Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-08-07
POOR TRUSTEES PROTEST.
They Object to Paying tho Expenses OF
People In Guaranteed Houses In Will

They Object to Paying the Expenses of
People In Quarantined Houses in Will
mington.
While the action of the Trustees OF
thePoor, at their meeting yesteday week,
relative to contributing toward the ex-
pense Of maintaining and caring for
Wilmington smallpox patients, indi-
Gated that no more patients from Will
mington would be received at the
Emergency Hospital until the city
authorities had agreed to provide for
their maintenance, such is not actually
the case, according to the belief OF
Trustee E. L. Rice, who is a resident
of this city, and Joseph Wigglesworth,
secretary of the local Board OF Health.
They both informed q reporter Of Every
Evening this morning that the Trustees
of the Poor are perfectly willing to
provide for smallpox patients at the
Emergency Hospital, but that body
objects to paying for food furnished to
people imprisoned i'm quarantined
houses in Wilmington.
The bill submitted to the trustees
yesterday, amounting to S273 II, was
for furnishing necessities of life to the
inmates of quarantined houses in Will
mington during the last three months,
and had no connection with the main
tenance Of patients at tie Emergency
Hospital. Mr. Rice says that after the
patients arrive at the hospital they
come under the care of the County
Hospital people and their food is fur
Dished from that institution. He ex-
pressed the opinion that the trustees
would offer no objection to caring for
the people at the hospital, but they do
object to paying the expenses in Will
mington, which, they believe, should
be paid tor by the city authorities.
Mr.. Rice's attention was called to
the wording of the resolution, which
appears to intend that no more patients
shall be admitted to tile institution
until the city agrees to pay for their
maintenance. and he said the object in
adopting the resolution in that form
vas to bring about settlement of the
| controversy between the board and the
city authorities as soon as possible,
/ the object being to have an under
standing between the trustees. City
| Council and the Board of Health rela-
| tive to the care OF occupants of quar-
antined houses, and there is no inten-
| tion to do anything that will obstruct
| the,city authorities in fighting the
disease. The trustees are willing to do
everything reasonable within their
power to aid the city board of health
in its efforts to prevent the disease
from spreading.
! Secretary Wigglesworth of the Board
of Health said this morning that the
board had as yet done nothing relative
to the action of the Trustees of the
Poor, but after the resolution is re-
ceived he will make an effort to have a
conference between the Trustees of the
Poor, the Board of Health and City
Council, SO that an understanding car
be had relative to providing for people
who are imprisoned in quarantinee
houses He feels sure that the trustees
do not Intend to stop receiving patients
and called attention to the fact tina
two from this city were admitted thii
morning. They were Lydia Reed o
924 A street and Sallie v. Wooters o
1109 B street. Mr.. Wigglesworth antici
pates no hitch in sending patients t,
Farnhurst.
Public opinion is divided as to th,
stand taken By the Trustees of th,
Poor. Some people believe their pro
test against furnishing food to peopl
in quarantined houses in Wilmington
is Just and that such expense right.
belongs to the city authorities. Their
are others, however who contend tina
such expense should come under th
head of outside relief, in view of tn
fact that most Of the families requiring
that attention are indigent, and shoul,
! be borne by the Trustees OF the Poor
They point out that the city pays mort
than two thirds of the county taxes an
, is entitled to such consideration. 1t i
believed the matter can be adiuste
without difficulty by city authoritie
and Trustees Of the Poor.