The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1916-02-24
The Post Fund.

Inc pOSt funu OF Ine NdLlOndl MIL
itary Home has the distinctive char
acteriStic of belonging to . body of
men who have been recognized by
the government as the Ellw: Ks of
our liberty and the primary G. Gators
of our present national impor ance.
They have never, as Il body. been de-
clared insane. yet they are denied
the privilege of managing the dispO-
sition of certain money which Isl ex-
clusively theirs. They are not even
allowed to designate who shall man
age the money for Them and those
who have, from time to time, clothed
themselves with autocratic power
for the management of this fund,
have never yet considered it neces-
sary to render a statement which
would convey an intelligent and sat
isfactol idea of the administration
of this fund. Early in the history of
the Home it was found desirable, for
the convenience of the members, to
permit the establishment of stores
for the sale of tobacco, toilet articles,
notions, etc. The profits derived by
the operation of these stores, or smalg
shops. Constituted a fund the man
agemert of which was at first left to
the Co. rnor of the Branch in each
case, it beirg provided by resolution
of the Board of Managers that the
net profit of such stores should be
used fol the increase of the libraries,
table lu, uries, furnishing of amGsc-
ment halls, and such other purposes
as would best conduce to the enjoy
ment IF the members. This fund was
called the store fund.- There was al
so small fund, known as the con-
tingen5 fund, which had been derived
in the early days of the Home from
varoJs sources, chiefly, however,
from f nes imposed upon the mem
bers for misconduct, which practice
was authorized under the law at that
time. In the operation of the stores,
beer halls, hotels and restaurants,
from which the revenues of the Post
Fund were chiefly derived prior to
July /, 1909, the details of their man.
agement We're necessarily left to
the officers immediately responsible,
under the supervision of the council
/ of administration at each Branch. On
July 1, 1902, Congress passed an Act
which created an additional source
of revenue for the Post Fund. The
following is a copy of the Act:
Hereafter any balance of pension
money cue member of the National
Home for Disabled Volunteer Sol
diers at the time of his death shall
be paid to his widow, minor children,
or dependent mother or father, in the
order named; and should no widow.
minor child, or dependent parent be
discovered within one year from the
time OF the death of the pensioner.
said balance shall be paid to the
Post Fund of the Branch of said Ma
tisnal Home of which the pensioner
was a member at the time of his
death. to be used for the common
benefit of the members of the Home
under the direction of the Board of
Managers, subject to future reclama-
tien by the relatives hereinbefore des-
ignated upon application filed with
the Board of Managers within five
years after the pensioners death"
There are now in the hands of the
Board a quarter of million dollars
supposed to be securely invested so
that this big sum shall earn interest.
Maj. Jackson, in his report to the
War Department, says the money
belongs to the members and should
be expended for such things as tend
to increase their comfort and well
fare" and the law reads it shall "be
used for the common benefit of the
members of the Homes" AS the av-
erage age of Civil War veterans in
the Branches is 1874 years, it is OBJ
vious that in few years large ma
jority of them will have joined the
army grand, and now is the time to
spend some of it according to law.