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.