The Nevada Democrat., 1861-03-02
HOSPITAL CONTRACTS.


with DR.. r.. M. Hunt for taking care Of the
INDECENT sick, without advertising for
proposals, and gives q very unfair and one
sided account Of the action of the Board for
the past three or four years, in respect to
the hospital contracts.
we we're not aware, until Informed by
the writer, that il was customary to give
the care Of INDECENT patients to the man
who would do it the cheapest. On two oc-
casions-in 1859 and l860-proposals we're
called for, more fer the purpose of ascer-
tanning what the work was worth than with
the intention of giving the contract abso-
lutely to the lowest bidder.
We know but little of the action Of the
Board in 1858, or of the reasons which in
duced them to give the contract to DR..
Wickes. The amount paid that year was
two dollars a day, and the writer says that
one man offered TO take charge of all the
INDECENT sick for $4,000 per annum. We
are Informed that this offer was made by
DR.. Cole, who then resided at San Francis
co, and it was on condition that the number
of patients should not exceed seven. II
there were more than that number be was
to be paid extra.
In 1859, so far as "Quis' Is aware, the
proceedings of the Board were fair and just,
but of their action In 1860 he says:
There we're only two applicants; one offered
to take charge of the sick for one dollar per
diem IN scrip, and the other for seyenty-fve
cents in cash; the contract was given to the
former Those who know the cash value Of
scrip on the INDECENT Sick Fund at that date,
can draw their own conclusions as to whether
the contract was given to the lowest bidder.
But the writer is credibly informed that at no
time during the last year, has scrip on this fund
been sold for less than eighty cents on the dol
lar.
There are one or two facts connected
with the action of the Board at that time.
of which louis" probably has no knowl-
edge. When the bids were put in, members
of the Board consulted with parties who
were purchasing scrip, aud found it was
worth only seventy-Gve cents on the dollar.
The bids, therefore, were equal. But
short time previous to that date, the Su-
preme Court had decided that scrip put in
the market and sold by order Of Board Of
Supervisors, in order to raise cash, was
worthless. That decision placed 1t beyond
the power of the Board to pay 10 cash.
We will now, answer three questions
which "Quis" propounds to the Board of
Supervisors:
lst. Have you seen, or demanded sight Of
the professional credentials Of the person to
whom you have confded the care Of the Indi-
gent Sick
The Board are satisfied that DR.. Hunt is
regular graduate ofa medical college.
If louis" has any doubts on that subject,
he can, If he is a citizen and tax payer Of
the county, ascertain the truth by sueing
out writ of quo earranto
I'd. Is the compensation Of the County Ply
sician to be made in scrip or cash
The compensation agreed upon is eighty
cents day for each patient, payable in
warrants drawn on the INDECENT sick fund.
The fund is now in debt about sixteen thou
dollars, and the warrants are worth about
cighty-Rve cents on the dollar.
Sd. Have steps been taken, or is it contem-
plated to bring orders on the INDECENT Sick
Fund to q cash valuation!
No steps have been taken, nor is it con-
templated, during the present year, to
bring orders on the indigent sick fund to
cash valuation. Steps have been taken,
however, which, with proper management,
it is believed, will liquidate the debt on
that fund in the course of four or five years.
The methods adopted at different times
by the Supervisors, for the care Of the indi-
gent sick, is probably open to objections
but under the present management, the pa
tients are well provided for, and tax pay
ers certainly have no cause to complain of
the rates now paid.
Moon ,MAD.-A colored man, who gave
his name as William b. Waugh, was arrest
ed at San rrancisco few days ago for in
sanity. lie says OF himself, and his friends
say of him, that he is affected with Insanity
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