The Washington times., 1909-08-11
Head of Soldiers Home
Asserts Charges Are
Erroneous.
INMATES FINED"
FOR INTOXICATION
By Law These Assessments Are
Sometimes Returned to
Veterans.

If there is any feeling of dissatisfac-
ton among the inmates of the United
States Soldiers Home because Of the
administration Of the institution by
Brig. Gen. Hamilton s. Hawkins, T.
S. A, retired, the source of the dissat-
isfaction could not be found today The
man with kick" was not in evidence
around the institution this morning.
If 100 or more of the inmates have
prepared a brief Of their grievances.
which they intend submitting to the
President and to Congress, no one con
nected with the home has heard any
thing about il. The officials says that
81 any such complaint had been con-
templated, It would most certainly have
been submitted 10 them before carrying
the matter over their heads.
Here Is the situation" explained Gen
ersl Hawkins. The majority of the in
mates of this institution are honest, up
right, sober men, who come here to
live because they are old or sick, can
no longer co service in the army and
have no relatives TO look after them
That Is the object OF the home.
Must Have Order
However, we get some men who are
tirunkards and make it unpleasant for
the other inmatss-the men who want
70 live the right kind of life We don't
try 10 have much discipline only enough
to make It possible 10 run the place
properly. but we must discipline the men
who get drunk.
The inmates have the freedom Of
the grounds and the home. They can
so and come when they please. 1 have
no objection If they want TO go down
tovu and spend their evenings playing
Billiards or bowling. They can even get
drunk If they want to, but If they re-
turn here under the influence of liquor
they must be punished"
General Hawkins then explained that
formerly the men were made 70 work
after they had been on a spree, They
were sent around the grounds picking
up papers. and we're made to deliver
coal and wood to the officers quarters,
but the punishment was so light that II
vas not effective.
At a meeting OF the board OF commits
Eioners Of the home, held March IL 1893.
the following regulation was adopted
governing the inmates:
An inmate pensioner Of the home
found drunk or disOrdeTiy within the
limits Of the home shah not be paid
As long as he remains an inmate any
OF the pension money which may accrue
during the quarter in which the offense
was committed.
IF the offender takes his discharge
and is afterwaTd readmitted TO the
home an amount equal TO what ought
10 have been 50 withheld viii &c perna-
nently retained from the first payment
after said return. g"
Money Goes to Heirs.
Since this rile was put into force
there have been thirty instances where
s41z va
money, however. is not used IN connec-
ton with the running expenses Of the
home, bat is deposited as an entirely
separate fund, and is paid to the pen
sloner at the time he leaves the institu-
tion, or TO his heirs in case Of his death.
The treasurer of the home character
lied as absurd a statement that the pen
sion money was being handled in viola
ton OF law. Under the law the PEN
sions Of all inmates OF a United States
Soldiers Home are paid directly 10 the
treasurer, who has the legal right TO
keep 1t all or turn over to the pensioner
what he sees fit. In spite Of this dis
cTetionary power, he said, not one cent
has ever been withheld from The pen
EiOners al the Washington. D. c. home.
The law of May =, 1868, it was ex-
planned. which provides foT pensions be
ing paid direct TO the pensioners, APP
IillEe 10 stare EHSAlLuLAODes not ulluEE A4IE
supervision Of the general Government.
Denial was made at the Treasury De-
psrtment that there is between s., 900 900
and 100000 deposited 10 the credit
Of the home The sum is really a little
more than 100000 Furthermore, not
one cent Of pension money deposited TO
the credit Of the home draws interest
or ever has drawn interest.
Large Sum on Deposit.
The large sum on deposit Is due to
the fact that many Of the inmates pre-
fer to allow their pensions TO accumu-
late instead of drawing them quarter
ly, some allowing the money to remain
in the Treasury for years. They can
draw the money al any time, and the
treasurer Of the home will give any
inmate a voucher for the fun amount
Of his accrued pension on i've minutes
demand.
The Soldiers Home located in the
District Of Columbia is regarded
throughout the country as one of the
best conducted institutions iu the coun-
try. Fines imposed by COurts-martfaI
are applied toward its support, and the
system Of financing the institution is
such that IL Is virtually self-supporting.
General Hawkins said that II anv Law
had been passed recently affecting the
method Of paying the pension money,
the Commissioner Of Pensions would
certainly be appTised Of the law and
would have the money paid direct to
the pensioners instead Of the trea surer
Of the home.