Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-03-18
s4ou,e File No. s4s" Becomes . Mat.
ter Of Record, on Motion Of Weldon,
Of Hardin-Mr. Arney's Rsmarks in
Full. az M..ds I'efore House Of Rep
resentatives.

u ! ) 3
Mr.. Arney's address, which will be
read with interest by the representa-
.tive's many friends, as well rs every
member Of the IN A. r. and the sol-
'diers' home, was as follows:
"Gentlemen My heart and my judg-
.ment both approve this bill. Personal
investigation ami knowledge Of the ait.
uation at the Iowa Soldiers Home have
convinced me that. the added stipend
asked for the members OF that institu-
ton is q necessary one and one that
should be granted without debate sim
ply because 1t Id needed to the Just and
generous conduct Of an Iowa state In
stitution. Fourteen dollars per month
per member for the maintenance of the
soldiers' home Is Insufficient The In
stitution may exist upon u, but It can
not carry out the purpose for which II
was intended and maintain the stand
ard that shouii! be required OF an In
stitution that was not founded In char
ity, but in gratitude, that Is not 9 do
nation, but q debt for services rem
sdered-
Out of this $14 a month. OF which,
mark you, the national government
contributes 38l-3 and the state Of Iowa
IS 2-a, must come every expense of the
home except permanent repairs, new
buildings, If you please. Eliminate the
new buildings and their furnishings,
and you may practically saddle all OF
the other expresses for the home on the
$14 a month. We have built and are
building larger every year at the home
and thereby are increasing the cost Of
maintenance, hut the stipend has re-
NAMED the same. Out Of it must come
the salaries and wages of officers and
nurses; provisions. household stores,
clothing, fuel, light, medicine, water,
and ice, postage and stationery, shop,
farm and garden supplies, the replacing
of worn-out bedding, carpets. chairs,
ranges, Kitchen utensils, and all ordi-
nary repairs Of whatever kind needed.
.Is it any wonder the board of con-
troll, after Investigation, has changed
Its position from that of a. few weeks
ago and instead Of saying, We are not
asking the r,,ise.' now say Owing to
recent developments, we do need It,
II the developments OF few weeks
may make this addition necessary and
advisable, what may not two long
years, bring about? And remember,
gentlemen. H. will be two years before
you can again consider this question.
Tho Iowa board of control Is noted in
every other state for Its wise economy.
Have you any idea that a board whose
record rests upon economic admins
tTation of slate funds will spend the
additional dollar a month unless its use
is plainly Indicated? Can we not trust
the board Of control with an extra dol
lar q month Its use is indicated. Year
sby year we build more hospitals at the
Iowa Soldiers Home and before the
finishers haze let the building the cots
are full and the cry Is for more room,
In the hospital, Turn to the news col
umns Of the Times Republican. the
Register anil leader, or the Des Moines
Capital Of N few weeks ago and see
that 259 Of these old soldiers were ser
iously Ill, 132 In the hospital wards and
the rest in their rooms and cottages
unable to find place in the hospital
OF a membership OF about 500, 259 down
sick; can VIE give these men their due
on sl4 month? Just across from the
home Is ST Thomas hospital, serpi-
charitable institution. In its cheapest
wards the minimum is So per week;
its best ronms $25 per week. Balance
this reasonable charge for hospital
service against the fraction over So
per week at the soldiers home, and
ask whether this bill is Just and its
demands reasonable.
The food is good at the home; 1t
Is plentiful; 1t is enough for laboring
1nan-goot strong food, but these old
men crave and need something differ
ent. Their appetites revolt at the food
strong and healthy men desire and
thrive upon. They are practically all
invalids; those who are not will soon
he invalids. and the very name Iowa
Soldiers Home will be changed to Sol
diers' Hospital The men who live at
the home were strong men fighting for
the life of their nation almost half a
century ago. They are waiting there
weak, enlaciated, sick and with the
foreknowledge of death looking out
OF their eyes. Every one is under a
death sentence. Day by day the flag
they defended hangs at half-most; day
after day trembling procession or OLD
men follows the band to the wall of
the dead march and the throb of the
muffled drums out to the cemetery that
slopes to the morning sun above the
sweep of the river. Day after day the
triple volleys of the firing squad startle
the echois and are repeated from the
wood that fringes the enclosure. Two
paths arc painfully worn at the Iowa
Soldiers Home-the one leading to
the HOSPITAL, and the other winding
down fr.,m the hospital to that eter-
nal camping ground where the low
green tents are multiplying, with a
rapidity that warns us IL we are to
do something for the Iowa veterans OF
the civil war, it must not be delayed.
What s.pan we do? Shall we Of the
Iowa legislature refuse these men 9