New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-21
THE MORNING SECTIONAL MEETINGS.
PLANS FOR RESTRICTING THE ABUSE or
MEDICAL CHARITY-THE lMMiGRA-
TIoN PROBLEM

Thu abundance Yesterday morning AZ Associa-
tion Hall Mt the Young Mems Christian Association
Building In East Twenty third-si., wnen me secon'
davis work OF the National Conference OF Char''ieS
and Correction begun. was fuily as 'arse az
at the meeting on the previous morning
William Rhinelander Stewart. the president ot
the conference again presided. The proceedings
began with n brief business session IN "hIc" '"'
president appointed committees on organization anu
on time and place. The latter committee alter"a'u
repor,sd through the chairman. Dr. Charies -
Hoyt OF Albany. 1t recommended that next year
meeting OF the conference be held In Cincinnati
Thi. was agreed TO. and 1t was further determined
that the conference meet IN the month Of May Inc
exac, date 10 be named by the Executive COM
mittee.
After some other business the meeting ad)ourneh.
and the members then divided IN order 10 attend
a number Of sectional meetings. nj when the re-
no-ts ~ committees were read and general discus
.,ons unon them were he'd. The meetings wera
held IN d,Neren, rooms In the United Charities Buid
ing the Church Missions House ana the iou"s
Mems Christian Association Pudding
.rnrnierotion and Interstate Migration" and The
Duty o, the State Delinquent Children were d's-
cussed in the Young Mems Christian Association
prud,,r. "Ahuse % Medical Charities" and 'Or-
ganization OF charity In the United 'harlhcs
building. and Insanity" and Municipal and 'oun-
~ Charities" in tho Church Missions House
THE ABUSE OF MEDICAL CHARITIES.
The discussion on the abuse Of medical char'ues
was continued from the general meeting on tho
preyious day, and the remarks or Ire SPEAKERS
were for the most part " -'hs nature OF criu''sh'
md arpliacations OF the papers read on THURSDAY
DR. Frederick Ho.me Wiggin. OF this city. gave J
historical sketch OF the recent movement 10 restrict
the abuse o, medical charity N New-York
u. ,aId TINT the movement had been begun about
eighteen months ago by tho efforts OF pr- s'ephen
Smith. recently president OF tho Department OF
Charities and Dr. Iandon Carter Gray. then pTesi'
den, q, the Medical Society Of tho County OF New
York who showed that the ratio OF those applying
for medical aid had risen from l6 per cent In 1870
70 ahou. - per cent in 1895. a committee charged
with tho duty Of Investigating tho question FOUND
no difficulty in proving the existence OF " f''''''
abuse II soon reached the conclusion that the eVl
wa, largely the result cf lack Of proper methods
OF investigating the financial condition Of those ap-
nlvInr for medical relief. AMI that the Charity Or
sanzation Society considered Il perfectly 'easip'e
systematically TO investigate All applicants Inc
committee felt convinced that the eVil couI1 po re-
stricted by making II n misdemeanor punlSh"o''
nv n moderate fine FOR person 10 obtain. by ren-
son o, false representation as u financial condition.
free medical or surgical relief at dispenhary.
"a CONFIRMED DIsPENSARY FOUNDER"
A i'm. discussion took place. after the reading OF
N. concerning the practice Of patients going
IN MANY hospitals at the same time FOR Tree treat
ment Nathaniel s Rosenau. manager OF the Ihl'eh
Hebrew Charities Organization. told OF a Je"esS
who succceded for n period OF three years IN re-
..,,,rx treatment on the same day in eighteen dif-
,.,.n, clinics He described her as confirmed dts
nensary rounder" carrying daily In her pockets one
and half dozen bottles Of medicine.
M ~, .. muei Wo,fe physician to Ph!lafelph'a ana
semeritnn hospitals. Phila felpha. addressed IN"
meeting on the abuses OF the free hospns ana ~
,.nsarias Hc smoke OF tho moral obliquity tnat
t,n neIIed many persons who were able TO pay ior
treatment TO secure free treatment ana sugscstcd
.,rict examination Of all applicants He saln:
TT il probable in hospitals which nre erec'en ~
cogrsnt violations Of the best principles nre notcd
Created purely for the purpose Of secnrng cnica.
Material Tor demonstration purposes In inc course
u. tn,r,ct,on The most active efforts OF every one
inttrcsted in the success Of me ednfa'iona nst,
snnllcanis 10 both the indoor and the ou'foor pa
tent service.
FOR THE POOR ONLY.
Robert w Hebbcrd. secretary or the New-fork