Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-09-12
Report OF Adjutant General OF
! Order Shows Death is Rapidly
Depicting Veterans Ranks
RoosevELrs NAME is cAeEReD
Commander Browns EuIosy Of the
President Meet. With Hearty APP
provaI-Recommend alton That Per-
manent Headquarters be Established
is Strongly Presented.
Special to Times-Republican.


Saratoga, Sept. 12.-The grand en-
campment of the G. A. r. got down to
actual business today. Commander
in-Chief Brown delivered his annual
address, and reports Of officers and
committees were presented, covering
several recommendations. Commander
Brown complimented President Roose-
velt on his administration. and the
presidents name was heartily cheered
by the delegates. Much interest was
manifested in the report of .Adjutant
General O'Neall, because of the sta
tistics bearing on the depletion of the
ranks of the Grand Army by death.
Death Thinning Ranks.
The report of Adjutant General Jo-
seph w. O'Neall. of the Grand Army
OF the Republic, which was made pub
lie at the encampment here today.
shows that the membership of the
Grand Army of the Republic on June
30, 1906, was 222,74s, based on returns
from all but eight states, including Geor-
gia. Idaho, Indian Territory. New Mexico
and North Dakota. from which, no re-
turns have been received. The high
water mark of members in the army
was reached In 1890, when 409,4SS
were en-. lied. Since that time death
has rapidly depleted the ranks of the
aged veterans. and General O'NealPs
report shows that 9,052 members died
in the last twelve months. The report
shnws that $500 old soldiers joined
the e. A. r. during the year. The
total number Of posts in the army is
now 1916. General O'Neall reports
that $95,314 has been expended for re-
lief during the year.
General O'Neall strongly recom-
mends that the G. A. r. establish per-
manent headquarters instead of chang
ing it's home office each year as is now
the practice General O'Neall in his
report says:
"In my humble judgment the time
has come, and now Is, when permanent
headquarters should be established. 1
can, see no reason why our headquar-
ters should, from year to year, be cart
ed around over the country, incurring
freight bills and damaging what
little furniture we have and with
out any compensating results. know
of no other society or organization
that constantly changes its home Of
fee, and can think Of no good reas-
on why we should. Another great
mistake Is the annual change of the
adjutant general. care not how
competent nor how wide the acquain
the office wholly unacquainted with
conditions. He must become ac-
quainted with his correspondents, the
heads Of the departments, and learn
what to expect and from whom to ex-
pect it. This requires time and by
the time he learns these things he
must go out of office and some other
fcomrade take up the work de novo.
The Grand Army of the Republic
should be a continuing and not a
constantly changing institution.
4 "And what say Of the adiutant
general is also true of the assistant
ladjutant general. Get good man
and competent. and keep him. Such is
the practice of successful business
amen and such should be our practice.
/, therefore, in the interest Of econ
omy and, as I firmly believe, in the
best interest of our beloved organiza-
ton. most earnestly recommend that
some definite action be taken by this
encampment either by the establish
sment now of permanent headquarters
or by the appointment Of a committee
authorized to act and required to
make it's report to the next national
encampment."
Patriotic Instructor Goss urged that
steps be taken to place military in
struction in the curriculum Of the pub
lie schools. Surgeon General john
son recommended that the establish.
ment by the government of hospitals
for insane veterans be fastened.
Commander Browns Address.
In his annual address. Commander
in-Chief Brown spoke in commenda-
ton of congress for appropriating $2,-
900 year for flags to be used in me-
mortal day decoration of the graves of
union soldiers in national ceemteries
and the passage of the age disability
pension law. He recommended that the
pension committee of the organization
present to the next congress a bill in
creasing the pension of all widows now
on the roll at rate less than $12
month to that sum.
Speaking Of President Roosevelt's
interest in pension matters, General
Brown said:
president Roosevelt is the friend of
the veteran soldiers and sailors of the
republic. Official acts, public declara-
tions and assurances in private confer
ences warrant the statement that no
chief executive in the history of the
nation has held or could hold in higher
regard the services of the men who
saved this union, and no president has
svtnced . stronger desire to adequate