Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-02-16
CARE FOR VETERANS
Michigan's Brave Old Soldiers
Rapidly Passing Away
Governor Warner is an Industrious
neutrality-suspicious. Road
Suggested.
Lansing, Mich, Feb. IA.

|
their visits to the institutions during
the recess week. The plans of max
ing the inspections by the senate ant
house committees separately, instead
of together, was adopted to some ex
tent, with the Wow OF obtaining indie
pendent impressions from somewhat
varied view points, rather than that
the two bodies should be impressed
by only the same circumstances ant
suggestions. Apparently the plan is
a good one; and thus it came about
that the senate committee on sol
diers' home made their visit to that
institution last Wednesday, week
after the house committee. Each
listened TO the same recommends.
tious of the board of control, and the
reasons therefor, but each saw the
institution under somewhat oiderent
aspects.
Former congressman T. L. Robbins,
of Ypsilanti, a member of the board,
says that BODY "has discharged its
duty In presenting to the state the
needs OF the institution, and now it is
up to the state to make such provision
as the state shall desire. The pri-
mary recommendation, for a new
hospital building, he declares to be an
imperative need. There are nearly
one thousand inmates in the home,
who are passing across the boundary
line at the rate of nearly ten per
month. The vacancies are ever filed
from the large waiting list, from
whom there are at this time one huL-
dred or more applications. whose only
chance of admission is in the death
of others now there. Their average
age is seventy years, and both the ap-
plicatIons and the deaths will increase
faster as age increases. So will the
necessary proportion of attendants.
About twenty per cent are usually
in hospital, and the accommodations
are quite inadequate. The board
asks hospital for three hundred,
aud the devotion of the present hos
pital accommodation to dormitory
purposes, which would enable the in
stitution more fully to render the SER
vices contemplated in the law Great
ing it. The cots are much too few,
and closely crowded together for
such comfortable and decent sleep
ing accommodation as the old veter-
ans are entitled to- The demand
for hospital to accommodate three
hundred patients and fifty attend
ants is endorsed by the board of cor
rections and charities.
The association of township super
visors was in session here last week.
and among other business a'pted a
resolution asking for tie abolition of
fees and the provit ing of regular
salaries for all county officers; and
their recommendation must carry
much weight with the legislature, as
it undoubtedly has with the people.
A bill of that character is already
prepared, and 1t is believed that un-
der the showing that will be made Of
the unreasonable emoluments and
the frequent Aagrant abuse OF the
fee system It's enactment will be as
sured. One Kalamazoo supervisor
said the sheriff of that county last
fyear presented bills amounting to
s2O, 900; and an Owosso man said Kali
amazoo was not in 1t with the Shia-
wassee sheriff, whose bills reached
$23, 900, in addition to all the deputies
bills of which the sheriff took the
greater part and had become rich.
Senator Cook, of Shiawassee, is chief
sponsor for the new bill. Governor
Warner addressed the convention,
and was complimented as the first
governor who had ever appeared be.
fore them.
The supervisors adopted a resolu-
tion asking the legislature TO pas:
the Watts bill for the aboishment OF
ldA lnCll
feeling toward the commission mani
fest by electing as president of theii
association Mr.. Kimmerle, of Cas-
whom the commission is trying tc
oust from his supervisors Office. The
association took position upon a mum
Der of legislative topics, asking for ;
uniform drain law similar to those o
Saginaw and St, Joseph, opposing ex
emption of mortgages and other cred
its from taxation, recommending al
antitoxin plant at the Agriculture
. college, etc. The scheme which ha
: been repeatedly before the legisla
ture and as often rejected. for separ
ating the state and county taxes, an,
committing to the several countie
: the collection of their portion of de
lInquent taxes, was argued befor,