The Mena weekly star., 1913-09-25
RANKS OF C. A. R.
 ARE THINNING OUT
During the Twelve Months Ending December 31, More Than 11,OOO Union Veterans Answered Last
 Call-PenSiOn Blind Veterans

Chattanooga, Tenn, Sept. l8.-
 More than l1,000 Union veterans of
 the Civil war died during the twelve months ending December 3l, last, and more than 180,OO0 such veterans
 are still on the rolls of the Grand Army of the Republic, according to Alfred B. Beers, commauder-in-
 chief of the organization, who de liyered his annual address at the reunion here today.
 The year started with a member ship of l9l,3i6, Mr. Beers said, and li,719 were added 10 the rolls by muster, transfer and re-instate- ment. The losses were as follows: By death. ll,33S; by honorable dis
 charge, l3i; by transfer, l,76l; by suspension, 6.976; by dishonorable
 discharge, 63; by delinquent reports,
 42S3, and by surrender of charter,
 l,039, making a total loss, partially offset by gains, of 25,S9S. The rate of mortality based on the member ship, was CPS per cent.
 Another topic discussed at some length by Mr. Beers was the alleged
 discrimination in railroad rates to Chattanooga between the Grand Ar my and the Confederate veterans who held their reunion here in May. Tt would appear" he said, that
 the services of the veterans of the
 Union army and the consideration
 due them are held lightly in the es- | timation of the railroad authOri- ties" The railroads of the South, however, gave the same rate to both camps of veterans, Mr. Beers added. the alleged discrimination being in the North and against the Union veterans. In this connection
 he said:
 The Southern Passenger Ass)ria- 1 ton, composed of railroads east of the Ohio river, gave the same rate
 10 the Union veterans that they gave to the Confederate veterans in
 May of this year, namely one cent per mile. The remaining assOcia- tiOns, except the Trunk Line Asso-
 citation. located in New York, and the Continental lines, fixed
 the rate at two cents per mile, which is, I believe, a higher rate
 than the Grand Army has paid in some years. Included in the assO-
 citations making the charge of two cents per mile, was the association whose roads operate in Missouri
 and Kansas and perhaps other
 states, which made a rate for the Confederate veterans reunion of
 one cent per mile. The railroads from New York to Washington made no reduction whatever in
 rates, but charged the full regular
 fare to Washington, the gateway to
 the territory of the Southern Pas senger Association. 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 committee present bill to Congress granting a pension of S75 a month
 10 veterans who are blind. He also recommended that an effort be made to have repealed the law pro- viding that widows of veterans who married after June Y, 1890, should not be entitled to pensions,
 The most of us are conversant with the causes that led to the pass
 age of that law" he said. Tt was
 necessary and a proper law then, but since that time many honorable, kindly and affectionate women have
 married veterans from the purest
 of motives and ministered to them
 in their last hours. It seems an injustice that such noble women should be made to suffer with the irresponsible class that the law was designed to reach. Surely law can be framed that will separate the wheat from the chaff."