The times., 1898-08-04

The Freedmans Hospital controversy
has now reached the Department of the
Interior.
The District Commissioners yesterday
addressed q communication to Secretary
Bliss relative to the renewal of the lease
of the hospital grounds and buildings and
recommending the erection of a new
building to be used as home for nurses.
It is thought that this will give ample
room for ward service and afford proper
accommodation for the dental department
of the institution.
In reviewing the matter in detail the
letter of the Commissioners makes the
following statement:
THE Commissioners deemed 1t but fair
to submit formally the report of the
board of visitors to the president of the
university. who, in communication
dated July IL. 1895. states, in effect, that
the building in question was erected ex-
pressly for medical purposes and was
not intended to be a residence or a. hos
pital building; that 1t is under the ex-
elusive control of the trustees of the uni
Versity, who may lease or not lease as
they may choose; that, in reply to the
charge or the allegation that of twenty
nine rooms the medical department occu-
| pies seventeen five of those rooms have
| been created by the trustees of the uni
| versity and have been devoted to the free
use of the hospital during the past four
years without increae in rental and that,
in addition thereto, room has been
| fitted up for visiting patients in the base
ment; that the space allotted to the hos
pital is substantially the same as when
the original lease was executed; that the
| original rental of 5000 was reduced to
$1,000; that the amphitheater was fitted
up at the expense of the university of
more than SIS, which benefits the hos
pital as well as the medical department;
that the rooms used as dental parlors
were received by the university in eX>
change for two others required for the
school OF nurses, but that the rooms used
| for dental parlors can be and will be va
Gated by the university June l, 1893; that
the announcement for the next school
year was made upon the basis of the con-
tinued use for that year of the dental
| parlors of the university
Continuing, the letter of the Commits
sioners states that they thought IL proper
to submit the matter OF the declination of
the university TO comply with the terms
prescribed by the board of visitors be-
| fore giving the trustees OF the institution
final answer. They have done this with
| the expectation of having the matter ad-
| justed by the Secretary of the Interior
and the trustees of the university
The letter stated in conclusion:
"One of the board of Commissioners in
| spected the premises in question and was
| convinced that the hospital is not fully
accommodated in the building referred 10.
| The quartering OF the nurses On the sec
ond floor, occupying four rooms, and the
occupation of four rooms on the same
floor by the surgeon-in-chief and his fam
| lily render 1t difficult TO find room on the
| first floor for the surgeon-in-chief.
''One solution of the difficulty which has
been suggested is the proposed erection
of small addition 10 the presen: nurses
| home. large enough to accommodate the
| nurses now quartered upon the second
| floor of the hospital building. 1t is be-
! ieVed that a frame addition Il by 25
feet two stories high, estimated to cost
| S2GJe, would be entirely satisfactory to
the hospital authorities 1t certainly
| would be more convenient to have al!
| the nurses quartered in the same build.
ing. This solution of the question has
| been suggested to one of the trustees OF
the university, but, in the absence of the
president, it is difficult 10 ascertain
whether the university would agree to
make the erection suggested. 1t would
only be fair, in that event, to add to The
rental 10 be paid by the hospital abo.lt
$500 per annum as a fair interest on the
investment"
The Board of Assistant Assessors have
given their estimate of the value of the
grounds now rented TO Freedman's Hos
pital by the university as $S5, ,624, and the
| value of the improvements as $4,000
Speaking of the bearing of these facts
upon the controversy, the Commissioners
| make the following statement:
Having submitted 10 you these facts,
| the Commissioners respectfully await
| any further suggestions in the premises
which you may deem pertinent under ali
| the facts and circumstances