Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-18
Freedmens Hospital.

contract supply system. Thus, the Secre-
tary employees the workers at the institu-
u'h ana the District pays them the Score
tary admits the patients Through the on
GRAFTON of rules sanctioned by him and
administered by his appOintees) and the
District contracts for and furnishes the
supplies Tor their support The Commits
sloners lease from Howard University the
hospital property at an annual rental of
$4,000, and the University reserves for It's
own use the two upper floors of the prin-
District appropriation is interposed be-
tween the university and the sky"
Division of Authority.
Reference is here made to the fact that
the appropriations for the support of Gar
heId Hospital and for the support of nine
V-hEe destitute patients at Providence
Hospital We're recently made District in
stead OF federal appropriations Quoting
me provisions of the appropriation bills
Mr. Lewis says: ''
- he division of authority in the control
OF locaI institutions has worked badly in
several ways. Control can only be exerCiaad
win safety to the interests involved ex
tebt When coupled with accurate and de-
tailed knowledge of all affairs 70 he -
fected by 1t. This knowledge r. has 81,
difhcuIt or impossible TO obtain for the Com
missioners. ''ie = OH
The work Of the public institutions has
Tor the most part, been well done ,The Je
cided uplift of all departments of the WaSb-
ln2t"n Asylum, made possible by better nro-
vision, especially in The hospital danart
meht' Is source Of much satisfaction. The
slNty-hve thousand dollars Appropriated Far
new buildings is an encoura ging baginni no
toward the removal OF conditions which,
have long cried aloud for correction
ne municipal lodging house maintains
us position as one of the best kent nIacas
OF the sort in the whole country
VI the reform school for girls the Grill
CISAh Is sometimes made that 1t partakes
700 nluch OF the character of a prison.
that the only thing being Accommodated A.
the keeping of its inmates for the tfnne he
ing Perhaps this is in a measure true. but
criticism concerning this feature of il viii
pe more timely when an institution can
De referred to or pointed out which IL
dealing with just the sort of cases sart 70
the reform school for girls and accom-
plishtng better results
or the Industrial Home School little
need be said. Its long record of UsafuI-
ness, the excellence Of its school the helm
fulness of its Industrial training and the
thoroughly healthful moral spirit which
perFadeS II nave won for it in these re-
spcctS universal commentator. The adj
dttional accommodations provided in the
new building. completed a year ago, have
peeh only partly occupied. and there is
now room for fifty additional inmates
II Is open to the criticism that having
accepted large numbers Of children sur
rendered by parents and relatives and hay-
ing become thereby responsible for them
discharge of that responsibility beyond the
time when the children depart from the in
stitution. "
The board of chfldren's guardians has
completed another year OF excellent work
Its success with children under two years
old remains phenomenal, its death rate
among such children being less than half
OF that of the founding asylums
No Material Change.
AT the Columbia Hospital there has been
no material change in operation The in
stitution occupies very valuable ground.
the property of the United States The
main building in which the larger mart of
the hospital is housed is arranged as badly
as possible for the doing Of hospital work
Those who work In it are forever going up
ana down stairs. Every room or ward
seems 10 be on level different from all
others The building is Old, out of re-
pair and far from being q creditable mod
ern hospital The trustees have repeatedly
asked for increased funds for repairs
These requests have met with but scant an
prevail for the reason that it seems like a
waste of money 70 eNpeud it on this old
building. Notwithst anding these physical
disadvantages the professional work and
nursing done at this hospital are of the
highest order
'AlI that may be said regarding I'M
favorable housing and equipment at
Columbia may be repeated with re-
doubled emphasis regarding Freedmen's
Hospital Here the old wooden buildings
are literally rotting down. The roofs are
leaking and in some places are covered
with tar paper. Floors are breaking
through. porChcs are insecure and there
is very great danger Of fire. The buildings
are not worth repairing and 1t will be en-
TREY impossible 70 occupy them much
longer.
The board of visitors appointed by the
Secretary of the Interior with the surgeon
iv.-chef. keep the service and the admins
tration of the internal affairs of the insti-
Ff..VR l. \ ,-t
as can be maintained under the circum-
stances The training school for colored
nurses appears TO be doing good work.
The Private Institutions.
"A clause of the District appropriation
act OF March g. 1897. declared the policy of
the Congress in the matter of appropria-
ton OF money IN aid of church institutions