The San Francisco call., 1904-04-29
INCOME FROM
The CANTEEN
The State Is Asked to
Make Good Loss Caused
by Bells Amendment

Tomorrow Charles F. Curry, Secre-
tary of State, u. S. Webb, Attorney
General; A. B. Nye, private secretary
of the Governor, and w. S. Melick,
secretary of the State Board of Ex-
aminers, will visit the Veterans Home,
Napa County, and confer with the di-
rectors in reference to the application
for an additional allowance for the in
stitution. The adoption of Congress
man Bells amendment abolishing the
canteen deprives the home of an M
come of, $4,000 per annum. This
money has been used to maintain
band, bowling alley, library, social
hall, billiard tables, cardrooms.
amuSements, establishment or
grounds, extra help in the hospital
and other benefits for which the State
and Federal governments make no
appropriation.
The Governor of the State does not
fancy the idea of depriving the old
veterans of intellectual and creature
comforts. Wednesday evening last
Governor Pardee met Samuel w.
Backus, Hugh NJ. Burke and John Q.
Currier of the board of directors and
the whole subject matter relating TO
the proposed additional allowance was
reviewed. At the Governors request
"ACoolS. OulIy, WcDD, MSllCh dHo 4sJS
will make inquiry on the grounds rela-
tive to the necessity of authorizing
deficiency. The Governor indicated
that no allowance could be made for
the insurance Of property or for new
buildings, but he is in favor of giving
every consideration possible to the old
soldiers and sailors in the home.
According to the Sacramento Bee
the Bell amendment Will take away
from the veterans themselves all con-
troll of their pensions and place upon
the board Of directors the duty of con-
trolling the pension fund. The ag-
gregate amount of all the pensions
due to members of the home will be
paid every quarter by the pension
agent to the treasurer of the home.
When a member leaves the home he
will get the amount coming to him
on the books, but he cannot draw it
in installments to spend the money as
he chooses.
The inference is drawn from the
comment Of the newspapers in the Sec
ond Congressional District that the
legislation of Congress which forbids
the apportionment of Federal money to
any State home that maintains a can
teen will enter largely into the political
contest in this Congressional district
at the ensuing campaign. The pur
pose of the Grand Army of the Re-
public is to keep out of pilitics. The
present commander in chief of the or
ganization, General Black, is Demo-
crat of national renown The Veterans
Home a Yountville is in one sense a
Grand Army institution. The property,
valued at $250.000 and decided to the
State of California, was acquired under
the auspices of the Grand Army. The
original management has been per-
petuated by Governors Budd. Gage and
Pardee. The management is indorsed
by the Department Encampment, G.
A. r., also by the Mexican Veterans
and the old Grand Army Association.
The attack in Congress on the manage
ment therefore forces the patriotic or
ganizations into the political campaign
of the Second district. 1t is the i'm
preston that Congressman Bell did not
intend to give to the board of directors
of the Yountville home entire control
of the. pensions. Perhaps he intended
to make the rules applying to national
homes for disabled volunteers appli-
cable to- the California home, but in
advertently inserted in his amendment
the rules governing the old Regular
Army Soldiers Home in the District of
Columbia. According to the Congress
sional Record, only ninety of the Repre-
sentatives in Congress voted on the
Bell amendment. Three hundred mem
berS were absent CIR refrained from Vot-
ing.
The fighting days Of the Grand Army
veteran have passed, but the talking
season is in full swing; hence it would
not be surprising If column of spell
binders visited the Second Congress
ional District this fall. as all the signs
point to a denomination of Theodore
Bell by the Democrats of that district.
Oh AkIRERI.AIN TO SPEAK-JoSenh =
Chamberlain will deliver the last of a series
of lectures at the South Park settlement this