The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1916-08-26


the home is satisfied that any men,
Der has sufficient ability or means to
support himself, he may report such
case, and with the approval of the
Board of Control, may discharge
such member.
Smoking is not allowed in any
sleeping rooms and no matches are
allowed to be kept in sleeping rooms.
At tattoo all members and employees
shall retire to their quarters and at
taps all lights in the rooms will be
eXtinguished.
Clothing is furnished by the state
to all members and tobacco is furn-
ished to those who get no pensions.
Each home has its library and
billiard rooms. In this connection 1t
perhaps would cause no harm for me
to suggest to the newspapers about
the state, both daily and weekly, that
1t might be very gracious act for
those who have not already done so,
+ to place each home on their mailing
list as there are members in each
from practically every county.
Kindness and courtesy are two of
the chief requisites of every employe
and the state has reason to feel
proud of the manner in which 1t Is
making the last days of the old veter-
ans as pleasant as it is possible to
make them Each home is always
crowded to it's fullest capacity and
there are many applicants already
approved who are on the waiting list
for entrance. For this reason prefer
ence is given to the Civil war veter-
ans who are in the most feeble con-
dition.
1t seems hard for the taxpayers to
understand why the two soldiers
homes do not decrease in population,
considering the age Of the members
and the large death rate. Up until
the last session of the legislature,
any veteran was entitled to admis-
sion to the homes prepared at the
request of a committee of the state
encampment of the G. A. R. by the
present Board of Control and the
legislature was requested to change
the reading of this law SO that 1t
would read three years residence
rather than one year. This law was
passed.
In many of the middle Western
states there are no soldiers homes,
..er If there are, they are unattractiye.
The climatic conditions which prevail
upon the Pacific slope have appealed
to many of the old veterans, and they
are constantly coming to this state,
establishing a residence, and then ap-
plying for admission to our homes.
Under the law, the Board of Control
can do nothing but admit them after
they have completed the required
length of residence. There are at
present many applications from vet
erans of the Spanish american war
Most of these applicants ages are
under forty and it has been the policy
of the board to only admit those who
are physically unable to earn a living
on the outside, owing to the fact that
there is a large waiting list Of aged
and needy veterans who seek admis-
sion.
Including both homes, the Western
part of the state furnishes about six
sevenths of the population, while the
Eastern part of the state furnishes
but one-seventh.
State Soldiers Home.
This home Is located one mile
from Orting in Pierce county and Is
one of hte oldest of the state institu-
tions, the law for its establishment
having been passed by an act of the
1890 legislature.
The buildings are of wood and the
timbers underneath are rotting from
age and dampness, where are ideal
places for incubating reaches and
yermin, which have to be fought
constantly. This has long been the
case and will continue to be until
sanitary buildings have been con-
structed of other material than wood.
The buildings are veritable fire-traps
and those in authority tremble at
what might happen should fire sud
denly break out. The members OF
the Board of Control are very careful
at every visit to this institution to In
spect the fire hose, hydrants and fire
extinguishers, and a short time ago
added to the amount then on hand
and caused new hydrants to be con-
structed.
We have here four large buildings
for the members, named, respective
ly, the Washington building, Rogers
building, Pickering building and the
Lincoln building. In each OF these
buildings are large reading rooms
bath rooms and plenty OF toilets.
Besides these four large dormitories,
there is a hospital building, which
will accommodate one hundred or
mana ,,an,hara While many of the