The times., 1897-04-22
THE CHARITIES HEARING
Methods Adopted by Several In
stitutions Inquired Into.
VERY INTERESTING TESTIMONY
The Joint Congressional COMMITTEES
Occupied Yesterday Afternoon In
Examining the Officers Of the
Emergency and Columbia Hos pita Is
and OF the Home for IncurabIes.


noon, before the Congressional Joint com
mittee, Mr. Boardman, OF the board OF
trustees of the Emergency Hospital, gave
information as to the management of that
institution. In reply to a question by
one of the Senators, Mr. Boardman said
that the hospi:s. receives all classes OF
patients. He said that there was no SINH
larinstitutionin the land having the limited
support it had doing the work it does
Everything is free, no charge being made
for either medicine OIL treatment
Senator Mcmillan asked how the Emer-
gency Hospital is organized and MT Board
man answered that it was Incorporated
do you own the land?"
'Yes, sir; and also the buildings
He said the buildings cost $4,000. Con-
gress annually appropiates SIS 600, which
is not sufficient sum. report is made
quarterly To the health officer and sanitary
officer, who are members eX-officio of TIN,
board of trStuees.
''Do all the surgeons give their time free?''
asked Senator Mcmillan. and Mr. Boarfinian
replied they did, with one exception The
capacity of the hospital was given as
twenty patients.
DR.. Burnett, OF the hospital. said that
10000 persons were treated annually in
the dispensary department, He said that
everything was dumped down upon them.
even Congressman who grew too tired
This occasioned something OF laugh
Mrs Hopkins, OF the Home Of Incur
ables, next made report concerning
that institution. The HOME is entirely
paid for. There are forty-four Latients,
OF which less than five support them-
selves The accommodation of the Home
is limited TO fifty patients The home
has received but So from the Gov
ernment, payable $500 quarterly. The
expenses monthly amounted To about
$3.50, or something over $4,000 an
nually Two-thirds Of the patients are
never able to leave their rooms and they
are cared for until they die Mrs Hop
kins thought that the opposition to Con
gress giving money TO the home vas be-
cause it was regarded as n gilt-eCige in
stitution with a few fashionables sup
porting it SO
Senator Pitney called attention to the
fact that the question was whether or
not the unfortanates should be cared FOR
generally by the Government or allowed
to be cared for by different institutions
at Government expense.
Representative Northway explained that
the Government had no say at all as TO the
eXpen liture of the money which it might
appropriate to the different institutions
At one time during the hearing Mrs Board
man. who was with Mrs Hopkins, called
attention TO the personnel OF the patients
and remark ked that one of che unfortun ates
was q great-grandson Of President Jeffer-
son. Senator Martin inquired the source
of tins information, and upon the 1ady's
that it was purely hear
say, he remarked that such could not be
the case. 1t was absolutely impossible
Many OF Jefferson's relatives lived in his
county in Virginia and he was positive
Jefferson had no living grandson.
Gen. S.ernberg, representing the CGdm-
hia Hospital, said that the institution be-
longed to the Government. The directors
were named by the District Commissioners
and two of the Commissioners were eX-Of-
fiCio members of the board. The cost of
subsistence Of each patient, Gen. Sternberg
said, was about Al cents per day, while
the total expense per patient, including
every IBtiiSeg dIllpuuttI 10 10.
The Columbia Hospital did not limit its
patients to residents of the District. Dur
ng one year there were 2T7 infants born
and mothers taken care OF.
Representative Northway, by a few close
y applied questions, developed the fact |
that the treasurer of the institution was
'alaried officer, getting $500 per year, |
and also that the present treasurer is also |
in the Geological Survey, where |
he draws an additional salary. and that !
the present incumbent's predecessor was |
A high Army surgeon, who also drew two |
alaries.
The treasurer, it was explained, was re- |
luired to give $4,000 bond and To &c |
count TO the United States Treasury for |
the 100000 appropriated annually by |
Congress
Miss Huderhill explained the work of |
he Nurses Training School and its con-
nection with the Childrens Hospital. In |
our years thirty nurses had been grad
mated.