The herald., 1895-12-07

the conditions existing in the room dur
ing that time were simply frightful.
During the accouching of the other wo
men those delivered before were COM
PEELED to go through the trial AGAIN.
This shocking state of affairs is due to
the fact that quarters are furnished in
the hospital for DR.. Barber and his fam
ilv. The lives OF helpless women en-
dangere.. and their suffering enhanced o
thousand fold by reason OF this division
OF space. This is nothing more nor less
than cruel inhumanity
The lady who gives this information
to The Heard regarding the maternity
ward writes thus: 81 feel this TO be
such an abuse and yet am so powcrlcss
TO help the poor sick people over there.
have found that trying 1t is only run
ming my head against a stone wall OF
politics, and not TO do much after all.
But [ cannot go to this abode of sorrow
and pain without making an appeal
somewhere Tor the right withheld from
them In the meantime DR.. Barber. as
ne eats his coiva. pan de fois gros, mush-
rooms and shrimps in his private dining
room at the county's expense. congratu-
late himself no doubt, that be gets his
rent also out OF the county grabbing, and
II poor woman or two lose their lives
because OF tho unsantary condition of
the maternity ward. it will not matter
mucn any way. They can be tum bled,
unclothod, into pauper grave, ana the
world will move on just the same"
Supervisor Field apparently takes this
view of the matter. He is chairman of
the hospital committee of the board Of
supervisors and is supposed to know all
about the workings OF the county hos
ptal. He was yesterday afterno on made
acquainted with all OF the allegations
stated above concerning the hospital,
and asked to give an explanation. He
said he had none to make aud no time to
talk. Asked if he knew of DR.. Barber's
occupancy OF the maternity ward OF the
hospital as the private quarters of him
self and family, answered he did. and
added that he considered it all right.
Mushrooms, celery salt, maple syrup,
salad oil, shrimps, Swiss cheese, Dur
kes's salad, picked walnuts and delics-
cies Of that character appear upon the
the last six months. Are they purchased
for the inmates OF tho hospital with the
people's money or for the superintend-
ent's family"
"Young man, I cannot waste my time
talking to you. l am not on the witness
stand"
but. Mr.. Field, The Herald would
like to inform the people for whom those
articles were purchased. Was it for the
inmates? You approved the bill person.
ally and passed unon it. You ought to
know for whom the articles were in
tended"
Young man, I have other matters
calling for my attention." and with this
Supervisor Field turned in his chair and
left the reporter frozen stiif.
Supervisor Hanley said that he did not
approve of Dr.. Bart er s moving into the
hospital and he knew nothing about it
until it had been effected. Air. Hanley
further said That Supervisor Field ap-
proved and go. X. ID" all hospital bills
after he had personally investigated the
items. He (Hanley) was not aware that
picked walnuts wore furnished to women
in confinement, nor did he know that
shrimps. salad oil and dressing, Swiss
cheese, ETC., had been prescribed by any
physician.
One thing is certain. Dr. Barber can
be relieved of this charge of prescribing
this character Of food for anv of the i'll
mates. He draws down $3.50 per month
salary, has himself and family ted and
quartered at the public expense, yet it is
SAID that be does but little prescribing
for the patients. He looks after them
when he feels like it, but DR.. Murphy
does the bulk OF the work.
The county hospital property is valued
at $62, 262.65. 1t is a valuable holding
and conld be used to great advantage Tor
sweet charity. During the past four
years $157. 069. 81 has bsen drawn out of the
public treasury to sustain the hospital.
where it has been spent. the least said
the better it will be for all parties who
had charge of the expenditure and to
whom the taxpayers looked Tor protection
from imposition. But it was the peo-
pies money that was expended and they
have right to know where it went to.