NATIONAL HOME FOR DISABLED VOLUNTEER SOLDIERS HEARINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SIXTY-NINTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON H. J. Res. 3, H. J. Res. 44, H. R. 6534, INCLUDING THE REPORT OF THE INSPECTION OF THE SEVERAL NATIONAL HOME FOR DISABLED VOLUNTEER SOLDIERS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS, The subcommittee met at 11 o'clock a. m., Hon. John Philip Hill of Maryland (chairman) presiding. Mr. HILL. Now, gentlemen of the committee, we have here with us, I am glad to say, the full subcommittee. Mr. Bland has a resolution, H. J. Res. No. 3, and we will be glad to hear him. We have also before us this morning the bill H. R. 6534, upon which also Mr. Bland wishes to be heard. (The joint resolution and the bill referred to are as follows:) [House Joint Resolution 3, Sixty-ninth Congress, first session] JOINT RESOLUTION For the appointment of Harry H. Holt, of Virginia, as member of the Board of Managers of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Harry H. Holt, of Virginia, be, and he is hereby, appointed member of the Board of Managers of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers of the United States. [H. R. 6534, Sixty-ninth Congress, first session] A BILL To amend section 4826 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, as amended Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 4826 of the Revised Statutes, as amended, be, and the same is hereby, amended to read as follows: "SEC. 4826. Nine managers of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers shall be elected from time to time, as vacancies occur, by joint resolution of Congress. They shall all be citizens of the United States and no two of them shall be residents of the same State. The terms of office of these managers shall be for six years and until a successor is elected." STATEMENT OF HON. SCHUYLER OTIS BLAND, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF VIRGINIA Mr. BLAND. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, the resolution contemplates the nomination of Mr. Harry H. Holt, of my district, as a member of the Board of Managers of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. The bill contemplates an increase in the board of managers from the present number of seven to nine. Frankly, at the time I prepared the bill I inadvertently thought there were nine soldiers' homes throughout the country. I have later found that there are 10, although I understand that one of them is very small. My purpose in introducing the bill for the increase in the membership was that an opportunity would thus be afforded to the committee and to the Congress to elect a manager located somewhere in proximity to each particular home, so that there would be a point of liaison between the home itself and the managing board. I have heard some complaint from men who are inmates in the home in my district that they had taken matters up with the board of managers and had been unable to get any reply to their letters. Of course, we know that there are many complaints that are not worthy of consideration. We know that in an organization of that character, where there are brought together a lot of men, that there are going to be complaints that have no merit. On the other hand, there are at times complaints that do have considerable merit. I have not heard many complaints about the home in my particular district, although there is a class of inmates from which some complaints might be expected, because, as I learned from the testimony given before the committee on appropriations, all of the senile cases are sent to the home in my district, and the neuropsychosis cases are sent there. In other words, when a veteran is unable to take care of himself he is sent to Hampden. This home has a capacity of 2,260 members. That covers the point, so far as the business is concerned. You gentlemen are in a position to appreciate the circumstances and the need for a manager in every home as well as I am. As to Mr. Holt, I ask that he be appointed as a member of the board of managers. When I introduced this bill in the last Congress I submitted a petition signed by a number of veterans of the SpanishAmerican War. Mr. Holt is himself a veteran of the Spanish American War. He rendered excellent service. He is clerk of the circuit court in Hampton, is vice president of the largest bank in Hampton, and general manager of that bank. He is a man of excellent business ability and a man who would have the indorsement of the community irrespective of party affiliations. I suppose he is about as well known to the Army as any man down there. He is a man who is qualified by business experience and by past service to serve in this capacity, and will make a most excellent manager if he is appointed. Hampton is about a mile and a half or 2 miles from the soldiers' home, and there would be some one practically on the ground who could give the very best facilities to these people who are there as inmates and who are there as wards, to a considerable extent, of the Government. Mr. HILL of Maryland. Without objection, the text of the resolution referred to and the bill H. R. 6534 will be included in the hearing. Mr. BLAND. May I ask this: I ask to present as a part of this record the petitions and recommendations and papers that were submitted to this committee in the last Congress in support of an identical resolution, soliciting the employment of Mr. Holt as manager. Mr. HILL of Maryland. Is it very long? Mr. BLAND. I do not recall just now. Mr. Sedgwick could not put his hands on them the other day. There are numerous signatures. I thought they would be available with very little search and for that reason did not have them duplicated. Mr. HILL of Maryland. I think the gentleman's statement will be sufficient for the committee. Mr. BLAND. As I recall there were hundreds of signatures. Mr. HILL of Maryland. I think that statement would be sufficient. Mr. BLAND. As to the number, I would not want that taken as absolutely accurate. There were a very large number of signatures. Of course, looking at a paper hurriedly one can not tell just how many there are, but I do say without qualification that I have no doubt that Mr. Holt would receive the indorsement, irrespective of party affiliations, of the entire community. Mr. HILL of Maryland. Gentlemen, have you any questions to ask? Mr. JOHNSON of Indiana. I would like to ask a few questions. This bill provides for nine managers, I believe you stated, although there are now seven. Mr. BLAND. Yes, sir. Mr. JOHNSON of Indiana. And the idea of increasing it to nine was on account of your understanding that there were nine homes? Mr. BLAND. Yes. Mr. JOHNSON of Indiana. And you find now there are 10 homes? Mr. BLAND. Yes. Mr. JOHNSON of Indiana. I was just wondering if you would want to make it 10 managers. Mr. BLAND. Yes; that is logically, I think, the thing that ought to be done. Mr. JOHNSON of Indiana. Are these managers under salary? Mr. JOHNSON of Indiana. This would not increase the cost to the Government then. Mr. HILL of Maryland. Not at all, except their personal expenses when attending meetings. Mr. JOHNSON of Indiana. And this Mr. Holt referred to in the resolution lives close to one of the soldiers' homes? Mr. BLAND. He lives at Hampton, yes; about 2 miles from the headquarters in the soldiers' home. I really think a mile and a half would be nearer the distance. Mr. JOHNSON of Indiana. Has Mr. Holt been in the military service? Mr. BLAND. Mr. Holt was in the Spanish-American War, and is also a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and a member of the board of visitors of the Virginia Military Institute. Mr. FITZGERALD. In times past the number of the members of the board of managers to be elected by Congress has been increased and diminished by the resolutions by which they were created without any special resolution being passed, the joint resolution having the force of law, and I was wondering whether that would be sufficient simply to elect the member from his State. Mr. BLAND. I do not think so, because the law reads that the board of managers shall consist of seven persons, with certain qualifications. If you will recall, when the law was first passed, providing a board of managers, it was provided that there should be five, and that they should be managers elected from those States that furnished. the troops to the Government of the United States in suppressing the Civil War, or, using the language of the resolution, "suppressing the rebellion." That was the language that remained in the act until, I think, about two years ago, or possibly four years ago, certainly since I have been in Congress. There was then a change made whereby that qualification for membership was eliminated and I think it was then increased from five to seven in numbers. |
