The times., 1897-05-01

OF tho eleven members of the board of
directors OF the Emergency Hospital whose
terms expired yesterday, ali were re-
elected, with the exception OF DR.. James
Kerr. III his place was chosen DIR. William
p Carr, of the Columbian University Medi-
cal School, The others elected are.
DR.. George l.. Magruder, DR.. William w
Johnston, Dr Edmund l.. Tomps1ns, Nh.
Henry f. Blount, MIR. Henry L. West Judge
John Davis, Mr. John b. Wight, Dr. Swan
NJ Burnett, MIR. A. T. Brtton, Mr.. Calderon
Carlisle.
Tie reasons for the action of the board
In declining to re-elect DR.. Kerr have been
fully given in The Times. Three OF the
directors were asked after the meeting yes
terday afternoon at the hospital why DR..
Kerr was the exception. They said that his
term had expired. that he wasnot reelected,
and that was all there was about it.
DR.. Kerr. IL has already been stated, has
not been furnished with copies of The re-
port of rhe special committee on which the
board acted yesterday. 1t was stated last
night on good authority that it was not
unlikely that the special Congressional com
fnirtee on the charities and hospitals If the
District had been asked to look into the
Kerr case and that one of the committee
had stated that such an Investigation would
be had The Emergency Hospital, ne said is
practically Government Institution as the
United States contributes 81 5000 to its
support, while the contributions by citi-
zens amounts to only about 81 600.
Dr Kerr was, OF course, not present at
the meeting yesterday lie was asked
last night for an expression OF opinion as
to the circumstances under which his con-
neetion with the hospital was severed.
He said 1T is the result OF a miserable
conspiracy. II has taken the staff a year
and half practically TO meet the con ndition
that they dared not remove me under the
bylaws. To carry out this purpose OF
Telnoyal the bylaws were altered; they
deprived the hospital OF Its constituency;
they resorted TO the tick of dividing up
the surgical service among specialists,
and 10y other disreputable means in their
power, deprived me OF my position.
This is the second time they have voted
a man out of office without any pretence
that it was for the reasons OF inability
or incompet ency to perform his duty. DR..
Barker was the other case whose removal
was the subj ject OF published letter which
contained accusations which remain TN
answered, and the evidence produced by
me before the committee of investigation ie-
mains unanswered. or courseit was fore
gone conclusion that this committee would
decide against me, 1t was q hopeless
task TO get a fifth man, for they refused
to accept this firth man from outside OF
the board of directors Our only hope and
object in having an investigation at all
was TO bring out the facts, and these facts
have been suppressed. These facts, even
according to the majority report Of the
committee, practically vindicate my CON
tention throughout. The hospital director
ate seemed impressed with the one idea
of making me a scapegoat TO hush up a
disreputable scandal. which they had
neither the courage to face nor the man
hood to Investigate.
"Thc evidence on file with the committee,
including statements under oath, prove
concIusively. beyond possibility of doubt
that the interests of the hospital were
made subseTvient to the protection of the
character OF individuals who had forfeited
all right TO consideration at the hands OF
| a board OF directors having a proper re-
gard for the welfare of the institution.
| 1t is OF such pusilanimity that l have been
| made the victim.
II am perfectly satisfied to leave the
matter to the public for it's judgment when
| ii shall have been placed properly before
| it for its decision. Everybody who knows
anything about the Emergency Hospital
knows that the other members of the staff
have had nothing whatever to do with
building up the surgical work, and that
they have not contributed to the reputation
this hospital has acquired.
Up to about two years ago, when this
trouble commenced, as 1 have stated
and proved to the satisfaction even OF
the majority of the committee, there was
no meeting of the staff, the minutes Of
| which do not contain suggestions from
me for the development of the surgical
work and management of the hospital
to all of which they acceded For the
past two years every suggestion Of mine
has met with opposition. They, finally,
had no material connection with the
work of the hospital, their functions be-
ing almost exclusively confined to the
dispensary, but on questions involving