Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-09-27
Use OF MEMORIAL DAY
FOR SPORTS pEPLORED.

Use OF MEMORIAL DAY
FOR SPORTS DEPLORED.
Commander-in- Chief Ketcham deplored
the modern tendency to make use of
Memorial day as q day for sports Among
the recommendations made was one
favoring a change in the pension laws
so that woman who married 8 Civil
War veteran subsequent to June q, 1905,
might be made eligible to receive a pen
sion. He recommended that the efforts be
made to induce Congress to change the
date to Jan. l. 1918.
A touching tribute was paid to the
10000 members of the G. A. Il. who have
died within the past year This number
included an unusually large number of
men who were prominent in the work of
the G. A. r.
Mr.. Ketcham's address follows:
Comrades: Fifty-six years have come
and gone since the war drums ceased
their throbbing and the battle flags were
furled' and We turned our happy feet
toward our long deserted homes and
now, ffty-six years after the happy ter
minatton of the war, and fifty-flve after
the organization of The Grand Army of
the Republic. we are met in national en-
campment assembled, to take counsel Of
what has been and what has not been
done IN the past and of what ought to
be done in the future.
The national encampments have been
entertained during the existence of the
= Grand Army, by thirty five different
itiess-Indianapolis in 66, 81, '93, 20 and
FL five times).
q TTFTH SESSION To BIZ
<SHELD IN INDIANAPOLIS.
1T will be observed that with this en-
tertained US i've times; oftener than any
other city. She came 10 the rescue In
1920, when another city that had been sell
ected fell down. and with but scant
e. @-w-#~ Ton Il h. hos no
could-and the best is none too good
for the Grand Army.
This year, city after city suggested
that it would be glad to entertain the en-
campment, but the months went by
they all withdrew, ana it looked as
though we were in trouble in finding 4
place to entertain us, bur Indianapolis
seItH commeudahie patriotism, came gain
to the rescue, and I sincerely trust thai
your experience this year will again IL
iustrate to you the splendid character Of
he patriotism, loyalty and devotion %
he Grand Army Of this city.
"When the first encampment was held
here in '66 its numbers were SO small
hat / have no means of determining
hem. At that time the population Of
his city was approximately $4,000. The
first authentic knowledge that I have Of
the numbers of the Grand Army is that
conveyed in connection with the encamp-
Inent at Springfield Mass. in Is, where
hey numbered 81. LOG. From that date
on 10 1890 there was a steady increa 50
uHIi at bOSlGU We numbered fofsf''s
r-- ri there has been reces-
sion. gradual and steady. At Portland
I'm 1915 we had a membership of over l2l,
lHio So umbus in ~ over III 600, At
IuGi-';. roliS in 20. over 1903 .00G
"The reports Of December. 1920. show
membership of something over $4,000.
While the membership of the Grand
Army has been increasing and rcceding,
the popu'ation of this city has increased
from approximately $4,000 in '66 to ap-
proximateIy a third Of 4 million this
year. l may be pardoned for taking a
just pride not only in the Grand Army
Of the Republic, but in the city Of my
birth where ] have lived all the days of
my life, where I have grown with its
growth and strengthened with its
strength. and taken pride in its achieve
ments its history aud its devotion to
he Grand Army Of the Republic.
RATE CONCESSION
BIFFICI LTIES NET.
:. / deem il proper to call the attention
af the comrades to the difficulties We
have met in connection with getting a
reasonable concession in rates. Many
years since, when we were more numer-