The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-06
THE BOARD OF CHARITY
A General Policy Adopted for Dis
trict Institutions.
An Official Statement Submitted to
the Commissioners by the Newly
;. Created Body - Public Control
should Follow Congressional APP
proprintion-Hints About Hospitals

1
missioners explanatory of the estimates
recently made for the operations of the
department for the fiscal year ending June
80, 1902
! The report states that since the organiza-
ton Of the board the problem of District
charities mas been studied. but not solved.
| In consequence. 1t is determined to ask
appropriations much as they have been
asked heretofore for the coming year to
afford time for the development Of a def
mite policy. and the working out of the
spirit of the act By which the board was
created Upon this point the report
says:
| THE Board does. however, at this time,
recommend certain definite changes along
the lines of general policy which it is con-
WINGED must govern the work OF reorgani-
z1tion of the District Charities. In the
first place, the Board is unanimously OF
the opinion that n sound public policy de-
| mands that complete public control should
in every case reach as far as public
money; and it Is convinced that until this
policy be made to apply to every part OF
the charitable system of the District, all
attempts at a reorganization OF such sys-
tenn must fall very short of attaining the
ends fer which this board was created.
"The-Board is convinced that the history
of the charities Of the District OF Column
bia clearly demonstrates that the policy OF
granting public subsidies to private chart
ties, heretofore pursued, has been unwise.
The almost universal experience has been
that charity has ben organized by private
parties, and for time supported from pri-
| vate sources, but soon a small appropria-
ton has been asked, and an increase has
been demanded from year to year until the
point is reached where the charity is prac-
tically dependent upon the public treasury
for support, while at the same time its
management remained entirely in the
hands of a private corporation. This sys
TEN has resulted in duplication of chart
ties doing the same kind of work. and has
brought about condition of affairs in
which the District finds itself the largest
contributor to its charities. and yet without
the power to determine who shall be ad-
mitted to their benefits.
| There are in the District of Columbia
today fourteen general and special hos
pitals and at least eight of these are
! largely dependent upon the public treas
ury for support, though only one, namely,
the Washington Asylum Hospital is a
purely District institution and under Dis
trict control; and while the representa-
| tives of these private hospitals which re-
ceive large appropriations from the public
treasury allege that private benevolence in
Washington could not maintain these in
stitutions. it should be borne in mind that
during the past few years at least three
new hospitals. namely. the Georgetown
University Hospital, the Columbian Uni
versity Hospital, and the Episcopal Eye.
Ear. and Throat Hospital, have been or
ganfzed, and one, namely, the Sibley
Memorial Hospital, has been greatly
enlarged; and all this has been done with
out the aid of single dollar from the
!
feels confident that when public support
| is withdrawn from private hospitals. those
| that are needed will be maintained by pri- j
fvate benevolence. N-> - ---'-.- -' 4
"The Board also believes that careful in
| vestisation should be made of the circum-
| stances Of those seeking the benefits OF
public charitable institutions. 1t is con-
WINGED that great abuses have existed in
the past because Of the lack of such in
vestigation. and as a result not only has
the taxpayers money been wasted but the
beneficiaries of public institutions have
been pauperiZed .. The Board, therefore
purposes TO plan for the proper investiga-
ton of all those seeking the benefits of
public charity. and the recommendations
made in the estimates this year are made
with this object in view
The statement at this point goes into
the details of the estimates asked and
gives the reasons therefor. The amount
recommended for the Washington Asy-
lum is $4,000 less than that carried in
the appropriation bill for the current
year. and contains no sums for rev |
buildings. though these are badly neaded. |
The estimates for the Reform Sch1o and |
! the Reform School for Girls. and for
other institutions for the care of CHI |
dren. are shown to be necessary for the !
proper care OF this class Of indigents
The Board devotes a large part of its
statement to the various hospitals CT the |
District which receive aid from Congress. |
In part it says:
I'm the cast of the hospitals the Board |
makes practically the same recommended
tions that were made by the Commissioners |
of the District Of Columbia last year-that |
is they urge that the private hospitals
ceiving aid from the public treasury be |
paid, under contract. specific amount !
for specific services rendered. On making |
an examination OF the workings of the
rious hospitals considering the service rem
dered and the appropriations received by
each, the Board finds that the most inequi-
table conditions prevail. and 1t is thor
oughly convinced that until the proposed |
Municipal Hospital is ready to do the hos
pital work properly chargeablo to the Dis
trict, the most equitable arrangement that |
can be made is tina. proposed in the ac-
companying estimates.
Under the conditions which now prevail |
one hospital receives less than 5000 per
year from the District for every free pa
tient treated, while another receives over
$500 per year, and in the former case the |
standard of treatment and care is in every
sense, at least equal TO that of the latter
The amounts paid to other hospitals range
between the figures just quoted, the exact
rates in the various hospitals being: s164.
5000. $3.1, S409, $4S4, and $515 and in al
most every case the amount paid out is out
of proportion to the service rendered.
Another, and probably greater abuse
than that Just mentioned is the fact that
several of the hospitals receiving large
public appropriations report that very
considerable percentage of the free pa
tents treated are n0n-residents of the
District OF Columbia. This of course, is
serious abuse and an imposition upon the
taxpayers of the District. Under condi-
tions patients are admitted in most cases
on the authority Of the hospital officials.
and the District has no control in the
matter. No proper investigation is made
of the question OF indigency. Indeed. TN
der prevailing conditions an investigation
by District authorities would be useless so
far as protection to the public treasury is
concerned because the hospitals receive
the full amount of their appropriations re-
gardless entirely Of the number Of pa
tients treated.
Under the contract plan proposed. ev-
cry patient chargeable to 'he District will
be admitted Oh the order of District off
Gals. and a careful Investigation will be
made as to whether or not the patient is
INDECENT"
"In future reports; the board hopes to
ba obla In recommend further stens for |