The National tribune., 1909-09-23
PENSIONS IN THE HOMES.

PENSIONS IN THE HOMES
The National Tribune has received a
number OF letters regarding the rcgula-
ton in the Soldiers Homes to refuse
admission to pensioners who receive
over SIS a month. We wrote to Mai.
Harris, the General Treasurer of the
Board of Governors of the Soldiers
Homes, and have received the following
letter, which fully explains the matter:
| Editor National Tribune: L have re-
lceived your letter of the 18th inst, re-
Hating to pensions of members of the
National Home for Disabled Volunteer
Soldiers.
The laws relating to the payment of
pensions to the members of the Home
are found in the several acts OF Con-
gress, approved as of the following
dates: Feb. 90, 1891; Aug. 7, 1882, and
| July l, 1902. The act of Feb. 26, 1881,
provides:
| Sec. 2. All pensions payable or to be
paid under this act, to pensioners who
are inmates of the National Home for
Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, shall be
paid to tFe Treasurer or Treasurers of
said Home, upon security given to the
satisfaction of the Managers, to be dis
Ibursed for the benefit of the pensioners
without deductions for fines or penal
| ties. under regulations to be established
| by the Managers of the Home"
The regulations established by the
Board of Managers under the authority
of the foregoing provisions of law are
as follows:
First. A pensioner having n wife,
child or other relatives dependent upon
him may direct that all or any portion
OF his pension money shall be sent to
such wife, child or dependent relative.
Second. Pension money shall only be
paid to members while sick in hospital
when it is to be sent to dependent rela-
tives. or in such small sums as the Sur
geon may approve as necessary for the
personal use of the Members
Fourth. Any balance due the pen
sioner when discharged from the Home.
less any Indebtedness to the Home for
Home property lost or destroyed thru
the fault of the member, shall be paid
to him"
There has also been in force for many
years regulation limiting admissions
to the Home to those applicants whose
pensions do not exceed $16 per month,
except in special cases in which excep-
uons are permitted to be made within
the discretion of the Local Managers
on whose certificate applicants are ad-
mitted; but the recent more liberal pro-
visions of the pension laws have re-
suited in many instances in the increase
of the pensions of members far in ex-
cess of this limit.
1t became evident to the Board of
Managers that in a considerable num-
Der of cases members who received
large pensions either wasted the money
thru extravaganza and dissipation or
sent it to the relatives who were we'll
to-do and not at all dependent upon
the~bourIty of the Government. The
accordingly in
July, 1909, passed the TO lowing ~resoIu-
Resolved. That hereafter disburse-
ments' of pension money to IN embers of
tho. Home shall be limited to SIG per
month, unless sent to dependent rela-
tives or unless otherwise. ordered by the
President of the Board, any sums in
excess of thatiamount being retained in
the hands of the Treasurers so long as
the Densiener remains a member of the
This resolution having been published
in General Orders, gave rise to so much
discomfort on the part of the pensioners
its provisions and so many
protests from their friends that the
Board of Managers reconsidered its ac-
tion, and at its meeting of Aug. 30.
1909, the following resolution was
adopted:
Resolved, That the resolution of the
Board, passed at its meeting of July 8.
1903, limiting the disbursement of pen
sion money to members to SIS per
month. etc. is hereby rcscinded.".
Therefore. the payment of pensions
to members of the Home VIII in future
be governed by the regulations first
above quoted. and abuses avoided or
corrected. 50 far as may be practicable.
Ry appropriate action i'm each individual
case.