The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-22
ANEW DoWN-rowN HOSPITAL.
Comptroller Green's stubborn hut Useless
Fight Against Valuable Charity.


Fight Against n Valuable Charity.
The decision of the Court of Appeals in
the action brought by the New York Dispensary
against the city, creates favorable prospect OF
soon securing another hospital for the lower
part OF Manhattan Island.
when the hospital building in CITY Hall Park
was condemned and torn down as unsafe. the
Commissioners Of Charities and Correction APP
pied 70 the board Of Aldermen for some suit
able structure to devote to hospital uses, oe-
ri ring n good downtown hospital n matter OF
urgent necessity. This was In February Of last
year. The Board OF Aldermen appoint
ed n committee to look for suitable
building, who, after inspecting the News
boys Lodging House, the Deekman street
police station. and various =, other struc,,
turcA. reporfc cd In favor OF the building occupied
by the New York Dspensary at White aud Cen
tire strects-a basement and four-story brick
building, built by the dispensary particularly
for hospital uses, with double walls. abundant
convcniences forventilatiOn, excellenny lighted,
and with n flooring Of four feet of cement in
the basement. The dispensafy proposed TO
lease to the city sui .tantlallv all OF
the building save the second story, which
II desired To retain Tor consulting
room OF it, own, aud for pharmacy and Offices.
II offered TO construct double floors Of narrow
planks In the stories leased 20 the cry and TO
build an elevator Oh which stretcher might be
placed to convey persons SERIOUSLY injured to
the upper wards with tho least possible amount
of ia ring. The officers nud trustees OF the in
stiiutiun desired to have tie building occupied
% a hospital, rather than as 1t was at that time,
for miscellaneous busucs- occupations, oeliev-
ing that It would promote the value Tor charita-
BILE and benevolent ends Of both the hospital
and the dispensary to have them brought into
such iuxtnpositiofi. They asked Si2.OOl rent for
their four nOors. The Aldermen offered Se5OO,
and at this figure lease iei ave ears was uhaly
Comptroller Green, however, was yet 90 be In
tcr,iewed. Nobody suppo. ed that De would on
sttuct tne completion OF this agreement. but
wutn the lease was taken 10 hiu 10 De signed,
hc Vlaccd his hand behind his back and stub
hornly refused. lie opposed the contract gen.
orally uud for all reasons, out specifically ne said
That tue appropri iiOn q! 5000 made for the
expenses and rental OF puulc bulldihgs during
last year was exhausted. ard that he therefore
had no money with winch - pay the rent of
SN.iu0. Subsequently he conceived also other
arguments iu opposition to the lease for, being
! pressed by a suit to compel MIN to sign II and
ga objections, aud raised the point that 40 lease
! for more than a year could hc entered INTO In
/ any event. because the APPROPRIATIONS were
] made for only one year, anu lease should not
/ be tor longer term tuau the approximations
! Mtautimc the trustees ~ the di-peusafy. not
| anticipat ~ such trouble from Green. had ltNeu
theit tenants notice to quiz, ana one II them ON
whose lease another year was sim 10 run. had
been /. id $50 to remove. They thus found
| themselves with an empty building IN their
! hnud-. aud an insufficient revenue To uCiray the
! expenses OF the disp,n. AIRY. luey decided To
| bring a -uii, mcanw nile requesting the Cpmms-
/ sioncrs of ca rifles ana Correction To take
| possession Il their building aud turn II o use,
! asrcein. not To hold the Cum lssioners per-
son as liable Ter the rent, nor TO claim tnat such
| possession was waiver Of any defences that
| the cas- mighs nave to thcM hcton, or that hir.
| Green might con- aro up. me Commissioners.
! fe ring the WAYS Of the 'c, and dreading IN
kLoAn possibilities that micht result from tneir
! having Procession, etldeu AVt 10 avail tuem-
| ~ hen the case came 10 trial sfr. Justice Law
! renee ul the supreme Court decided that MIR.
| Gleen's objections to tho contract Wi.h the
disren AIRY were not good. Surprising that the
exnau.tcd, IL would be lawful for the Comp
troher 90 ~ the rent FOR tie hospital from the
! aud THIS il was ais custom TO DO whenever
money was required Tor purposes that were
General FERN. where Jndge J. ,wren.e decision
| was suhtantially reversed. Iucn the dispeisary
Appealed 10 the CoAit Of Ape Is, where lne
| decision Of tAe General Term was 0vefruled
a few day. asO, aud that of Judge Lawrence
! sustained
Last Jul, the New York Hospital was estab-
lished IN the old Chambers stieet Pol!ce station.
| Ia that event the Comptroller found Mother ar
| cument against the occupation Of the Centre
| street building for hospital purposes. one down
| town hospital being considered enough ~ him.
But while the trustees OF the dispensary urge
| that their lease to the city and the removal OF
| their tenants was several months PRIOR TO ths
/ opening of the Chambers street hospital. and
| they should, therefore. In no event, be affected
| 10y II. It ~ also true that the Chamoers street
hospital Is utterly mad quate 70 meet tbs wan =
81 the .Ower pltt 81 the lslanG. IL Is 100 small
having only twenty three Geds, and being una
| tie, II h I'd pressed. to accommodate more than
thirty. lhls is not nearly enough, neither Is "
in the most convenient locality, being west oil
broadway. whicn Is not the district wnere acci-
Geuts are most freQuen'.
lhe rent OF $3.50 which the New YORK lis
pensary Is to receive from the city Is TO be de-
voted entirely to charitable uses. he expenses
at the institution are over $4,000 a year. OF
which nearly $500 Is exuenued for medicine
clone. Very little Is eXpeuded for saldrles
n,uch of the medical aid teinc furnis he'd grnt Is
Tne disaensary Is run In the interest OF nobou,
| tut the poor. In one apartment on the first
door there Is Now free kitchen where the sick
| MT the healthy. IOJr are given food. The dis
pcnsAry IS the large 81 In the city, covering veIl
extensive ana trick.y Iopuiated area bounce
bv me Battery, l. ,st river To Pike street. Allen
street 10 fourteeutn, broadway To Spring street
and - ring 10 North river. over 500 patients
were treated last " r. The aispensasy Wat
founded and h,s been maintained 10y private
/ cnefdctiOnS. " men tue di-pensary building /.
| occupied uV the husui, al, the basement may l.,
devoted to the laundry, ambulences, &c.. The
! trst Moor to Offices Of the hospital AID O
the Commissioners of Charities and Correction
and TO few priya.e wards, an . the upper storlel
| 10 the main " rds. L rty ueds can Toe comfort
ably set u and n hard pressed. 10 many "a, )