The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-19
Los Angeles and San Bernar-
dino Lock Horns.
Fight for Proposed New Santa
Fe Hospital Is On.
SAN BERNARDINO PLEA
Signed by 700 Employees on
Southern Cal. Division.
Sets Forth Strong Arguments
for That Town.

San Bernardino, Cal, is making
great fight for the location of the pro-
posed new hospital TO be built by the
Santa F'e railway on the coast lines
As first announced. the plan was to
locate the hospital at Los Angeles. It is
believed that this would prove to be the
most sanitary and healthful location,
though it was unfortunately situated
q t the extreme western end of the line
The plea of San Bernardino to the ef-
fcials oe the Santa Fe is embodied IN
8 lengthy petition, which has just been
forwarded to General Manager A. C.
Wells, of the coast lines. 1t is signed
by eco Santa Fee employees at San Ber-
nardino, and vicinity.
1t is likely that Mr.. Wells will con-
slider the application of San Bernardino,
and forward it to the hospital 1ssocia-
ton with his recommendations as TO the
proper course of action for the road
The petition sets forth San Bernardino's
claims as follows:
"First-The number of men employed
in. and around San Rernardino, in all
capacities, is very much greater Kan
the number employed at any other
point west of Albuquerque, and, as the
proportion of accidents and the percent
age of sickness Is. rs the number of
men employed, it is evident that the
largest number of patients from any
one locality VIII come from San Ber-
nard-no.
"Second-San Bernardino is Just 60
miles nearer to any point on the sys-
tenn east or. north of here, where it IS
customary to bring sick and injured
employees, than Los Angeles: and in
cases of severe injury. the saving of tllSG
distance. in time of discomfort will Of
ten mean the difference between life and
death: there are two cases in point that
happened within a year. where the in
jured parties died, in transit to, or i'm
mediately after. arrival in Los Angeles
''Third-There are employed in, and
around San BernardinO between 1000
and LOO men, and a very large percent
age of these reside here with their
families, and in case of injury or sick
ness, it is exceedingly comforting for
the patient to have his loved ones with
in easy reach.
'Fourth-Nearly all the employees be-
long to some one or other of the many
excellent fraternal and benevolent soci-
cites, whose special duty it is to care
for, and comfort the sick and Distress
ed. When the patient is taken to Los
Angeles he is taken from friends. and
placed among strangers.
'-Fifth-Although transportation is
furnished to the families of sick or in
jured employees, yet the expense Of
staying IN a strange city is a heavy one,
and It falls very heavily on the families
Of those who are injured and sent from
here. at a time when it is generally the
bread winner who is the injured one,
thus we have the family income stopped
and the expenses extraordinarily in.
creased.
"Sixth-If the objection is made that
these same conditions would apply to-
Los Angeles, if the hospital was located
here, we wish to call your attention to
the fact that there are already good
hospitals in Los Angeles for use in urg-
ent cases. Whereas there are none what
ever in or around San Bernardino
Seventh-As we are all subscribers
to the hospital fund, and therefore in
equity entitled to a voice in the matter
of he expenditure of that fund, and see
Ing that. as above mentioned. a larger
number of us live and work in and
around San Bernardino than at any
other ore point. we feel that we have
good and Just grounds upon which to
make the claim that the hospital should
be located here
Eighth-If the management should
decide to locate the hospital here there
Is little doubt but that a suitable site