New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-10
A NEW BELLEVUE.
day.


The chief general public hospital of the City Of
New-York is ramshackle structure erected for
an almshouse in 1907 and used as a home for
paupers for twenty years. Then new
building was provided for the paupers and the
old one. without substantial alteration. was
turned into hospital. A place for the treatment
Of disease ought. of all places in the world. TO be
clean. sanitary. comfortable. convenient and
uncrowded. Bellevue is none OF these things
II is foul and unsanitary, has defective plumb
ing and poor ventilation, has quarters for the
attendants which are dark and unhealthful and
for the patients which are far too small for the
decent accommodation. much less the proper
treatment OF the cases requiring attention.
Obviously as the trustees Of the hospital say
in their official report 10 the Mayor. the city
imperatively needs an entirely new building.
In this emergency great opportunity is pre-
scented 10 private philanthropy. The city is
struggling under a load OF debt, with its Dor
rowing power reduced to so narrow margin
that 1t cannot build schools fast enough 10 keep
pace with the growing population. The au-
thorities are already committed to plans for
imperatively needed public works requiring all
the money that there is any prospect Of raising
in the near future. II 1t shall prove necessary
to abandon some of these enterprises and build
d
Inconvenience and the prosperity Of the city
seriously retarded. There are many men OF
vast wealth who consider that they hold their
fortunes in trust for humanity and are anx.
iously looking for chance TO give where the
gifts will do good and not harm. They found
hospitals build libraries, endow colleges. How
could they spend money to better advantage
for their fellow citizens than by building q new
public hospital to relieve the deplorable cond.
tons existing at Believer II has not been
much the fashion for philanthropists in this
country to make gifts to municipalities, though
there are examples TO be found Of public parks
and city halls and public hospitals so founded
They have generally preferred to hestow their
largess upon private corporations, and perhaps
they have had good excuse for so doing In the
common abuses and cOrruptons OF American
municipal administration. MIR. Carnegie, how.
ever. has set the fashion Of making cities and
towns the direct benefciaries of his bounty,
and the plan which he has deemed suitable for
the development Of libraries ought to be availa.
BILE for providing hospitals The duty of city
to maintain great libraries and its fitness for
administering them may be open to debate. but
there is not the slightest doubt OF It's duty TO
furnish hospitals and OF the necessity of admin
istering them as public institutions
The conditions at Bellevue meet the funda-
mental requirement laid down by Mr. Carnegie
and adopted also by other philanthropists as a
preliminary TO all gifts. They will help tbose
who will help themselves They plant. bu+
others must water. Mr.. Carnegie gives the city
millions for libraries provided that the city will
spend an amount equal to 10 per cent Of his
gift each year TO maintain them. The same re-
quirement might be made by anybody who
would give the people OF New-York their rnucb
needed hospital. The city can furnish the
ground; II Will for all time maintain the hos
pital and care for the patients 1t does thar
now. and the gift OF building would he me-
culiarly gracious and free from any faint q,
suspicion that the giver was holding the DeonIe |
up ana making them pay money they could i'll
auord 70 spend TO maintain institutions which
It was MS fancy TO create. He who builds q |
new beieVue can raise handsome and en-. |
curing monument, secure its maintenance nv |
the CITY without adding any new burdens m |
the taxpayers ana do a magnificent work for |
nuilahlty- vast sums have been given hv |
oehesoIent persons Tor private hospitals in this |
CITY Ihey renoer noble service. NOT ono q, |
them couio De spared. But all Of them csn
never oake away the need Of the great nuhic
hospital II should be model building or ,ha |
highest standard OF equipment We fear II will |
Dc long oeiore the city itself can erect such q |
structure why should not municipal pride and /,
pubic spirit relieve the overhurdenad +o~,ar
ers rom the necessity of struggling with thai |
prooiem ana secure at once to tbe sick neonI. /
OF New'fork the hospital accommodations thew |
SO greatly need? 'A'S
'hs cenheio grip on the Police Department