The National tribune., 1909-08-26
THE PACIFIC HOME.
Report Of the Investigating Committee
of the Department Of California and
Nevada.

The country has been resounding
with charges of mismanagement of the
Pacific Branch of the Soldiers Home
and of the ill-treatment of its inmates.
The. matter came before the last Ma
tional Encampment for consideration.
Promptly upon the first publication of
the charges Commander Daubenspeck,
of the Department of California and
Nevada, appointed a committee to in
yestigate the conditions at the Home,
and the following is the full report
made by the committee to him:
Special Report of the Department COM
ff1fttee to Investigate Complaints on
the Conduct and Management of the
Pacific Branch, National Military
Home.
LOS Angeles, Cal, Aug. 4, 1909.
"W. S. Daubenspeck, Commander, De-
partment of California and Nevada.
'.Comrade: In response to your re-
quest of June 81, as Chairman of the
above committee, ] Immediately took
steps to have the committee make a
thoro investigation of the various mat
ters complained of. Your Assistant Ad-
jutant-General has from time to time
forwarded to this committee the vari-
Gus communications and newspaper
clippings which have come to the De-
partment Headquarters that pertain to
the Soldiers Home matter.
I'VE beg to call your attention to
the report of this committee submitted
to the Department Encampment at
Pasadena on April Is, which was unan-
In1ously approved, and the Encamp-
ment seemed so we'll pleased with the
work of the committee that on motion
a special vote of thanks was rendered
the committee for their services. This
motion was amended to continue the
tl,sa inc l. a
year, and was adopted without dis
senting voice. In this report your COM
mittee took occasion to compliment the
improved condition and management Oh
the affairs of the Home.
"On April 81, on the occasion of the
visit of the Commander-in-Chief, the
Chairman and Secretary of this COM
mittee, in company with the Depart
ment Commander and members of his
staff, visited the Soldiers Home. Dur
ing the visit a meeting of the officers
and members of the several Posts at
the Home was held in the Post Room in
Memorial Hall, and was addressed by
the mmander-in-Chief, Department
Commander, the Chairman and Secre-
tary of this committee and others. On
that occasion the Commander-in-Ch
told the members of the Home that If
they had any complaints to make to
reduce them to writing, and file the
same with the Department Committee,
who would make the investigation and
report thru the Department Command
er to the Commander-in-Chief, and If
wrongs were being perpetrated upon
the members of the Home that he
would use the entire prestige and
strength of the National organization to
right the wrongs.
Your committee begs to report to
you that there has not been complaint
g. -,@l, %r,s - 20 dota
However, on account of the many harsh
and cruel statements relative to the
management of the Home and the
treatment of its members published in
the Los Angeles Herald, and given out
to the Associated Press, and further TO-
mented by verbal stories circulated by
two or three comrades and Rosecrans
Camp of the Sons of Veterans in Los
Angeles and three or four comrades of
the Home. we have made as thoro in
vestigation as possible up to this time,
and we are still at work in an effort to