Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-19
$1,000 VETERANS
DIE DURING YEAR
Connnan der in Chief Beers
Says 10000 Remain on
G. A. r. Roster.

CHATTANOOGA. Tenn. Sept 49,
More than 1000 Union veterans OF
the civil war died during the twelve
months ending December 81 last, and
more than 100000 such veterans are
still on the rolls of the Grand Army
of the Republic, according to Alfred
b. Beers, commandment chief of the
organization. who delivered his an
nual address at the reunion here yes
terdaY.
The year started with a member
ship of 1896. Mr.. Beers said. and
14,779 were added to the rolls by
The losses were as follows: BY death,
1888; by honorable discharge, 434;
by transfer, 1,764 by suspension, g.
976 by dishonorable discharge, So;
by delinquent reports. 4.2S3, and by
surrender of charter, 1,0S9. making a
total loss. partially offset by gains.
OF 25,S98. The rate of mortality,
based on the membership, was 62S
per cent.
Charges II. n. Rate Discrimination.
{AllOliltI iOpiC hlotuSStu at SOlIlC
length by Mr.. Beers was the alleged
discrimination in railroad rates to
Chattanooga between the Grand
Army and the Confederate Veterans,
who hold their reunion here in May.
at would appear" he said, 'that the
services of the veterans of the Union
army and the consideration due them
- ~, e
the railroad authorities. The rail-
roads of the South, however, gave
the same rate to both camps of vet
Grams, Mr.. Beers added, the alleged
discrimination being in the North
and against the Union veterans. In
this connection he said:
The Southern Passenger Associa-
ton, composed of railroads east of
the Ohio River, gave the same rate
to the Union veterans that they had
given to the Confederate veterans in
May of this year, namely, ] cent per
mile. The remaining associations, ex-
cept the Trunk Line Association, To-
Gated in New York, and the trans
continental lines, fixed the rate at Q
cents per mile, which is, I believe, a
higher rate than the Grand Army has
paid in some years.
Included In the associations making
the charge of 2 cents a mile was the
associations whose roads operate in
Missouri and Kansas, and perhaps
other States, which made a rate 70,
the Confederate veterans reunion OF
cent per mile.
Charged Full Rate.
1.-THE railroads from New York t.
Washington made no reduction what
ever in rates, but charged the full
regular fare to Washington, the gate
way to the territory of the Southern
Passenger Association, which rate i.
in excess of the prices regularly
charged for excursion tickets goot
for ten days, and largely in excess O
mileage book rates, good for at leas
one year"
Mr.. Beers urged that the pension
| committee present a bill to Congress
granting a pension of SIS a month t,
veterans who are blind. He also rec
commended that an effort be made t
have repealed the law providing tina
widows of veterans who married afte
June II, 1890, should not be entitle,
to pensions.
"The most of us are conversan
with the causes that led to the pas
sage of that law" he said ut wa
a necessary and a proper law then
! But since that time many honorable
kindly and affectionate women hav
married veterans from the purest o
| motives and ministered to them il
| their last hours. 1t seems an injus
| tice that such noble women shoul
be made to suffer with the irresponsi
| BILE class that the law was designe
| to reach. Surely a law can be frame
that will separate the wheat from tn
chaff."