The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-03-10
The HeatOn Hospital.
The Resolution Adopted by the CITY a
Montpelier at Its Annual Meeting.


subjoined is the full text of the resolution
offered by j. A. DeBoer and adopted at the
annual meeting of the city OF Montpelier:
Resolved, That the Mayor and Board OF
Common Council be authorized and in
structed, and hereby are so authorized and
instructed, to make a contract in behalf of
the City of Montpelier and the Heaton Hos
ptal Corporation to the following effect:
First.-Said Heaton Hospital Corporation
shall agree to set aside during the ensuing
fiscal year, five free beds in said hospital
for the general and public uses of the City
OF Montpelier.
Second.-It shall be mutually understood
and agreed by both parties to the contract
that the term " free bed " shall signify and
mean beds always subject to the uses OF
said city OH its proper demand and conform
ably with the rules for admission to said
hospital, as prescribed by its executive COM
mttee.
Third: That the persons who shall occupy
said beds, free OF all charge whatsoever for
medical attendance, nursing, room-rent, or
| board, or any other service, shall be select
ed by the city through its Mayor and Board
| OF Common Council, under such rules az
| the latter may adopt In furtherance OF the
| public purposes OF this contract.
Fourth: 1t shall be understood and agreed
| by both parties to the contract that the pub
lie free use OF said free beds shall be ex-
tended by the city only to those persons for
| whose care said city may be reasonably held
1
| dence or humanity; and only provided, in
| the judgment OF the Mayor and Board OF
Common Council, or a member or members
Of them, as they may arrange, said persons
are unable to pay for the same. This latter
exception, however, shall not be construed
too parsimoniously, but conformably to the
spirit in which this contract Is to be made,
namely, public appropriation for public
| service.
Fifth.-The consideration on the part OF
| the CitV of Mammalian for aai0 aarvioa IN he
rendered by the Heaton Hospital shall be
80 900, one-half OF which sum shall be pay
able on order of the mayor, az soon as the
above conditions have been made by the
Heaton Hospital to the satisfaction Of the
mayor and the board. Upon the continued
maintenance OF these conditions to the sat
isfaction of said city officials, the second
half Of said condition shall be payable six
months after the date on which the first is
paid. The contract itself shall be for one
year only, with the privilege to the city of
the removal of the same on q vote by said
city after due warning. And the sum OF
two thousand dollars is hereby voted and
appropriated to carry out the purpose OF
said resolution"
Assuming that the contract this resolution
authorizes is made, 1t is a question that in
t terests taxpayers whether 81 900 is to be
! paid to the hospital, absolutely, whether or
not the free beds are occupied and hospital
service is rendered; or whether only 80
much OF S2 900 as will pay for public SER
vice " actually rendered. If the former, the
"rose," submitted to the voters by Mr..
Huse, and the substitute that suppanted it,
seem to have very much the same smell"
= II "public appropriation for public SER
: vice " is the letter and spirit OF the resolu-
ton, there seems to be some inconsistency
in the requirements of the fifth article as to
D the payment of the appropriation. II OBJ
jects of charity, whose ailments bring their
cases within the restrictive regulations Of
the hospital as to admissions and which
4 receive the approval of the City Council,
r are not presented in sufficient number to
: consume the $1,000, shall the city pay from
a the 'public appropriation beyond the
!. "public service T" actually rendered? o.
4 shall the city fathers go out into the high.
r ways and byways and bid suffering human,
8 ity to come to the hospital and be nursed
: till the appropriation is exhausted?