The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-04
ROGER WILLIAMS fNFiRMARFeY Y.
The Board Of Management Makes a
Statement.
TIE ROGER WILLIAMS
EYE, EAR AND THROAT IYFIRMARY,
No. IS Fenner Street.
PROVIDENCE, II. l., June 4, 1896.
To THE EnII0R or The NEws.

No. IS Fenner Street
PROVIDENCE, X. l., June 4, 1896.
To THE EDITOR OF The NEWS:
SIR-Permit us TO thank you for your
just statement of the status of the Roger
Williams Eye, Ear aud Throat Infirmary,
at the close OF grossly misrepresenting
article in regard to the tame previ-
ously quoted by you from q certain
medical weekly. As you were not in
position to understand the matter
fully will you kindly permit us to
give your readers the other side of the
question. There can be little doubt in
the minds of the charitable readers of
your paper as to the motives OF the writer
OF the article in said weekly, and 1t is
truly sad to think that such a spirit
should exist and try to crush any honest
and well meant effort. to relieve and cure
the afflicted poor.
First as regards the writer's criticism of
the statement that "this is the only in
stitution of the kind In the State" De-
spite his unfair deductions as regards the
Rhode Island Hospital ana other chari-
table institutions we hold that our state
ment IS literally true. All states have
their general hospitals, this everyone
knows full well, and yet in this age OF
concentration of effort upon specialties
the need of an institution like ours has
been keenly felt in many places, and the
OF Providence, (Portland, Me-, and
otherB1 nave had them IN successfutTUper-
alton for years. This is a complete
answer and vindication of our position,
as regards all the writer has to say about
the work done in general hospitals and
the condition OF the State and Providence
in particular sociologically considered.
AS regards the astonishing argument
drawn from the cuts which ''embellish "
our prospectus, due credit and full
explanation Is given in the Prospectus
itself. The attempt to show that our
statement was false in the matter of the
zoo visits for treatment during the first
month is on a par with the rest. The
Writer deems IL incredible that "seven-
teen" should have been treated each clinic
day. Had he taken pains to inform him
self, IL would have saved him from the
more damaging recoil of his own gun. At
that time there were six clinic days in
each week reducing his average from
seventeen to a trifie over eight or lees
than one half.
Present ana previous statements from
same source, made with. the manifest
intention to belittIe the work OF our in
FAINT charity are unworthy OF notice,
coming, as they do, from those who have
studiously kept aloof from the same and
are simply talking glibly OF something
they absolutely know nothing about is,
to all fair minded people, good and
sufficient answer to the entire article.
This infant charity is but little over six
months old and hardly ready for an
annual report. In due time the writer
IN the Medical Weekly, and what is Of lar
greater moment and concern to us, the
public generally, shall receive full re-
port financial and otherwise. In the
mean time, we would say that while do
ing over 800 worth of charitable work
per week, the receipts have scarcely aver
aged S10 per week. The fact is, the board
Of managers and few friends have sus-
tanned the work thus far. Do your readers
know of any charitable work, requiring,
same room and appliances. conducted more
economically? In conclusion, permit
us to say that our work and our books
are open to the public. We shall be more
than pleased TO give any information de-
sired. We have nothing TO conceal. Nd
light hid under n bushel.
In the meantime the good work VIII
go right on ID. V. and the free treat
ment to the worthy afflicted poor Will
be continued on Mondays, Wednesdays
and Fridays, beginning at 10 a. m, and
on Tuesday evenings beginning at $780,
Signed,
II. X. CHACE. President,
CHARLES III. HUNT, Vice President,
JOHN J. MINCHIN, Treasurer,
l.. DEWoLF, Secretary.