New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-11
SUNDAY EDITION.
MARCH IL, 1885,
BLOOMINGDALE ASYLUM.
is 1T A CHARITABLE INSTITUTION
INVESTIGATING COMPLAINTS BROUGHT AGAINST II
VALUE OF THE PROPERTY

INVESTIGATING COMPLAINTS BROUGHT AGAINST II
VALUE OF THE PROPERTY
The Senate Committee on Taxation yesterday
listened to the charges Of the Morningside Park
Association against the Society of the New-York
Hospital regarding the exemption of the large ana
valuable property Of the society connected with
the Boomngdale Asylum from taxation. The
hearing was held In the rooms Of the Chamber
of Commerce. Senator Velder chairman. and
Senators Raines, Foley and Langben attended
by Colonel John W. Corning the Sergeantat-
Arms Of the Senate. were present.
The association was represented by ex-senator
Francis NJ Bxby and Dwight H. Olmstead. the
society's interests by John L. Cadwalader. and
Charlton NJ Lewis appeared as counsel for the
committee. Among the governors of the society
present were Jackson s. Schultz. Cornelius NJ
Bliss. James NJ. Brown. Merritt Trmbie. H. j.
Davidson, Theodore B. Woolsey, William NJ. Hal
sted, Elbridgc T. Gerry and Henry w. Crane
with DR. Charles ii. Nichols. the Medical Super
intendent.
Ex-senator Bixby read the memorial Of the
Morningsde Park Association. which detailed the
organization of the Society Of the New-York
Hospital by charter from George III in l77i.
its object being the erection Of n public hos
ptal for the care and treatment of the INDECENT;
approprlating money TO the society and cxempting
its property, real and personal, from taxation
SO long as 1t shall be used exclusively for the
purposes for which the society chartered;
and authorizing it to purchase additional real
estate, tho net yearly income Of which should
not at any time exceed 100000 The act OF
1870 allows the governOrs-twenty-slX in number
to bold their Offices until death or resignation.
and permits them to I'll occurring vacancies. maxi
ing the Board the mCmoralsts claim. close
corporation
Crying THE CHARGES.
In 1915 the society purchased the property IN
the Twelfth Ward between One-liundred-and
eleventh and ne-hundred-and-twentieth SITS and
Tenth-ave and Riverside Drive, thirtyliyc acres IN
area equal to 800 city lots and erected thereon hos
pital buildings for keeping lunatics. This property
the memoralists claim, is not used as charity,
but all patients ore required to pay eXtrayaeant
charges for board and treatment, except Two OF
three said TO receive free treatment III buidlhg,
erected by the Mrs John G. Green trust ana
the State Board Of Charities IS denied the rgho
of visitation. This real estate. exempted from
taxation, although deriving all the benefits ae-
cruing from the improvements made IN me hel2h-
borhood the public expense, Is valued AZ
5000. O0O the city thus losing in taxes from
$50. 900 to $4,000 annually. The memoriallSis
therefore ask the Senate to investigate the ioi-
lowing:
/ whether the right OF visitation is denied to tho
State Board Of Charities -.. .-....,
2 Whether he go>cIntrs have the right OF perpetual
succession.
whether the institution Is public charity or has
4 What property tho society has acquired. and
s should streets originally laid out through ths
ASYLUM grounds BcOming iil. closed, b. opened -
9 Whether the asylum Is detrimental to property
whether any madhouso or lunatic asylum should b
maintained In the city Of New York
After some discussion the first two points wers
practically settled ~ Nr Cadwallader's adms-
Sion that the governors did cOnccdc the right
Of visitation. having been advised on the Sublec0
by Charles OCounor and William NJ ENarts, ana
that the stafutos gave them the right OF perpet-
ual succession.
LARGE sum PAID BY PATIENTS
On the third point, Mr. BNby read from tho
society's report for 1897 TO show dat it was not
charitable institution as it had received last year
from patients s2Os 0O0-an average Of s735 for
each patient. The fourth point having been
reached Mr. Olmstcad called Leopold friedman,
Of I.cs.inaSse X Friedman. real estate hrokeS1
NO Isl Broadway. t. testify as 10 the value 0r
the socictv's real state He fixed the average
value Of the j5s lots AZ from $1,000 70 5000
The most undesirable lots he said. were worth
$500 20 1900 each, and the choicest $4,000
Tie counsel for tho society admitted that M
taxes were paid upon the property m question
and that the streets between onp-hundr'G-and-
fourteenth and One-hundrd-and-n inet"onih So.
and between Tcnthave. and Broadway wers
closed The inyeSile ation was adjourned TO Mon
day at a. m.