The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-23
BOARD OF REVENUE
SEEMS FAVORABLE
Committee Urges Substantial
Appropriation for Hospital
REQUEST is CONSIDERED
Needs of the Hospital Explained, and
the Committee Asks the County to
Appropriate 5000 Month.
A Legal Question.

The board of revenue has under con-
sideration the matter of appropriating
$500 monthly toward the maintenance of
the Hilman hospital An answer will be
given today to the committee of twenty
five citizens which appeared before the
board yesterday and urged the appropria-
ton. The committee was appointed at
mass meeting of citizens held a week ago
last sunday In the First Methodist church
and 1t was instructed to devise ways ana
means for supporting the hospital on
charity basis.
Yesterday morning at 10 o'clock the
committee met In the Commercial club
rooms and then adjourned to the board
of revenue office to ask for the appro-
priation. T. II. Motion, chairman of the
committee, explained the object in view
and said that the ladies had agreed TO
make the hospital strictly charity In
stitntion If the county and city would
provide for its permanent support,
Mr. Motion also stated that it would re-
uuire about $1,000 a month to operate the
hospital, and that 1t was the sense OF the
committee as representing a mass meet
ing Of citizens, that the county should
give about 5000 and the city should give
$500. He also stated that In answer to the
argument that the county could not con-
tribute as 1t had no control of the hos
pital the ladies have decided to have one
member of the board of revenue on an
advisory committee of five, and also to
place forty beds at the disposal of the
county.
Strictly Charity.
Mr.. Motion still further stated that the
ladies were willing TO cease operating the
twelve private rooms for pay patients,
and to devote all the revenue to the city
and county patients.
Different members of the committee
then spoke The Rev. j. w. Stagg, d.
D., thought 1t was the duty of the board
of revenue and the city council to sup
port charity hospital. Frank Nelson,
Jr said that he thought the hospital was
in the nature of a gift from the ladies';
that the county and city would have had
to erect a hospital sooner or later II the
ladies had not already done this much,
and now offered 1t practically as gift
If the county and city would support it.
Major Andersons Views.
Major f. Y Anderson thought the mat
ter so important that the other appropri-
ations should be cut down II necessary to
give to the hospital The Rev. l.. s.
Handley, d. D., urged the support Of the
hospital from moral point of view. b.
Steiner said that he thought the 5000 was
almost too small for the county approprl-
alton considering the amount of good de-
rived as a result of the hospital. Rufus
N. Rhodes thought the past generosity OF
the board of revenue gave abundant hopo
that they would be equally as generous
this time. DR. Sholl gave statistics In re-
gard to the income of the city and coun-
ty, and showed how easy 1t would be for
either to give the desired amount and not
seriously cut down the revenue needed for
other departments.
The Rev. Quincy Ewing of the Church of
the Advent, stated that fully 80 per cent
of his congregation was In favor OF the
county and city appropriating money. The
Rev. f. w. Barnett thought 1t was
disgrace to the county and city not to
support the hospital as a charitable insti-
tuition. J. b. Cobbs thought that the
duty of the board was evident and that
1t should make up the appropriation. @.
b. Mccormack, r. II. Pearson and III.
i. Badham also spoke on the subject, and
all urged that the appropriation be made,
and Giat It be as large as requested.
The Board.
The members of the board of revenue
expressed themselves as favorlng the
appropriation, and said It would be made
provided 1t could be done legally. Cap
tain A. j. Tarrant, president of the board,
stated that the revenue was already di
vided up for different purposes and that
1t was all needed every year. He, how
ever stated that he was in favor of an
appropriation If one could be made and
that the board would take 1t under ad-
visement. The members of the committee
present were: