The Labor enquirer., 1884-07-12
The publisher of this paper Is not respon-
slble for the opinions of contributors. The
columns will always be open for the discus
sion OF faa sides: of the Eabor questions OF the
day. Contributions always welcome.
THE 0. ?. HOSPITAL OUTRAGE.

sion OF all b1Ct6S OF the MOOT QueSIiOifS 0f Tue
day. Contributions always welcome.
THE o. p, HOSPITAL OUTRAGE.
1t is pretty generally kne#n thatthere
is building situated at the eastern ex-
tremity Of this city. knowil as the Union
Pacific hospital slbntit is n JteSsnsisely
known how this building ii maintained
and the style in whiet'it IS conducted.
A committee of gentle interested M
dertoek to investigate theiastitution one
day thisiReekj an6 JPHE Il SaUfRER, has
also made some inquiries il, that eonnecs-j
ton. and as result Of these inquiries
presents the following fact for theJ con,
sideration of its readers:
About two years agoIthe manageebmient
of the Union Pacific road ipstructedT its
pay ron officials to deduct each month
the sum Of so cents from. tide I wages of
each employe as q tax to be, known as
athe hospital fund" This VAS done with
out consulting the employesi AT differs
ent points along the line OF. the road ar
rangements were made With charitable
institutions, which maintsin hospitals,
for the care of sick or disabled employees
of the FoadslG pDR9C ,CcG f.
1t was then decided to erect hospital
in Denver which should be built, main
tainedlald devoted toFthe housing Of and
caring for INDECENT employees. It is with
this place IN particular that we have to
deal. EE5jE II
The hospital was erected with the
money taken from tte employees in the
manner mentioned above, and it is sar-
castieally spoken Of as the property of
the employe; 'bat the title rests Sin the
Union, Pacific company, A resident ply:
sician IS employed by the manager of the
road, at aisalaryi of 800 per month. The
patients are cared for, fed and nursed, by
the Sisters Of Charity, the company pay
ing the Sisters 81 per week for each pa
tient. One can readily imagine the char
acter of the delicaeies aid comforts
which can be furnished sick man in
this country for the miserly stipend of 81
per week. IN e.
~ The committee which visited the hos
spital found twenty:fve patients confined
sthere;at present A greatmany Of the
patients were interviewed, and it. was
learned that the food furnished was of
such nature that few couII eat 1t the
water, during the hottest weather. was
seldom iced ;the bedding was far from
neat and clean; >the medicine, when
there was any, was inferior and INSULT
cient, and comfort was thing unknown.
When the patient complained of the
medicine he was told that it was the best
that the hospital could furnish, and, in
many cases friends have had to get pre-
scriptions filled, at their own expense, in
the city. Patients with l,roken limbs
are not provided with the necessary ap-
pEances for their comfort, but are left to
roll and toss in the most wr'etched dis
order.
No faultis found with the attending
physician as he does all in his power to
make the patients comfortable and those
who are at present confined in the build
ing speak in the highest terms of his
kindness. -, -
1.-The force of nurses is inadequate, and
the patients are left for six or seven
hours alone-and sometimes all night
but'the Sisters are not so mtleh to blame
for this as is the company; because it is
impossible to provide a full corps of
nurses where the pay is only S4 week
foreach patient. The only male nurse
was discharged recently, anG now help
less men have to depend tipon women
for all the attention aud assistance they
obtain. VAC - 49,.
The investigation revealed score OF
Taisagreeable evidences of the neglect and
cruelty to Which the patients are victims,
but it is impossible to inentie,n them all
here. ? a. - &s.F s7zs1 Nsssa a5
So strong has the antipathy to this in
stitution grown amongst the employees
that there are only few who will con-
sent when sick or disabled, 70 be taken
to;this;hospital land the few are those
t-who, have ne other resources. But the
assessment is collected invariably from
all who are upon the pay roll of the
company. And if a man is laid off
during the month and re-engaged before
the next month the tax is levied twice,
or as often as he is re-employed.
In February last the lax wt,s reduced
to 40 cents per month, but that is taken
with tyrannical hand. r.
The Union Pacific employs about
1900 men, on all its lines, and this gives
them q monthly. hospital faneE Of 5000.
4This sum is'unjustly nd,unlawfully ex--
tracted from the employees OF the COM
pany, and it s,the general opinion that
the company could be compelled to re-
fund every cent it has thus extracted
from its employees. Whether. any effort
to compel the managers to pay back the
enormous sum they have taken from
their employees will be made cannot now
be said; but is certain that the men
win not much longer submit ID this sys-
fmpfFpbbery, Forso long is the hos
Eis6ohducted upon It's present plan,