The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-12

ing is dying out as the immigrants
become better acquainted with Ameri-
can institutions, and they are sure to
make greater demands upon the hospi-
tails as time goes on. Then our
troubles will increase enormously, I'M
less we find some radical cure for
them in the meantime"
Dincult to Keep Going.
Public attention has not yet been
directed to the sad plight of the hos
pitfalls as a whole, although a few,
which were on the point of closing
down for lack of funds, have been
temporarily tided over their troubles.
But the question has been seriously
discussed by hospital trustees in their
annual reports. and by journals which
are devoted to the cause of charity
and circulate among philanthrepists.
Many suggestions have been made as
to the best way of solving the
problem
The federation plan" is being tried
in some of the larger cities. A central
body is formed to collect money for
all the institutions and share 1t among
them according to their needs. This
is in addition to the Hospital Satur-
day and Sunday Association, which
undertakes a similar work. Such sys-
tematic effort is proving successful in
! some cases. In Philadelphia. for eX-
ample, the Federation of Jewish Char
tiles has. in two years. increased the
total receipts of its numerous con-
stituent societies by As per cent.
Frank Tucker. of the New Yorl
I Charity Organization Society, has
/ proposed the raising of an endowment
! fund of $1O,000,000 for the great hos
pitfalls of New York City, estimating
that the income from this large sum
will just about provide for their pres
ent annual deficits. The idea has
found favor among the majority OF
hospital trustees and interested phil
anthropists, and an effort is likely to
be made to carry 1t out. Mr.. Tucker
believes that if the deficits are thus
taken care of, the income producing
power of future legacies, carefully
guarded for that purpose by each hos
pital, will provide for natural in
| creases IN maintenance account for
some years to come.
The plan is being favorably discuss
| ed i'm several other cities by men re-
sponsible for the running of hospitals,
and it is possible that the public will
socn be appealed to for a series OF
hospital endowment funds all over the
country.
Public Wants Hospitals.
In every city PUBIC opinion en-
dorses the hospitals and agrees that
they ought to be supported They
suffer from neglect, not from dis
belief in the necessity and value OF
their work Out of a large number
of prominent men whose views on
the subject were solicited by the New
York Charity Organization Soeiaty,
only one-Bishop Henry Potter--dis-
puted "the high value set upon hospi-
tai treatment" and deprecated 1.-THE
growth of INSTRUMENTATION in a direc-
ton in which that growth is already
becoming a menace"
Few people will be found to agree
with the good bishop. The public
sentiment was correctly expressed by
President Egerton Schmidt, of The
New York Orthophedic Hospital, who
Esaid:
I'VE must either have more income
for current expenses. or else we shall
be Obliged to curtail our work. To
do so, and refuse trea tInent and me-
chanical apparatus to the ever-increlas-
ing number of little cripples between
the ages of four and fourteen, Just at
the time when their deformities can
be cured, would seem to be almost
criminal" tsltx,a,.
(CopyriRht, 1904, by William Thorn }