Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-07-31
NEGLECT AND ABUSE:
Of: VETERANS LAID
To ". {. NJ ALLlSTER

I
and alleged illegal action in giving
orders without proper authority,
were brought against w. Il. McAllis-
| ter, superintendent of the home, at
a public hearing before the invalid,
pensions and soldiers home commit
| tee of the house of representatives
| Tuesday afternoon and evening by
members of the Atlanta and Fulton
chapters of the United Daughters of
| the COnfederacy.
Mr. McAllister made a sweeping
denial of the charges in an appear
ance before the committee in his
own defense and in a statement to
newspaper men said investigation
of the home would show that the
charges were false and not founded
on fact, and that he would be glad
to show anyone who wished to visit
the home the excellent condition of
the home and hospital.
U. ID. c. Leaders Attend
Mrs. John A. Perdue, president of
the Atlanta chapter, u. ID. C., ana
ex -officio a member of the board OF
trustees of the Old Soldiers home,
Mrs. E. b. Williams, organizer and
past president of the Fulton chap
/ ter, U. d. c., and several other
members of the two chapters ap
peared before the committee to pre-
fer charges against Mr.. McAllister
Former Governor Hugh Dorsey
appeared on behalf of the two chap
tiers Tuesday afternoon and read a
! number of affidavits in support of
| charges made against the superin-
tendent of the home. Attorney Har.
ry Etheridge represented the board
of trustees of the home at both af'
ternoon and evening sessions.
After more than seven hours
were consumed in examining wit
nesses and hearing testimony on
both sides, the committee adjourned
the. hearing and will meet at $50
o'clock Wednesday afternoon in eX-
ecutive session. Although members
of the committee would not discuss
their future action after adjourn
ment early Wednesday morning, it
was forecast that a resolution would
be introduced in the house of rep
resentative Wednesday asking that
a subcommittee be appointed to
make a thorough investigation of
Would Gust McAlIister
The hearing Tuesday was on a bill
introduced in the lower house last
week by Representative W. *
Smith, of Bryan county, and knight,
of Berrien. This bill, if passed,
would automatically cause the dis
missal of superintendent McAllster,
because it requires qualifications on
the part of the head of the home
which, it is asserted, he cannot meet
The measure provides that the SUI
perintendent of the home must be a
registered allopathic physician and
the lineal descendant of a Confeder-
ate veteran. These requirements
Mr.. McAllister could not fulfill, ac-
cOrding to statements by representa-
tives of the u. ID. c. chapters at the
hearing. The bill would also provide
for reduction of the board of trustees
from 12~ Z members, the member
ship to consist of five men and two
women. According to the new bill,
the hospital at the home must be in
charge of registered, graduate
nurse, who would also be required to
be trained in dietetics.
Among the charges made at Fthe
hearing we've that the hospital is
filthy, insanitary and meets none 0t
the requirements of the law" that
veterans are cruelty treated and IN
| Inundated in order that they will
be afraid to complain of neglect; that
proper medical attention has not
| been given sick veterans; that nurses
and doctors at the home hospital are
incompetent and do not properly
attend to their duties that Mr.. Nc
Allister employed conVicts sent by
the state to perform duties at the
home to do work on his own personal
property; that he sold gifts sent 10
the home and appropriated the
money received therefrOm for mis-
own personal use, and that he soil
lumber on the property of the home
without obtaining proper authority
and did not enter money received
from these sales in his annual report.
Mr.. McAllister denied all charges
and stated the home ,had been i'm
| proved in every way since he took
! charge five years ago. Appearing
! in his own defense, the superin-
! tendent testified that the home was
! in q Geplorable condition when he
| took charge but that during his
administration it had been so i'm
proved that at the present time il
was the cleanest and best-equipped
| soldiers home in the south am
compared favorably with any sol
diers' home in the entire country.
Says Records Are Straight
THE hospital is as clean as any
hospital in Atlanta" declared Mr.
McAllister, speaking to reporter
after the hearing. The wood which
was cut from the property of the
home was partially used TO con
struct an addition 20 the hospita
to care for tuDercuiar patients The
rest was sold and the amount re
Ceived was entered on the books OF
the home c
The Atlanta chapter of the
United Daughters of the Confeu
eracy has not contributed dollar
to the home in three years" he as
| serted.
Several affidavits charging insan
itary conditions at the hospital were
read in support of charges brought
by the two u. d. c. chapters. The
atfidavits also charged that men il
the hospital were neglected and thai
several times the only persons at
the hospital TO care for the sick vet
Grams were negro convictS.
Contracts made with Mr.. Meal
lister TO cut timber on the property
| OF the home were explained To the
committee by j. NJ. BoOZer, lumber
man. The timber was cut under
agreement that two-thirds was to C
to Mr.. BOozer and one-third to Mr.
McAllister. he alleged Mr.. Boozer
testified that he cut about 10000
feet Of lumber off land belonging tC
the home in 1921. In 1922 the con
tract was sold by Mr.. Boozer to an
other man, who cut about 175,00C
feet, according TO Mr.. BooZer's ties
/ timOnN.