Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-06

FOR MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL
Report by Commissioners Upon Bill Providing
for Its Establishment.
SuREested Amendment Of the Measure
General Features Approved
Necessity for Institution.

A report on Senate bill 1879, providing for
municipal hospital for the District was
made today by the District Commissioners
to Senator Mcmillan, chairman of the Sen
ate District committee. The Commissioners
state that the bill has been carefully con-
sidered; that conferences have been had
with many persons interested in such a
movement, and that the general features
of the bill are approved. Attention is, how
ever, invited by them to the fact that the
bill does not make specific provision for
the proposed hospital beyond the point of
it's completion, other than that which re-
lates to the admission of patients.
Such a hospital say the Commission
ers, would undoubtedly be intended to
provide for all the INDECENT sick Of the Dis
trict of Columbia, including maternity
cases, and should, therefore, receive such
cases sent to the various hos
pitfalls of the city.
Inconsistent Provisions.
THE provisions of section . which place
upon the board of trustees of Column bia
Hospital the duty of purchasing site for
and of erecting the proposed municipal hos
pital. are inconsistent with the system
which has hitherto prevailed. There are
upon that board of trustees many eminent
and public-spirited citizens, whose advice
to the general and detailed plan of such
a building would be sought and appreciated
by the Commissioners, but inasmuch as the
hospital, when erected, should be under
municipal control and inasmuch as future
District Commissioners would in all prob
ability be called upon to supervise its man
agement. 1t would seem to be appropriate
to hold the Commissioners, as bonded OIL
GERS, responsible for the proper planning;
and construction of the building.
IF it is to be municipal hospital II
,or ru1lpjcinaJ control to
provide not only for the treatment of those
needing medical and surgical attendance,
but for the advantages which municipal
surveillance would afford in securing I'M
partial treatment of all interested in its
facilities for clinical instruction. and IN
other questions of like nature which are
inseparable from the management of such
an institution
Change RecOmm nded.
THE Commissioners recommend, there
fore that the words the Commissioners of
the District of Columbia be substituted for
the word trustees in the first line of sec
ton two; and that the words subject TO
the approval of the Commissioners of the
District Of Columbia in the second and
third lines of section two, be stricken out,
so that said section shall read:
Section =. That the said Commissioners
of the District of Columbia hereby au-
thorized and directed to purchase a suitable
and convenient site and TO erect thereon
such buildings as may be necessary for the
accommodation of the INDECENT sick of the
District of Columbia, including maternity
cases.
Also, that section three be amended by
striking out the words in lines five and six
all admissions to- and inserting the words
the management Of, SO that the paragraph
will read: The management of such hos
ptal shall be according to rules to be pre-
scribed by the said Commissioners
1T seems unnecessary to emphasize any
more strongly than has been done in the
report of the joint select committee of Con-
gress the necessity for such a hospital from
an economic standpoint. well from
every business and common sense point of
view"