New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-28
FRIDAY, !
AUGUST 28, 1896. !
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THE CONTROLLER APPEALS.
CONSTRUCTION OF KINGS COUNTY HOS
PITAL BUILDINGS AGAIN DELAYED.

Mr.. PALMER DECIDES TO CONTEST JUSTICE GOOD
RIcHs DECISION IN THE SUPREME COURT
THE CASE MAY BE CARRIED
EVEN HIGHER
City Controller Palmer yesterday made
move which will result in delaying the con-
struction Of the badly needed additional build
ings for the Kings County Hospital for at least
E. month So and may result In tying up the
work until next spring. He instructed the Cor
poration Counsel to take appeal from the
decision Of Justice Goodrich in favor OF the
Charities Commissioners in their mandamus
proceedings against the Controller. and the Cor
poration Counsel at once served notice OF APP
peal on John a. Quintard. counsel to the chari-
ties Commissioners.
1t will probably be month before the Appel
late Division Of the Supreme Court can dis
pose of the appeal. II this Court sustains
Justice Goodrich. and it is practically certain
to do So it was the belief OF officials who dis
cussed the case yesterday that Controller
Palmer would insist on carrying the case TO the
Court Of Appeals They argue that II the Con-
troller were simply endeavorng 10 protect his
bond in refusing 10 certify that there was
money in the treasury with which TO put up
these buildings. he would he satisfied with the
decision Of Justice Goodrich who not only
belongs to tfe same party that he does. but 10
the same division OF the party. This decision.
they pointed out. ba 'Hed as II was. by pubic
policy and the popular wish apparently made
it impossible that the Controller would ever be
questioned for certifying that there was money
for the buildings.
The result of Controller Palmers action Is
that 700 patients will continue to sleep IN rooms
that are adequate for only 300. If the health
ordinances recurring a given number Of cubic
feet for each sleeper enforced Such en-
forcement at this time. however. could result
only in untold hardship nv preventing the Board
Of Charities from receiving any more patents
and thus compelling the sick poor 10 go with
out medical attention.
RESULT OF A YEARS WORK.
The Board Of Charities Commissioners has
been endeavoring for more than year 10 re-
,ieye the overcrowded condition Of tie hospNoL
nv clint of careful economy In the Department
Z. had saved about $4,000 from the Peniten-
tiary profits and allowances. The Board OF
Supervisors before going out OF EXISTENCE
adopted resolutions authorizing the WORK ou'
as was usual with the Board OF Super'isor''
they went at II n such an eXtraVasaht manner
that Sunervisor-at-Iarge Fitchie thought 1t his
dutv TO veto the resolution. and this ne did
The Commissioners at once began % present
the needs Of the institution 10 the present
Board Of Aldermen upon its coming INTO eN-
istence For many months the subject was
tied up in the Committee on Health, when de-
layed action pending the outcome OF an enoi.
70 lerislate the Charities Commissioners out OF
Office II was only when The Tribune expose1
tho fact that the health and comfort OF nun
t,reds of the charges Of the county were oei.s
trifed with by the Aldermen mat inc hettl
Committee ard finally the Boird 81 A'ue'"'en
were compelled to take action
HOW THE CONTRACT WAS TIED Up
Under the proddng OF The Tribune. they
promptly authorized the advertising Tor DIS Tor
tho work The advertising was done by cry
Works Commissioner Willis, and OF eleven bid
ders Thomas O. Carlin bid the lowest his bid be-
ing S36. 300 The contract was at once awarded
to him and sent To the Controller 10 cerulS ma
there money in the treasury 10 pay LOT 'Ae
work And there It has been tied up ever since
The Controllers contention has been that the
So 600 which turned over TO MN Dy tne
Charities Commissioners was a balance anu nhv
other city balances should go into me general
CITY revenue fund II his contention had been sus-
tained by the courts it would have enabled the
Board of Aldermen 10 direct the expenditure OF
this money by some Department more popular
with the Board than the Charities Department
This S52 600 however. is money saved by the
Charities Commissioners for the express purpose
OF supplying additional room for hospital patients
II was saved from thC profits OF the penltentlary
and from economical management Of the Depart.
ment in general. and Justice GOodrlcn sustained
the contention Of the Board Of Charities that
Il was properly available for the work for which
IL was intended by the Commissioners
BUILDINGS TO BE ERECTED
The plans as adopted by the Board Of Aldermen
call for four brick buildings To be erected on the
hospital grounds one Of these IL to he a ward
for male patients another for female patients
There is to be a building for conyalescents and a
smaller building for the storage Of drugs. IL is
difficult to say which OF these buildings Is most
needed. At present the convalescents are COM
PEELED TO sleep on the floor in the asles OF the old
wards much to their detriment. as they have 10
breathe the air exhaed from the lungs OF the sick
patients The large supply Of drugs which the
hospital has to have constantly on hand Is now
kept in the basement OF the old hospital build
ing and directly IN the middle Of the building
The possibilities from fire are fearful 10 contem-
plate. in case stray spark should cause an ex-
plosion The hospital building Is old and far from
being hreproof II Is Of the most nhammable
nature The chance Of saving the lives Of large
proportion II the 700 patients in case Of fire at
night would be slight.
Mr. Carlin's contract calls FOR the completion Of
the work inside OF three months. II the Control
Ter had not taken appeal and the work had
been begun at once the buildings could have been
finished before winter. Now the length OF delay
that the Controller can secure has no limit prac-
tcally