The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1911-03-09
MANN, OF ILLINOIS, OBJECTS.
Continued from page three)

Mr. Hull, of Iowa: yield to the gen.
tleman from Ohio (Mr. Keifer).
Mr.. Keifcr: Mr. Speaker. only wish to
say that the G. A. r. has always beer
controlled by a Council of Administers
ton, chosen from year to year:
Mr.. Fitzgerald: How is it selected?
Mr.. Keifer: My recollection is that In
the first place the Council of Admins
-tration was selected by the Delegates OF
each Department, one for each Depart
ment, and certain of the National Off
GERS are ex-officio members of the
Council. Usually a State constitutes q
Department Of the G. A. r., and in the
annual meeting or National Encamp-
ment of the G. A. r. each one IF the
Departments select a member of the
National Council of Administration that
has the general control. The National
Council has all the power that this
Board would have, constituted under
the law that it is proposed to pass. The
difficulty, / think, is that the bill TN
dertakes to recite some of the general
objects and purposes of that great fra
ternal society, the G. A. r.; but the
real point is, as the organization is still
large, altho small compared to what il
used to be, that they want TO have
somewhere the power to hold property,
and while they have an organization
and have made some provision for what
certain trustees may do, the great pur-
pose Of this proposed legislation IS ex-
pressed in section 8 of the bill:
Sec. 6. That the said corporation may
take or receive, whether by gift, grant,
devise, bequest or purchase, any real or
personal estate, and to hold, grant. con-
yey, hire or lease the same for the pur-
poses of its incorporation, and to accept
and administer any trust of real or
personal estate for any purpose within
the objects of the Incorporation.
Mr.. Bartlett, of Georgia: May l in
terrupt the gentleman?
Mr.. Keifer: Certainly.
Mr.. Bartlett, of Georgia: Is there any
Post OF any part OF this organization
acting under any charter. from any 9TH
er authority. State or otherwise?
Mr.. Keller: / think not.
Mr.. Bartlett, of Georgia: The reason
] ask IS that ] know they are divided
into Posts; for instance, we have Post
Mcpherson, in Atlanta, and / supposed
that was done by authority of the or
ganizatiop.
Mr.. Keifer: The gentleman from
Georgia is right in saying that they are
divided into Posts and numbered in
their respective Departments. And they
are named after some distinguished SOL
der or officer, and in that way the
Posts are distinguished in the several
Departments all over the country. But
these Posts have no corporate powers;
they all have n right of representation
in the Department and in the National
Encampments. For instance, in the
State of Ohio there is Annual or Semi
annual Encampment held in the State
There is one National Encampment
held every year and has been for a
great many years. The Departments
or Posts have no corporate powers
There are instances where the public
and individuals have provided Posts
with particular places of holding meet
ings, halls, etc, or an armory, but they
have to have trustee to hold it, and
the title is not vested directly in any
Post.
Mr.. Bartlett. of Georgia: There is enc
organization known as the G. A. r.,
and thest Posts are, so to speak, sIbdi-
visions of the organization. What au-
tnority do the Posts derive from the
great body which is the Grand Army?
Mr.. Keifer: The g. A. r. covers all
the Grand Army Departments in the
United States, and the Posts derive
their authority thru the Department
You find one Post out in the Hawaiian
Islands. The Departments are under
the control of the National G.. A. R..
That has been so from the beginning
Mr.. Bartlett, of Georgia: There must
be some history as TO how this organi-
.ation was first started.
Mr.. Keller: Oh, yes.
Mr.. Bartlett. of Georgia: They got to-
sether and organized themselves into
this body and gave themselves 4 name,
and they certainly during all this time,
apprehend. accumulated some prop
erty and hold it in some way.
Mr.. Keifer: They have accumulated
'ome property; they have the title to
some property, some of them; and they
nave some held in trust by individuals.
is has TO be done when the party has
not the right to take legal title. Now
he G. A. r. has some history We
have recently Unvailed a statue on
pennsylvania avenue to Comrade
stephenson, who originated, initiated
md planned in This country the c. A.
T.. the grandest organization that has
.ver existed in the history of the world.
Mr.: Bartlett, of Georgia: Another
question leading to what am going to |
lsk: II this bill passes these gentlemen |
re organized into corporation. What |
will become of the property? No pro-
i,ion is made for the conveyance and
acceptance of property now owned by |
he G. A. r. You create n corporation
md call 1t the G. A. r.; you name the
'cople who are to constitute il and such |
PERSONS as may desire to associated
with these persons and their
uccessOrs. These men associated them
elves together. which they had right
o do. and have been for so years ac-
property. they own it and
ontrol it, and this bill proposes now to
make no provision for the disposition
f that property.
Mr.. Keifer: Let me respond by saying
hat the corporation proposed to be
ormed will not get any property except
hat which will he transferred to il by
he present organization, the c. A. R.
he corporation will be authorized to
ccept and hold property. The personal
roperty there is less difficulty about
he G.. A. r. receives funds and pays
hem out for charitable purposes and
! various ways in carrying out its pur-
oses and business, and there is a De-
fund and a National G. A. r.
md. There is also some real estate
nat has been held, or is being neld, as
have explained, that may be trans
Erred to this corporation.
Mr.. Mann: VIII the gentleman yield
n a question?
Mr.. Keifer: Yes; of course
Mr.. Mann: If this bill should pass,
hat becomes of the Departments of
lie G. A. r. and the Posts which are
ow IN existence?
Mr.. Keifer: think they will not bel
any of them. They eannotE
!. The Departments will continue to
old and occupy their present rclationl
the National organization.
Mr.. Mann: What authority would
ley have TO use the. name G. A. r.?
Mr.. Keifer: think it would not take
way the authority from the G. a. r.
Mr.. Mann: II there is voluntary or
using a name, and the Gov
charters a company by that