Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1914 — STATE SOLDIERS’ HOME NOW VAST HOSPITAL [ARTICLE]

STATE SOLDIERS’ HOME NOW VAST HOSPITAL

New Problem Presented by Large Number of Invalid Members The annual report of the Indiana State Soldiers’ home for the fiscal year of 1913, ending Sept. 30, 1913, has just been issued by the state printer. The specific receipts of the institution during the year were $195,975.06, while the specific expenditures were $189,234.69. The total earnings, accruing from the sale of junk, excess of pensions and refunding of maintenance fund amounted to $19,082.32. The total subsistence cost of the institution for the year was $70,593.62. The total clothing cost was $3,908.94. Sundries, including funeral expenses, postage, telephone and telegraph, engineers' supplies, ice and cold storage, insurance, light, music, amusement, etc., cost a total of $40,710.70. Ordinary repairs and Improvements cost $7,226.57. The dally average attendance was 844, according to the figures of the report. Of that number 313 were men and 531 were women. The coat of administration of the Institution was $46,427.97. Twenty-seven male memfbere at the home died there during the year, and forty-seven women members died. Thirteen men and fourteen women died while on furlough from the institution. In his report Commander D. B. Kehler says: ‘The adjutants report shows the daily average attendance for the year was 844, a loss of fifteen as compared with the attendance of the fiscal year ending Sept 30, 1912. As no part of the specific appropriations made by the legislature of 1913 became available until after October 1, 1913, nothing has been done in the way of improvements, and only such repairs as were absolutely needed have been made. With the coming of cold weather the home has become crowded to its utmost capacity and many are on the waiting list with no prospect of relief. Age, and its accompanying Infirmities, render the members of the home less able to care for themselves, and to provide for them comfortably Is a serious problem. The hospital is overcrowded and the whole home is fast becoming a vast hospital. No additional ‘buildings can be expected from either state or counties, as the need of a soldiers’ home is rapkMy lessening each year.”