The times., 1898-11-10
Howard University and Freed
mans Hospital Dispute.
MORE ROOM is PROVIDED
Satisfactory Adjustment of an Old
Controversy - Increase of Deaths
Shown I'm the Weekly Health Bull
letin-PoIice Regulations Amend-
ed to Govern Hack-stands-Other
News of the District.

by Freedman's Hospital seems to have
been brought to an end in the receipt
by the District Commissioners yesterday
of communication from Secretary Bliss
stating that the university is now erect
ing addition to the Nurses Home.
which gives ample room for ward service
and at the same time affords accommoda-
tions for the dental departments of the
institution.
The difficulty has for many months
been the cause of voluminous corre-
spondence between the District Building
and the Interior Department. and grew
out of the crowding of the hospital upon
the university. The university officials
notified the District Commissioners that
they wanted portion o, the building now
occupied by the hospital for the use of
their dental department, claiming that
they had the right to lease, or not lease
the property as they saw fit
The Commissioners considered the diff
ferent phases of the matter with much
care and prepared a lengthy letter which
was transmitted TO the Secretary of the
Interior last August. That letter, was
in the nature of an ultimatum, and rec
commended the erection of home for
the nurses of the hospital The Commits
sioners thought the controversy would
thus be settled and ample room given
thereby both for ward service and uni
versity accommodations.
They recommended that small build
ing be erected an addition TO the
Nurses Home and Training School in
the hospital grounds. The cost was to
| be about 81 600 and the original suggestion
was credited to one of the trustees of
Howard University. In the absence OF the
president of the institution, it was doubt
| full what the attitude of the board of
trustees would be concerning this i'm
| provement.
The letter of the Secretary of the In
| terror received by the Commissioners yes
terday however shows that the officials
of the university have adopted the sug-
| gestion offered by the Commissioners last
| August, and that the work of erecting the
addition has already been begun. The let
ter was In part as follows:
IT transmit herewith for your informa-
ton copy of a letter from the president
| of Howard University. in which he states
| that the university is now erecting four
room addition to the building now used
| as Nurses Home and Training School
In the hospital grounds which, in all prob
ability. will be ready for occupation on the
lst proximo; furthermore. that upon COM
pietion of this building two rooms ON the
first floor of Freedman's Hospital build
/ ino h,~f taJ Int rms ~
OF Howard University, will be surrendered
to the surgeon-in-chief OF Freedman s
hospital for use in connection with the
hospital under mis- supervision.
The letter of the Secretary was accom-
panied by the following communication
received by him from ]. H Rankin. pres
ident of the university:
Referring to the interview between the
board of visitors appointed by you to the
Freedmen's Hospital, and myself. regard
ing the provision of accommodations for
the examination of patients at thatinstitu-
ton have to advise you thatthe How
. | ard University is now erecting aIfour-roon a
addition TO the building now used in part
as the Nurses Home Training. School or
the hospital grounds. This will be com
pieted. and in all probability ready for oc-
cupation the LIST of December.
Upon the completion of this building
, the two rooms on the first floor, now oc-
cupied by the Dental Infirmary of How
ard University, will be surrendered to the
surgeon-in-chief of the Freedman's Hos
pital for use in connection with the hos
pital which is under his supervision.
81 win thank you to advise the Com.
missioners of the District of Columbia
l as TO this arrangement that they may nj
longer withhold the rent which is already
due for the use of the buildings hy
Freedman's Hospital. of which Howard
2 University is the owner"
5 The letter of the Secretary to the Com
missioners was also accompanied by The
, following letter from George W. Evans
John j. Darby N. D., and w. f. Pierson
mans Hospital. This report reads as fol
. lows:
1--WE have the honor TO report that. il
4 conformity to your instruction, we hav,
, this day met and conferred with DR.. ]
E. Rankin, president of the Howard Uni
e versity, relative 10 the distribution o.
r rooms in the Freedman's Hospital.
"Dr. Rankin's proposition is this. viz
, | That the Howard University, at its owl
cost and charge. erect four-room ad1i
ton to the building now used in part "A:
the nurse home and training school, to b,
: used for the accommodation of such o
the nurses as are now quartered outsid,
. of the home proper, and in the executiv,
| building.
by the removal of the nurses from TIL,
last-named building, the use of thre,
rooms on the second floor of the mali
u brick building will be secured and DIR
Rankins proposition is that two of these
best adapted to the purpose, be PLACED
at the disposal of the Dental Infirmar,
: : of Howard University, in lieu of the tw,
\ rooms on the first floor of the sam,
building, now used by said infrmary
y His proposition is that the addition
: to the Nurses Home which can per
haps be built at cost ofS60O. shall b
made Immediately. and. soon as ii i
| available for the reception of the nurse
Y to be transferred thereto, ii shall be util
d zed for that purpose. and the change il
rooms in main building at once effected
the surgeon in charge of Freedman
Hospital to designate the rooms on tn
| second floor for the use of the denta
( department, from those now occupied b
the nurses. This is DIR. Rankin's propo
sition. which meets with the appreciation
: | of DIR. Curtis, the surgeon in charge O
the hospital.
. DIR. Rankin represents that it will b
q necessary to obtain the consent of III
| executive board of the Howard Univer
A | sty for the changes contemplated; ant
e as that board will sit on next Tuesda
J. evening. the matter will be submitted 1
}. it with the favorable recommendation q
i. the president of the university
= Should the arrangement proposed b
< DIR. Rankin receive the sanction of tn
a said executive board, we advise its ador
= ton. The hospital is in urgent presen
Is need of the designated rooms on the frs
floor for the examination of patients