The National tribune., 1909-08-12


yious year of 966.
found that the act of Congress ap
proved May %, 1908, which requires
that the pension of members OF fStats
Soldiers Homes shall be PAID directls
to the pensioner, has been compiieo
with by the authorities of these Homes
but it is generally condemned as peine
of no benefit to the members and ar
embarrassment to the management. II
has necessitated changes in the rules
and regulations of nearly all OF Inc
State Homes, as the disbursement o.
pension money to members was for
merly to a large extent controlled by
the Home authorities, partly for dis
ciplinary purposes and partly for the
protection of members who are in
capacitated by infirmities and therefore
require assistance and supervision IT
the care of their pension In some
instances unfortunates who could be
kept in the Home as long as the dis
barsement of their pension was under
control now have to be set adrift be-
cause of dissolute habits and conse-
quent Interference with the comforts
of others.
I also find that under the provisions
of the act approved Feb. 26, 1881, as
amended by act approved SAug. z, 1882
the Treasurers of the several branches
of the Home have received from the
Pension Agents during the year pen.
sion money belonging to the members
to the amount of S4,269,6SS.12. OF this
sym S3.17S,726.12 has been paid tc
members, and s1,022.50 sent a
tie request of the members, to their
families and dependent relatives. / find
blythe report of the President of the
Board, under the authority conferred
upon him by the law, that for the year
ending June 80, 1908, the amount ap-
propriated and spent in the National
and State Homes for support, main
tenance. etc, was the sum of S1,1S7,-
361.
1 find that the land upon which the
National Soldiers Homes are erected
amounts to 536,93 acres, valued at
s4S3,474.S5, and buildings erected
thereon ,64S.42; total, $10,907,-
123.07.
1 did not have the time to investi-
gate as to the cost of the State Sol
diers' Homes. / find that the average
expenditure for the year ending June
80, 1908, per capita, was the sum OF
S237.6s.
This is a summary of the amount of
money that has been expended in erect
ing the National and State Soldiers
Homes for the care of our wards, and
the amount which it costs each year to
support and maintain them. In addi-
ton to this, each and every comrade
in the Home receives the pension al
lowed to them by statute.
] did not have an opportunity to visit
but one Home where the comrades are
admitted with their wives. and that
was one of the two Homes in New Jer-
sey; namely. the Soldiers Home at
Fineland. / was much pleased with
the management and conduct of affairs
in this Home. The comrades seem much
better satisfied than in Homes where
their wives are not admitted, and j
only wish that there could be more
Homes of this kind. The Soldiers
Home at Vineland is a model in all re-
spects, even tho it is expensive to main
tain. The ladies of the Woman's Relief
Corps are maintaining several Homes
of this kind, one in Pennsylvania, to
which my attention was called, where
comrades with their wives are admit
ted, and there is more co1tentnent in
these Homes among the comrades than
among those in the Homes where the
wives are not admitted.
The Pacific Branch.
/ received anonymous communica-
tions in regard to the Home in Califor-
mia, and l read an article published in
one of the papers, written by an inmate
of that Home, without signature, and
am surprised that newspapers should
publish such articles derogatory of the
character and conduct of officials with
out stating their source of Information.
visited the California Home in COM
pany with the officers of the Depart
ment of California, and investigated it
very carefully, and addressed the two
Posts located there and also the in
mates of the Home. l stated to them
that the Government made ample pro-
visions for their comfort. care and
maintenance. and that il the officials
did not do their duty they should
"a = t.,
spectors or other proper authorities to
the fact. and not write anonymous let
ters tending to bring disgrace and dis
credit upon the institution. I found in
this Home that all the officials were
Grand Army men, and in addition to
their pensions were receiving compen-
sation for such labor as they could per-
form; that the Surgeons and some of
the nurses and cooks were not Grand
Army men, for the reason that Grand
Army men in the Eome would not or
could not perform the duties required
OF them.
Before leaving this subject I desire
to call your attention to the letter of
the President of the Board to the
last printed report of Managers of the
National Home for Disabled Volunteer
Soldiers, on page of said report, and
also the report of the Inspector Cen
eral and Chief Surgeon, on page 65, re-
tHt among
our aged comrades from the adoption of
modern methods in the treatment of
pulmonary tuberculosis. Nearly one
third of the members arc treated in
the hospitals during the year, and SO
per cent receive treatment either at
sick calls or in the hospitals.
Transportation.
On the 18th Of November. 1903, I
indite9 three-page typewritten letter
in thu form OF an appeal. petition, ap-
plication and prayer, by the Grand
Army of the Republic to the railroad
associations. asking for a rate of one
cent per mile to and from Salt Lake
City. This petition was couched in
courteous language and mailed to all
of the railroad associations. the re-
ceipt of which was acknowledged by
the same TO me.
On the 7th of December, 1908, Wis
ited several of these passenger associa-
tions in the city of Chicago, all of
whom received me most courteously,
and 1 was informed by them that the
rate would have 10 be fixed by the
transcontinental lines which run into
the city of Salt Lake, these lines being
the Union Pacific, Denver & Rio Grande
and one or two others, and that they
would gladly give such rate as would
be fixed by the transcontinental lines.
] Immediately communicated with these
lines. and afterwards at Salt Lake City
received notice that the first-named
passenger associations refused to give
hnf4 rat ela fa "A