The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-06
SAVANNAH'S CHARITIES.
The City Asked to Assist the "TeIfair
Hospital for Females"


ing News: From what have
heard and have read think our
charities are not understood ana de-
sire TO say few words for them. write
in the interests of the "Telfair Hospital
for Females"
The hospital its funds. and its income
are the property OF the citizens Of Savan-
nah, under the control of women named
in Miss Te.fair's viii. with power TO FIJI
vacancies. The trust is conhded to the
direcresses TO aid sick and INDECENT
females'O, who became Incorporated UNI
der the terms of Miss Telfair's viii as the
"Telfair Hospital for Females"
II It's funds were diverted to any other
use it would he a breach of trust The
bequest was sufficient to support it well
md pay all OF its taxes 10 city and state
For more than eleven years il has paid
and asked no favors. The loss of income
from its Central securities has been so
large that it has encroached on its prin-
cpal in aiding the city of savannah in
caring for its poor. 1t is not right or
proper that the principal should be so
used and thus endanger the existence of
The charity. Who have the directresses
a better right to call on for assistance
than the city of Savannah?
Why do they ask for money? What ere
they going to do with it? They ask for a
donation equal to the taxfs charged by
the city. They ask that sum in the name
of the citys poor. Believing that under
their organization il can be as judicionsiy
and economically expended as any other
amount the city may donate to charity
In 4f,gr 1,g- Al
are legally ana morally responsible to the
citizens of Savannah. They are faithful
and true, doing a large amount of work
for charity's sake with not a dollar of
compensation to any one of them. The
physician in charge is Dr. r. Pinckney
Waring who has never received dollar
for the large amount of valuable work
and skill exercised in behalf of the hos
pital for charity's sake.
There is a responsibility resting on the
directresses, that the best of medical skin
shall be given to patients be they poor or
rich. Any reputable physician can get
a room for a patient in the hospital by APP
plying 20 the matron and can attend the
case. But it must not be a poverty pa
uent. If the patient claims the charity
of the hospital, the responsibility is on
the directresses and they claim the right
to be represented by the physician in
charge. If the patient can pay for a spe-
cial physician, they can well aHard TO pay
the small charge for room, attention, etc
When patient is admitted, rich or poor,
the physician in charge is expected to
know whether she is an incurabIe, or has
a contagious disease. Incurables are adj
mitted when it Is thought hospital treat
ment may be of benefit; but for only a
limited period.
The hospital is not medical college,
but DR.. Waring tells me he gladly avails
himself of the assistance of the young
doctors that offer to assist him. But that
means assist him as he may direct. There
was lately present at an operation nine
doctors. Were / undergoing an operation
and il was of a peculiar nature and il
would aid medical science, I would be glad
to have as many doctors present as pos
sible. If ii were moi for aid of medical
science, l would prefer it to be private
Others may not feel as L do, and / think
particularly a woman, be she poor or
be she rich, should have the right to say
after the necessary physicians were adj
mitted whether or not others should be
present. No respectable person has been
refused Ambulance
From January, 1898, TO June, 1885, there
were about 500 patients days, or about
twenty-five patients daily. of which num-
Der Two or three were pay pdLlettts. w ndt
becomes of the money received from pay
patients? 1t goes directly into the treas
ury, and is used as other funds of the
hospital, for the direct benefit of the poor
If this appropriation is made TO the
hospital the ladies will feel that their
work is approved of and will not weary
of well doing" if 1t is not, they must DO
all they are able and help the city's Door
If the city's poor can receive from the
city a donation of about $500 per annum,
to be expended on them through the Tel
far Hospital, and receive from the hos
pital s., 900 for The same purpose, where
can the city make such another invest
ment2
AS this is a public matter, this hospit-
all" I would be glad If annually they
would prepare a report of their work and
request that ii be inserted in the city's
wear book after the reports of the city Of
Gcers ! think II would be we'll as the
city has no charities OF it's own, that il
should be shown how Savanuah's charity
is dispensed. The city of Savannah has
no charity supported by the city govern
ment ! am told that Charleston expends
about $780, 0O00 annually; Atlanta, Augusta
and Macon, all Of its sister cities. expend
largely; private charities, which are pecu-
lar to this city. saves thousands of dollars
TO the taxpayers of the city annually in
relieving the city of the care of It's poor.
What / have said of this charity Is gen
orally true of the other public charities Of
this city. T. M. Cunningham.