Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-02-11
Soldiers Home COmmandant
Calls Statement of R. Wayne
Parker Ridiculous.
TWO DRINKS OF WHISKEY
A WEEK ENOUGH FOR HIM
comnandant Denies Respon.
sibiIity for Bill, Putting 1t
Up to Governor.

Il like Holsters in summer OCCASION
ally. and I am perfectly willing te
pay for them, but I have my opinion
of a certain kind of Holsters and
! haven't changed it.
This was what General f. Buro
/ Grubb. dashing officer of the Civi
War old-school gentleman and COM
mandant of the Soldiers Home al
Kearny. had to say today about the
charges made against him before the
House committee on revision of laws
at Trenton.
Among these changes was one that
| the general was partial 70 Holsters
and fine whiskey and that he econo-
mixed too strictly in coal and fed
the veterans of the home on Lenten
diet that lacked even fish.
Bill Acts Automatically.
The committee had under consider
alton a bill TO provide for the ap-
pointment of the board of managers
of the home by the Governor, instead
of by the supreme Court, as at pres
ent. The passage of the bill will re-
suit automatically in the dismissal
of the board now serving.
On Governor Wilson's recommends
ton, made to Chairman Kerwin, the
charges against General Grubb were
disregarded and the bill was reported
favorably.
But the general, thinking the at
tack on him was one of pure personal
spite, is anxious today to charge the
enemy and put them to rout so thor
oughly that they'll not show their
colors again.
Perfectly ridiculous!" he snapped,
after turning his lobster sally on his
aecusers.
1.-THE governor knows all about it, !"
he continued. Il report to him every
ten DAYS and he is conversant with
every detail about the management
of the home"
"Then you don't diet your COM
trades so vigorously as former Con-
gresham r. Wayne Parker told the
committee you do?" the general was
asked
Our food costs us nearly $4,000 a
month for sos old soldiers. But don't
contract the food bills. Every one of
them has to be approved by the
executive committee of the board"
But Mr.. Parker says something
about several barrels of extra fine
whiskey for your personal table" it
was pointed out to the commandant.
THAT whiskey was bought for use
in the hospital" retorted General
Grubb. when I came here they
were paying Sis a gallon for the
whsl1ey they used In the hospital.
you can imagine the medicinal
value of s1.75 whiskey. 1 said it
might be used to rub the soldiers
down with, and asked the doctor if
he didn't advise buying a better
grade After that we paid SO a gallon
wholesale.
Two Drinks Week.
"Of course they did send down some
for my use and that of my guests. L
suppose it was extravagant."
We'll said the general refec-
lively, after a moments pause. 1--WE
been accustomed to live as a gentle
man.
II do not take more than two
would take me quite a while at that
rate to use up barrels of II.
There has been no extravaganza
whatever. In regard to heat, my
records as given to Governor Wilson
show that the home has been kept at
almost 10 degrees throughout the en-
tire winter
When it was pointed out that
former Congressman Parker had i'm
piled that the general fathered the
bill which will. when passed, deprive
the board of managers of their
positions. General Grubb said:
mo. 1t was drawn up under the
written direction of Governor Wilson.
1t is a very wise enactment This
board is the only one in the State not
now appointed by the governor.
These men said nothing against the
bill, so far as I can discover, when
they appeared before the committee.
They made direct attack on me
for political reasons. ! suppose-but
7 don't know why they did 1t. Any
way, the committee approved the bill,
and the governor knows how I am
running this home"
Besides Mr.. Parker. Major Peter
Rogers, of Arlington; DR.. Henry AL
lers and General John Brensinger, of
Jersey City, appeared before the house
committee to protest against the bill
ut cuts our heads off instantly"
began. Mr.. Parker, who was the first
to voice his indignation.
LAS soon as it passes our terms are
q m
each of us had served five years it
would be different, but none Of us
has served more than two years and
most of US only one, and we are
now just getting into the saddle. 1t
Is an attack on the board of man
ayers to turn them out, and nothing
else.
"I have to tell you Of what is re-
sponslble for this bill. in justice to
all. became president of the
board in April of last year
and found the home in dis
tress for lack of funds The home
had run $1,000 behind and we had to
pay bills amounting to. that figure out
of this years appropriation and
have had to come before the appro-
priation committee of the House and
ask for more.
"All the stores at the home were
exhausted. We discovered that the
trouble was that the monthly payroll
had steadily advanced from $1,000 to
so, 900. Part of this was due to I'm
creases of salary made by the board
of managers, but at least $500 Of it
was for extra servants, clerks, ste
nographers, etc, which the COM
mandant, General Grub, had or
dered. We cut this expenditure down
and the general was angry. We
found that the food for the soldiers