SURGEON W. H. SANFORD (R): Having spent the last year and a half in the Inspection Division, the subject of this excessive amount of money in the hands of the sick soldier has impressed itself on me more and more as I inspected the hospitals. It was the cause of great trouble, and is in my opinion doing more to hinder the patient than any one factor. Without this $80.00 or $157.50 a month, the vice and crime and drinking around the institutions could not exist, and therefore I believe that one of the greatest things that could be accomplished at this Conference would be for the Committee to promulgate some way of preventing these men from using that money in the way it is being used today.
I have inspected Ft. Bayard, Ft. Stanton and other large institutions in the West, and I know these men in charge will agree with me when I say that the thing that hampers the recovery of the patients is their right to expend the money the way they want. If they didn’t have it, the rum-runner and the other vices that come would not be there. I think it is one of the most important subjects we could settle, and suggest that it would be well if the Committee would recommend that we give these men, say, $15.00 a month, and take care of the rest of their money until they are ready to go back to their homes.
SURGEON J. E. MILLER (R): At our hospital we have a canteen. I suppose most hospitals have canteens. We have had $3,000 paid into the hospital—$3,000 a year profit on sales to soldiers. I think such money could be turned in for the benefit of the soldiers, for entertainments, Christmas dinners, etc., as that seems the proper place for it.
MR. M. SANGER (St. Elizabeths Hospital): With reference to those funds of the beneficiaries who are in hospitals, a similar condition
existed for a while with reference to those drawing pensions. That proposition had to be met. Congress passed a law whereby those people receiving pensions, who entered soldiers’ homes or hospitals had to pay that money either to the superintendent of the hospital, the President of the Soldiers’ Home, or the Governor of the Home, to be cared for the benefit of the pensioner. Those who had beneficiaries at home received the benefit of their portion of the pension under supervision of the Pension Office, the Pension Office having machinery to find out what beneficiaries had dependents, etc., and what proportion of the pension should be paid to them.
The only thing in connection with these funds paid to the hospitals which led to complaint was the money paid to heads of hospitals or Soldiers’ Homes for deposit in the Treasury, but which was not drawing interest. This needs corrective legislation. Precedents are at hand. Moneys paid into the Treasury by beneficiaries or enlisted men of the Army or Navy are drawing interest. The money from these pensioners should be drawing interest. These funds, whether from the pensioners or beneficiaries of the War Risk Bureau should be used as a sinking-fund possibly to retire the debt of the Government and in that manner to draw interest. It would help the Government in becoming part of the sinking-fund; it would help the veteran in that it would permit the money received to be deposited for his benefit, and would give an opportunity for regulations to be made to safeguard him; to prevent these people from coming around the institutions by preventing his having excessive money to spend. Then when the man is discharged, he would have an estate with which to begin life and to provide for the future.
I think this organization should give some consideration to this matter. I refer to Acts of February 20, 1905 and February 7, 1909, and similar acts in regard to Soldiers’ Homes. I think the one thing to be considered is a means of investing these funds for drawing interest.
MAJOR GENERAL M. W. IRELAND: The question of patients having money while in the hospital is one of the most demoralizing things that can happen. It has been recognized in the Army for many years.
In the Philippines we had a sympathetic commanding officer and we received permission to with-hold a certain portion of the funds. Then we received word from the Secretary of War that it was contrary to law; that the money was earned by the soldier, and had to be paid to him.
I think you are going to find the same is true of compensation. If you are going to hold the compensation of the man while he is in the hospital, you will have to get an Act of Congress. I think, therefore, that you should consider the amount of compensation the man should get while in the hospital; consider the proposition of maybe reducing his compensation while in the hospital, being cared for by the Government.