The evening world., 1894-01-06
BROOKLYN HOSPITAL SERVICE.
A System Which Might Appro-
priately Receive City Aid.
Information Which Commissioner
Griffin Declined TO Give.

FeO. l, wltn Heath commas
John Griffin viii plck UP his grip
md leave the Clinton street h%eadquar-
ters to make room for DR.. z. Taylor
The same cha m teristics which re-
led Griffin to interfere with the
good work OF THE Evening World In
supplying "A houseful OF ~Quarantincd
human beings with God have
been apparent In other lines during his
ADMINISTRATION.
Recently a gentleman called at the
Health Board at 5 o'clock In the after
noon to secure some Information relative
to the ambulance service OF the city. lie
was treated by Griffin and hts secretary,
Baker. as II he had been trying TO nego-
tiate a $4,000 loan In the face of the re-
financial stringency.
Griffin said he had no time to answer
questions after business hours. Baker
said the same thing. The visitor was tn
to call the next morning.
The caller knew from experience that
1t would be next to impossible to catch
Griffin In the performance Of his duties
before noon the next day. 30 he persisted
IN trying to get the needed Information
$3.50 "'FN iNtVs 4 Sulu W SIlluHs
MIR. Commissioner the information
! need will only take about five minutes
OF your valuable time or. that Of your
Cant help It. slr." was the reply.
Toe busy. You must call around t..
morrow morning"
Griffin then led the visitor into an
other ICON. where Secretary Baker was
day. ~ Ne
Griffin spoke to Baker in d tone cal.
c9lated to drive all the benevolence out
of his clothes, ana said:
DIR. Boxer. his man wants some in
formation about the ambulance service.
| ar too busy n you are too busy to
give him any Today. He must cali to-
Baker took the tip from, hls amlabie
chief and said that really he was too
busy to give out Information about the
row was the time to be informed on thai
subject.
The visitor looked about the place a
few moments and thought over the situa-
get the information he desired then. as
he could not call the next day. He
thought. of the 5000 u year Griffin re-
c city. He isF r rem GatSsSie t sseS's $500 - ts sst
went TO his deputy, John s. Young. and
the $4,000 that Is gathered In annually
by Seeretary Baker, to say nothing OF
pended In salaries to the other attaches
Of the Health Department.
c, he9k.nS sr u ss,oo 5hs sn Tislt9r 81 saw ,bs the s,,y re,
money looking at him with an expires
sion on, their faces which plainly said.
Why don't you mover" 49,,
The visltt. fingered. As each lingering
collar grew more intense. At last the
MIR. Commissioners, II you cannon
spare the time to-day to give me this
information. nnrhanR vnn can tell ms
where ! can get IT. as I want II to-day
No, snapped Griffin, 81 can't tell
you where you can get It,. This Is the
Mr.. Commissioner" said the visitor.
Il do not want to take much Of your
time In this matter. VIII you not give
five minutes? l can find out all ! desire
in that time"
NO, you can't have five minutes;
am too busy to-day"
The Commissioners started TO- leave the
room. a trail of caloric In his wake,
when he turned and said:
II want you to understand that there
are no personal reasons why / do not
give this information"
The visitor did not understand. and
said:
Mr.. Commissioner, I have only made
a simple request that would not take
five minutes to satisfy. You are main
taincd at the public expense. your secre-
tary Is maintained at public ex-
pense, as is this office. J. cannot see.
then. why It is that the public cannot re-
ceive a little consideration at your hands
and any information they may ask at
this office"
The Commissioners was visibly affected
and said: ..
"Yo were told hat YOU could get
what you "a tomorrow. Go herald
what ! have said to h public, l don't
care" and the accommodating, public
away. the caloric following him closely.
The time occupied by Griffin, and his
secretary in refusing TO comply With a
courteous request was more than ample
to have given all the Information re-
qulre1. 49,.
Without any thanks to the Commits
sioner Of Health the visitor obtained the
minutes after leaving. the august pres
ence OF that official. He found that the
ambulance system Of brooklyn Ia largely
self-supporting. that Is, II Is supported
not by the public funds;
The hospitals which have ambulances
that work through the Police Depnrt-
Eastern District, scney. H9moeopa,hic;
College and the Norwegian.
The Long Island College and Eastern
ancc each Year from the city to main
ain their ambulance equipment. The
other hospitals maintain their own.
Al calls for ambulanees must come
ttV III ~
ambulance is wanted Police Headquarters
Is notified. A schedule Is kept by Tbs
telephone operator. The ambulance
nearest the accident Ia sent In response
to the call.
II the call has not been made by 4 po-
llceman word Is sent TO the precinct from
which the call comes to e an officer
to the scene of the difficulty at once. II
all the ambulances are out at once. and
an additional call comes In, the first am
buiunce d~isengaged Is sent out.
The ambulance surgeons are always or
call. They are all graduates. and are
appointed for a term Of six months, They
sometimes run over the term, but no,
frequently. They remain In q room ir
which there Is telephonlc communication
with Headquarters All they .et for theii
services Is their board,
Last year the ambulances responded &c
Vlous years, The hospitnls, maintained
itv. have lone very we'll by the ambu
,nncc service. II Is one OF the most I'm,
portant public services In the city.
lane" at n moments notice, now that I'M
trolley T. being used TO such an extern
In Brooklyn.
The new Health Comnlsslpper. Will nnd
IN interesting ana exceediE yly henehciaI
ambulance service Into the position II
snoull occupy In a city with as many
Inhabitants as BROOKLYN
Appropriations could be made for Tho
! ,rloulancc service with great propriety
., ~. ,ayv R,arl ~ Aldermen II u.httl,