The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-06-08
HARMONY RESTORED
At ST. ELZABETH'S
All Cause for Employees
Complaint Removed.
DR.. WHITE IS INDICATED
Board of Visitors Hears Objections
Surgeon General GunneI
Makes Statement.

Affairs at the Government Hospital
for the Insane in connection with the
charges of mismanagement recently
made public have been given a thorough
investigation by the board Of visitors
OF th@t institution, who personally Wis
tied We hospital and summoned before
them Ill those who had complaints to
make.
AS result OF this investigation Surg
Gen. F. M. Gunnell, the chairman Of the
board, SAID todav:
In reality the employees had no
serious complaints to make. and II any
causes for dissatisfaction existed they
have now all been removed and a bet
ter agreement has been reached by all
concerned.
Professionals Called.
I'VE gave notice to all the hospital
employees a day beforehand that the
meeting was to be held. and asked them
to appear before us personally TO make
their complaints. This resulted IN about
sixty Of them gathering about the meet
ing room when the sessions of the
board began.
They asked to be admitted all to-
gether. This was granted Ten out of
the number addressed the board.
A Natural Ambition.
when asked to state their grievances
1t developed that each of them wanted
more money. One or two made com
plant that corned beef and potatoes fur
nished to them were not good, and also
that oleomargarine was Objectionable.
They made the further suggestion that
additional labor be employed at the hos
pital. as well as more pay furnished.
This complaint has been made to us
before. It is the natural desire OF en-
ployes In all Institutions to get addi-
tional pay II they can 1t only required
a little explanation 10 show. however
that under the present allowance made
by the Government that 10 give addf-
tional pa. is an impossibility
When DR.. Richardson was superin-
tehdent ne met these same objections
with the answer that If Congress would
consent 70 grant 100000 more IL would
be practicable 10 make the division OF
three shifts and to increase the pay.
ire employees were shown tnat they
We're Mere getung more ray: respectively.
kind In the United States: that they had
greater advantages in that they could
take a course in the training school for
WHICH would be Of great value TO them.
Union Sends Committee.
After these first complaints had been
met there came a committee from the
Hospital Attendants Union. composed
Of four men. who said they greatly re-
GREETED the charges against the manage
ment of the hospital which had been
printed in the newspapers, and they
were not in sympathy with them Their
only grievance, they said, was the fact
that DR.. White. In making out HIS new
wage scale, had not regulated IL so that
In the grade Of attendants the pay
should be from $50 TO $50 a month in
stead Of from $40 to SIS.
This appeared 10 US a reasonable
complaint, and we decided TO grant It,
The steps for the promotion OF an at
tendant hereafter. therefore. Will be as
follows: so, $3.50, $25 ST 30, $50.
The committee further stated that in
the adjustment Of the new wage scale
the salaries OF three or four men had
been reduced. This appeared 10 us also
TO be another just cause Of complaint
We gave instruction 10 restore them
10 the same scale as before. Their re-
duction was only temporary, and seemed
necessary under the new regulations
The matter has now all been settleJ,
however.
Dr. White INDICATED
with regard 10 the administra ton.
we found nothing that could reflect dis
credit on DR.. White. There have been
no radical changes under him This, IN
fact was so stated by the older en-
plOyes Of the institution. The heads Of
the departments were summoned be
fore us and the chief cook was required
TO make a report.