these officers | the most interesting feature of the en- | campment was the report of the Pension | Committee. This Committee severely | scored the medical division of the Pen- I sion Bureau, declaring that it was dead | line where were executed the claims ok veterans seeking pensions It accusen the personnel of this division of approacn- ing the representatives of the examining surgeons throughout the country with suspicion and distrust, and was made m bad faith. It denounced the reports that extensive frauds were practiced in pen sion claims as absolutely baseless The Womans Relief Corps, the Daugn- | ters of Veterans and the Ladies or tne l Grand Army of the Republic also met n | annual convention. Thousands of veter- ana ana their wives, delegates to | either of these organizations. attendea army corps reunions in the big tent on tbe White House lot or spent the neauu- | full october day in sight seeing. req ture of the late afternoon was the oeui- cation of the corner stone of the pro-
 posed memorial bridge to connect wash ington with the National Cemetery eat Arlington. Secretary Root was the ofh- tor of the occasion.
 Pension Committees Report. Among the official documents presentea
 ,o tfe encampment of the Grand Army CT inc Renublic was the report of the com | nittee anpointed last year to invesugase
 tbe administration of the pension omce | h,, inc ther Pension Commissioners Hon. H. Clay Evans, and to then pring .lo
 result from the investigation 10 the ~
 tention of the President. Ine nrs. hsS | signed to the report was that or Gen. | EI ToTrance. ComnIander-in-Chier, Wno
 stated in his address that as soon as the | renort was brought to President Hoose-
 veit's notice the resignation of Commas
 sioner Evans was accepted:
 The committee consisted of Generals | Torrance, R. B. Beath, James H. Sa1ua- | han. c. G. Burton, W. H. Upnam, s. | Iinehan. H. E. Taintor and John Y | 1,,noi- ,vho was unable to meet with | .ha Committee. He says, however, that | he concurs in it's deductions.
 | The investigation was conducted n l Washington and the committee began l their report by saying that Commissfoner | Evans afforded them every opportunity | to make 1t thorough.
 Speaking of the results Of tneir ihauiiy | into special complaints they say una. many of these complaints were Withoue merit, but that on the other hand many meritorious claims had been thrown out. From a personal investigation.' they say. i've are convinced that scores of claims are rejected every day that snou.o be allowed"
 The report closes as follows: We respectfully submit that 1t cannot reasonably be expected that the pension laws will be fairly construed, and justly administered in accordance with their spirit and intendment by those who treat every applicant for pension with dis- trust, regard his attorney as fraud ana
 brand the examining surgeons as incom- potent and dishonest.
 We contend that such an attitude on the part of those entrusted with the breaking of the alabaster box of the nations love. disqualifies them to admin ister so sacred a trust.
 "Hailing from widely separate States of the Union, and familiar with the views of our comrades, we deem it our duty in making this report to declare thaf among the survivors of the war of ths RepeIlon there is an irremovable belief
 kt. CnTa sioner of Pensions is not disposed to ad- minister the duties of his office In thdt spirit of equity and justice to applicants for pensions which they have right to expect, and while we are actuated by no feeling of unkindness toward the honorable Commissioner of Pensions. we are convi lced that justice to the soldier is impossible of attainment under the present administration of the pension bu- reau."
 The report is dated March p last.
 263,745 Names on Roll.
 The report of Adjutant General Silas H. Fowler of Minneapolis shows that on the 3Oth of June last, tEe muster roll of the Grand Army of the Republic contained 163 145 names of nemters in good stand ing and that there were 6,5l1 posts The figures as to membership show net loss since the preceding year of 5,SOS There has been a gradual decline in member ship since 1890. Commenting on this cir- cumstance he says:
 "It Is indeed encouraging that notwith- standing the inevitable increase in ths loss by death, the gains by muster in and reinsta tement overcome it. There are still flying over 900000 of the men who were a part of that grand army of the six ties and of that number less than sSOo9 are over 6 years of age.