The Detroit times., 1911-02-21
We TERANs ASK
FOR GRAND JURY
File Vigorous Protest With Legis
lature Against Management of
Grand Rapids Home.
tFrom a stan Correspondent).

(From a stan Correspondenu.
LANSING, Mich, Feb. ELIMINATES
of the Soldiers home, in Grand Rap
ids, seem to be after the scalp OF Col.
B. F. GBraves, representative from
Adrian and a former member Of the
board OF control of the home. for a
bill which he recently introduced any
which passed the house, prohibiting
the sale OF liquor TO inmates or the
home.
Two other bills affecting the vet
Grams living In the states institution
are before the legislature now, and
they are made a basis for petition
which was introduced last night by
Rep. Taylor, of Kent, at the soldiers
request. One of the bills IL by Rep.
Verdier, Of Kent, and requires that
all the money paid to any inmate as
pension, above $40 month, shall be
paid over TO the state to be used for
various purposes in connection with
the home. The other Is by Senator
Barnaby of Kent, and prohibits the
state from taking away any or the
pension money OF the home inmates,
and at the same time provides for the
repayment to the inmates or their es-
tates or heirs, all the money that has
been taken away by the authorities
on that basis.
IL appears that a number OF years
ago, the board commenced requiring
the inmates to give up their pension
money in excess of $12 a month, ex-
cept in cases where they had depen-
dent families. The argument was that
the veterans would merely spend the
money for frivolities or worse, or else
would hoard 1t for the ultimate bencw
At of heirs who had probably turned
the pensioners out OF doors and on
the mercy of the state home. IL Is
stated that there was no real authof-
ity for taking the money. The SOL
diers' home petition is signed by o4i
members of the home, and Is as foi-
lows:
I'VE. the undersigned members OF
the Soldiers home, located at Grand
Rapids, do hereby enter our solemn
protest against the present system Oh
managing the aforesaid institution,
and respectfully memoraliZe the state
legislature to SO change the character
of the board now in control tnat In
stead. OF being composed OF six mem
bers. all army men, 1t shall In the
future be composed OF three citizens
appointed by the governor and con-
firmed by the state senate. Further
more. we respectfully request this
change in the composition OF the
board, Knowing that as at present
the affairs OF the insutu
ton have been grossly mismanaged
and the greatest incompetency shown,
the same having resulted In sucn In
and injury to ourselves,
as well as to the people OF Michigan
who necessarily have been made 10
suffer by the determinations and ex-
practiced continuously by
the board before mentioned.
This condition, We are convinced,
has obtained since the days OF Col.
Graves, who was the first oficer or
the board to raise the familiar bogey
About drunkenness among the sol
diers. a pretense that has been con-
sistently made use Of to hoodwink
the people of the full facts, and TO
hold the members OF the home In
check for the benefit of those In con-
troll. We do not hesitate to declare
that Col. Graves and the board will
fully and fiagrantly violated the ex-
press wishes of the state legislature
and of the people when they caused
to be erected the building known as
the women's annex, instead OF cot
tages, which had been ordered By the
state legislature, neglect or duty
which has had the result of separat-
ing man and wife, for let IL be known,
that married members in the home
are only permitted to visit their
wives during certain hours OF the
day.
"Anotehr vicious practice against
which we most earnestly protest, and
to which we wish to draw your par
ticular attention, Is the rule requiring
us to turn over all Of our pension
money above $12 a month TO the
treasurer of the board. This we
were obliged to do for many years
and we now call upon the legislature
not only to remedy this injustice by
law. but to determine IL possible what
became of the money thus give b;
the soldiers to the board.
u tutSt duu hihoiCu O'ho "hiN-
have been allowed to creep into the
of the institution these
many years, we respectfully challenge
your attention, and recommend the
calling of grand jury at the earliest
possible moment, that the public may
be made aware OF the disgracefsl
situation herein related. (Signe6 by
547 membersD"
"No, | don't believe | wear horns,
as that petition seems to Indicate
said Col Graves last night. The wo-
mans annex matter that is referred
to in the petition was built because
there was not a large enough appro-
priation for the cottage system. As
to the 'nosing' regarding intoxication
among the members of the home,
grieve to state that there was oc-
casion for IL at the time that ] was
with the home"
Petitions from a dozen O.. A. X.
posts throughout the state opposing
the Verdier bill we're read I'm the
house last night. All the petitions
were referred TO the committee on
Soldiers home.