Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-20
Veterans Home, Unwonted by City,
Costs Toxpoyers $35, 1000 a Year
BY JOHN McKELwAY

ported over the years a situation
which is much like the house.
keeper who-despite all she can
do - finds herself continually
feeding the neIghbor's cat.
The "cat" in this case is a
drafty. dark building built in
1864 and nowadays the Tempo
rary Home for Soldiers and
Sailors. Once it served as the
Old Naval Hospital Building.
President Lincoln chatted with
the wounded of the Civil War
there. John Wilkes Booth rode
by the blood-red. building at
Pennsylvania avenue and Eighth
street Sc. when he fled from
Ford's Theater.
District officials feel the place
has no business appearing as an
item in the District Budget
an item which costs the District
roughly $4,000 year. But up
it pops each year. landing in the
lap of the Welfare Department
despite all efforts to get rid Of it.
No Purpose Seen
The thing that inks District
officials is that the home serves
no conceivable purpose for resi-
dents of the District. A District
veteran is turned away from the
Temporary home and sent to the
Municipal Lodging House at ass
c street NV, operated by the
Welfare Department. If Con-
Igress wants to keep the home,
it is argued, Congress should pay
for it out of Federal funds.
Somewhat in the middle Of
this is Gen. George Clusters
third cousin, a pleasant man
with a loud voice and brittle
gray hair. Each year. with the
moves going on in the District
Building and on Capitol Hill,
this man. who is the superin-
tendent. also faces his last
stand"
This is Claude Hunt, 81, who
lives with his wife in the build
ing and pays about $50 a
month rent to the District and
they don't even own the build
ing" as he puts it.
Mr.. Hunt finds the Job in
tereSting-if a bit exasperating.
Unworried by Move
He has seen the Welfare De-
partment drop his budget out of
its budget but it has worried him
only slightly. With a wink, Mr..
Hunt indicates there is little
chance the item ever will be left
out on Capntol Hill. The wink
only can be taken as a testi-
monial to members of the home
board of managers, who have ex-
perienced long line of victories
with Congress and kept the home
going. He's hired by the board.
However. Mr.. Hunt is disturbed
over his budget as it eventually
appears each year. He complains
the Welfare Department allows
him only $500 for the three
meals he serves dodgers each day.
He served. he says, over 1000
meals in March to a daily popu-
lation Of so. Last month, he
furnished 1882 nights lodging
to the Boys" as he describes
them.
Mr.. Hunt does keep a clean
home If a nebulous one
scrubbed up by the old soldiers
who draw details" from time to
time. The home is segregated.
The colored veterans prefer it
that way, he says.
The home is run by the Board.
of Managers. all of whom are
representatives Of veterans or
CARNATIONS including the Ameri-
can Legion and the Veterans of
Foreign Wars. The home is
owned by the Potomac River
Naval Command and leased to
the Board at ST a year. The
lease runs out June 80, 1857. The
Navy, incidentally. got the land
from a Naval officer in 1920 who
apparently ran into trouble of
some kind and was charged
$4,000 by his employer. He turned