The morning call., 1893-11-18
COUNTY, HOSPITAL.
= .----
Supervisors. Investigate
Extravaganza.
LARGE SUPPLIES OF MILK.
Belief That There Are Too Many
Employees.
LARGE SUPPLIES OF MILK.
THIRD CLASS MEAT DELIVERED.
Superintendent Titus Directed to Cut
DOWN. Expenses and Keep With
:. -. in. His Appropriation.

The Finance Committee OF the Board of
Supervisors began a very in teresting n
yestiga{ion Ito the management OF the
City and County Hospital yesterday.
Prior 10 tile investigation Or. Long of
e the Board OF Health appeared before the
com mittee and denied having made certain
statements in "A morning paper which
some what reflected on the integrity of the
: Supervisors: in their connection with the
City and. County Hospital
-: al ter several witnesses had been exam
lined: who were. present at the meeting, in
Guiding Mayer Ebert and Dr. Keeney, DR..
Long admitted that he had said something
of the kind. but was excited and referred
to- previous Board of Supervisors.
l.. Or: Longs apology was very gracefully
accented.
=. Supervisor Stanton. representing the
Hospital Committee. had before him a
large Pile of documents when the investi-
cation into the: City and County Hospital
affairs began.
:. When Chairman James of the Finance
; Committee. asked if Superintendent Titus
OF the hospital was present that IndIvid-
:Iial stepped forward and said he would
J.: Ia Ike .charee of his own case. he began by
asking Supervisor Stanton a number of
:: technical questions, which considerably
'riled the larter. Supervisor Stanton told
:. DR.. Titus that. he would not be cathecised
like. a scb0ol b0y and to remember he was
-. not the one under Investigation.
Supervisor Stanton then read from
number of papers in which he showed th at
under upeEintendent Titus administra-
. ton expenses have cTept gradually uD TO
. such an extent that the hos pital fund is
being continually overdrawn in violation
OF law. If this were kept W by DR.. Titus
there would be a heavy deficit IN his fund,
. although the handsome appropriation of
$4,000 was made.
Supervisor Stanton made comparisons
with the expenditures OF previous admins
trations. when there were less employees
apd just>as many patents. He laid par
ticular stress on the milk expenses. there
being now all increase of $500 in the bills.
- There was also an Increase Ia other kinds
OF supplies to which attention " as called.
Chairman. James asked Superintendent
Titus if be personally knew that all the
milk and meat charged for was delivered.
The question was whether there was not
some cheating going on at the City and
County Hospital.
Supervisor Kennedy wanted to know
whether the patients fed on milk were also
supplied with chops, chickens and outlets.
He believed there were too many employees
at the hospital. there being about seventy
i've, while there were only about $50
patients on au average.
DIR. Titus said the employees were fed on
meat three times day. and that there was
one employe to. every SIX patients. He
claimed this was not enough.
Supervisor Stanton said he thought it
time that some check be placed on
the extravaganza OF the hospital, and H.
reduced superintendent Drs. Berger,
Keeney and Healy, to SHOW that with the
same number of patients the milk bills
were $500 "A month less than at present.
The eX-SuueTin t. ndents all said that they
had.no trouble in keeping within their ap-
prrpriatiohs. Dr.. Berger said the whole
: fault # the matter at present was that
there were too many employees at the hos
p5tal,: He got along with forty-tonr. but
there were about seventy-hve at present.
This eats up The. funds which should be
used for patients.
SH peTintendent Titus said he did not see
. bow he Gould cut down.
Supervisor Stanton said he would see
*thatt there was cutting down, as be would
not sign the bills.
= Chairman. James informed Superinten-
dent Titus that it was n matter of cnmpul-
~siln. and that: be must obey the instruc-
:tinDs given hlG1.
=: :: The Board of Supervisors will take the
-respops bil1ty of compelling you to keep
vii hin your appropriation.
:Ex-SteWards of the Hospital Robert
Bell and Z. K COey testified that they
only used eighteen caaS of milk daily with
a:simllar amount OF patients. Now there
are forty. and forty three cans daily.
Cook Lahey of the nos ital testified that,
al4hough the contract called for first-class
beef, only third class was supplied. 1t was
good: meat, but not what was called for in
the contract. The committee adjourned
the 1ext meeting of the board a recon-
mendatiup will be made to compel the
Superintendent of the County Hospital to
keep within his appropriation.