The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-01
DOCTOR MCGUIRE'S REPLY.
HE ANSWERS TIL RECENT LETTER
OF MEDICAL OLLEGE FACULTY.
That $4,000 state Appropriation. and How
1t WAS Expended-What tho Ex-Chsir-
man OF the Committee Says.
(Communicated.)

The public who have read the contro-
versy between the Faculty OF the Medical
College OF Virginia and myself are. no
doubt. familiar with the questions at
issue. For the benefit OF those who have
not seen the previous letters / will state
that near the close OF the recent session
of the Legislature / learned that the FL
nance Committees Of both branches had
recommended the passage Of bill max
ing an appropriation to the Medical Col
lege Of Virginia Of 5000 for 1894. and
similar amount for 1895.
knowing that the State derived no bene-
lit from the appropriation, and feeling
sure that the recommendation OF the COM
mittees had been made without full con-
sideration. / determined to enter my pro-
test against what / knew was a misap-
preparation Of state funds. 1 therefore
wrote several letters to prominent MEM
hers Of the LEGISLATURE and urged them
to investigate the bill before allowing IL
to pass.
In a letter ! wrote TO Senator Mush-
bach said: mo sick poor are cared Tor
with this money, or poor men 10 be edu-
Gated. but this sum IS 10 go to dozen
doctors. and added TO the fees they now
get from their class" This statement was
used by the member on the floor Of the
Senate I'm his speech In opposition TO the
bill.
I made no graver accusation against
the Faculty of the college than that tney
received money for which they made no
return My letter contained the piaines1
business proposition, whose truth or fal-
sty could readily have been determined
and was greatly surprised at the pitter
and malicious attack which 1t called
forth some weeks later.
1t is unquestionably true that the money
appropriated by the State goes TO help
the salaries of ten or twelve Richmohu
physicians" The Medical College of Nir-
glnia. although nominally State institu-
ticn. u.s. essentially a private corporation.
The members Of it's Faculty are its stock
holders. and they each year divide among
themselves the profits of the session
The profits Of course. are represented
by the difference between the gross re-
ceipts and the disbursements of the in
stitution. and are directly influenced by
an increase I'm the one or a decrease IN
the other. Now. If the State makes an
appropriation which pays the expenses
Of the college, and in so doing makes no
provision that Increases its expenditures
or adds to it's liabilities, does not the
money so appropriated directly increase
the profits Of the institution and go into
the pockets Of the professors?
They say 1.-THE college is the property
Of the State and should, therefore. be
cared for by the State" The Legislature
may choose to accept this view, but the
Faculty have come to consider State aid
as an inherent right. and defiantly to
demand its future continuance and in
crease. They seem TO forget that the
State might reasonably expect some re-
turn for the money it has so lavishly
given them. Since its organization the
college has received S120,70O from the
State, and in return has given the State
absolutely nothing. or this sum S3S5O0
has been secured in the last ten years,
and yet $1,000 OF the Faculty's private
funds, according TO their own statement,
were also required TO run the State $
property during that time. IL was sgd
ney Smith, believe, who says that there
is nothing so uncertain as figures save
facts. and equally applicable is the pun
Of Poor Richard that nothing lies like
figures, fguratively speaking"
The Faculty of the Medical College of
Virginia deny that the State appropria-
ton is Of personal pecuniary benefit TO
them, and refer the public to their an
nual reports to the Superintendent Of
Public instruction, for information as
to its expenditure. An examination Of
their own figures confirms the state
ment I made i'm my letter TO Senator
Mushbach. In their last printed report
the total receipts from fees from students
for the year, is given as S6nO. while the
amount Of money divided among the
teachers is stated as s. 2SO.0l, a difference
Of only $i2999. Every expense of the
college is charged 10 the State, and the
Faculty are thus able 10 devote 10 pri.
vate use the entire receipts from teach
ing. less Sl2).99. They charge the State
with eyerything-with fuel, and gas. with
wages Of clerks and servants. with equip
ments for teaching. with dead bodies for |
dissection, with advertisement and print |
ing with their stationary and postal |
stamps. and blandly wind up their ac- |
count by saying that the State did not |
this year give them enough money by |
81, 000.s5 TO pay il all / presume that /
this is the way they will explain their |,
statement that they have paid out OF |
their own pockets $1,000 in the last ten |
years, which in their opinion could leg;i- |
mately be charged to the State. Dr. |
Joynes. as I showed i'm my previous let
ter. ran the same property on 1900 a /
year. and did 1t well. 1t is true he did |
not buy postage stamps for the college
[ ought 10 say that there is one item |
in the disbursements not charged 10 the |
State and that is the cost of running |
the dispensary, which is $5i772, and for
which the city Of Richmond pays them
81. OO0
In stating the relation Of the Medical
College Of Virginia 10 the State. the
Faculty uses language exactly appica-
bile to any public school OF Virginia. The
parallel IS complete until they come 10
the benefit To be derived by the State !
when they are suddenly and discreetly
silent They say THE Medical College |
of Virginia holds all its property at the
pleasure Of the Legislature" but fail 10
say pays no rent either in money or
public services They say The Legs
lature has continually made an annual
appropriation for its maintenance and
support since 1866" but fail 10 say that
the State expects nothing in return for
this and is not disappointed. They fail
TO say that under the present practice
the entire profits from the use Of State
buildings and State money 90 to the |
personal benefit Of the gentlemen who |
compose its faculty, and that in return
thev neither give free tuition, nor in
dulge in any public charity. Finally. they |
omit the inevitable conclusion that to |
call the Medical College of Virginia a |
"State Institution" is a delusion 10 the |
public mind, and a snare for the public
treasury.
Practically 10 illustrate how the money |
anpropriated by the State to the Medical |
=. Nrf,.,trfa hofpc tho noplptg ~ |