The National tribune., 1911-03-16
RATES TO THE ENCAMpMENT.


Commander-in-Chief Gilman, judge
Advocate General Thomas S. Hopkins
and Comrade John McElroy appeared,
with Comrade Washington Gardner, be-
fore the House Committee on Ways and
Means to advocate the passage of the
following bill, which had been intro
duced by Representative Gardner;
That section % of the act of Con-
gress approved Feb. 4, 1887. entitled
AN act to regulate commerce." as
amended by the acts of Congress OF
March .. 1889, and Feb. s. 1895, be.
and the same is hereby, amended by
inserting immediately after the words
nothing in this act shall be construed
to prohibit any common carrier from
giving reduced rates to ministers of re-
ligions or to Municipal Governments
for the transportation of INDECENT per-
sons, or to inmates of the National
Homes or State Homes for Disabled
Volunteer Soldiers and of Soldiers and
Sailors orphan Homes. including those
about TO enter and thos returning home
after discharge, under arrangements
with the Boards of Managers of said
Homes the following: cor TO members
of the Grand Army of the Republic or
members of the United Confederate
Veterans. or others. going to and re-
turning from any State or National En-
campmcnt of the Grand Army of the
Republic, or the Reunion of the United
Confederate Veterans. or to the Com
mandcr-in-Chief and the Adjutant-
General of the Grand Army of the Re-
public. or the commandments and
the Acknowledgement of the United
| Confederate Veterans during their re-
Spective terms of Office"
COMMUNICATIVE Chief Gilman ex-
planned the difficulties that the Order
had had in securing proper rates to the
National Encampment The railroads
had insisted that they could not make
lower rates. because all other bodies
would demand the same. He explained
that the National Encampment brought
together much larger crowds than any
in the highest regard by the comrades
and their families: that they made
much monetary sacrifice in order to at
tend them, and that they were of the
greatest comfort and value to them in
meeting old friends and comrades. Con-
sequently more equable rates were ar
IDENTIFY desired by them, and it is felt
| that this was due them on account of
what they had done for the country,
and that an exception should be made
on their behalf.
Judge-Advocate-G General Hopkins
| spoke in the same vein, and urged the
passage of the bill
Comrade John McElroy spoke of the
Determinations against the veterans by
the railroads, and instanced that last
year. when the railroads had all made
rate of SIG from the Ohio River to
Atlantic City and return, they imme-
diately upon the meeting of the Ma
| tional Encampment advanced their
rates to $23. This had provoked wide
! spread irritation among the veterans,
and kept thousands of them away from
the National Encampment. The feeling
was SO great that the Departments of
Ohio and Kentucky refused to attend
the meeting in a body, and several
Posts. each CT which had been accus-
! toned to taking hundreds to the Ma
| tio9al Encampment. refused to go. He
said that the Southern railroads had
always given one cent a mile rate to
the meetings of the United Confederate
Veterans and to those of the State En-
campments, but the railroads of the
| North had firmly refused this They
| had promised at first to do it, but after
| the arrangements for the Encampment
were made their attitude had changed,
and they would not recede from the
arbitrary stand that they assumed. He
| said that the preteXt of having the
same rates for other meetings was only
a pretext. and verybody understood.
The committee decided to report the
| bill favorably, and it was understood
| that the COMMUNICATIVE Chief of the
| United Confederate Veterans was in full
| agreement with the purpose and would
give his Influence to it's passage. The
/ Commander-in-Chie and party saw
Senator Warner, who gave assurance of
support of the bill in the Senate. Moth
ing, however, was done, and the bill
was lost in the rush of business Just
| before adjournment