The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-09-18
11,000 UNION VETS
DIED DURING YEAR
Total Enrolment of Grand Army of the
Republic Is Now More Than 10000
As Reported at Convention in
Chattanooga, Tenn.

Chattanooga, Tenn, Sept. ls-More
than IL 900 Union veterans of the civil
war died during the II months ending
Dec. 81, last, and more than 1SOO0o
such veterans are still on the rolls OF
the Grand Army of the Republic, ac-
cording to Alfred b. Beers, commander
in-chief of the organization, who dellv-
cred his annual address at the reunion
here to-day.
The year started with membership
of l9l BAG, Mr.. Beers said, and lA,7I9
were added to the rolls by muster,
transfer and reinstatement. The losses
were as follows: BY death, 1888; by
honorable discharge, 4,350 by transfer,
1894; by suspension. 1916; by dis
honorable discharge, So; by delinquent
reports, 42S3; and by surrender OF char
ter. ,039, making total loss, partially
offset by gains, of 25,S9S. The rate
Of mortality, based on the membership.
was 6.2S per cent.
Another topic discussed at some length
by Mr.. Beers was the alleged discrim-
nation in railroad rates to Chattanooga
between the Grand Army and the Con-
federate veterans, who held their reun-
he said. chat the services of the vet
Grams of the Union army and the con-
sideration due them are held lightly in
the estimation of the railroad author
ities." The railroads of the South. how
ever, gave the same rate to both camps
of veterans, Mr.. Beers added the al
legged discrimination being in the North,
and against the Union veterans. In this
connection, he said:
"The Southern Passenger association,
composed of railroads east OF the Ohio
river, gave the same rate to the Union
veterans that they had given to the Con-
federate veterans in May of this year,
namely, one cent per mile. The remain
ing associations, except the Trunk Line
association, located in New York and
the Trans Continental lines, fixed the
rate at two cents per mile, which is
| believe, higher rate than the Grand
Army has paid in some years. Includ-
ed in the association making the charge
of two cents per mile, was the associa-
tion whose roads operate in Missouri
and Kansas and perhaps other states,
which made rate for the Confederate
veterans reunion. of one cent per mile.
The railroads from New York to Wash
ington made no reduction whatever in
rates, but charged the full regular fare
to Washington, the gateway to the ter
ritory of the Southern Passenger asso-
citation, which rate is in excess of the
prices regularly charged for excursion
tickets good for ten days and largely
in excess of mileage book rates good
for at least one year.
Mr.. Beers urged that the pension COM
mittee present bill to Congress grant
ing pension of $75 month to veter
ans who are blind. He also recommend
ed that an effort be made to have re-
pealed the law providing that widows
Of veterans who married after June II,
1890, should not be entitled to pen
sions.
"The most of us are conversant with
the causes that led to the passage OF
that law" he said. "Tt was q necessary
and proper law then, but since that
time many honorable, kindly and affec-
tionate women have married veterans
from the purest of motives and minis
tered to them in their last hours. 1t
seems an injustice that such noble wom-
en- should be made to suffer with the
irresponsible class that the law was de-
signed to reach. Surely law can be
framed that will separate the wheat
from the chaff."