Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-03-17
THE MEDDLER
az Ms eoat 6fs yon put ii en-

The old adage to the effect thaI
there is no smoke without some fire
may not be infalible. but If 1t IS tht
| inccssant grumbing and discussion
| that arise about the Brattleboro Me
mortal hospital would seem to lndl-
cate that something is wrong WIN
the management of that institution
| The Neddler has no wish to get INTO
an argument about the way to run
a hospital because his small eXpe-
rience has not run in that direction
| vet he cannot help wondering why
so many people are continually
knocking the hospital and those VINO
are responsible for its conduct. why
don't you get after the Thompson
hospital people?" and What ails the
hospital management? are questions
that he is being asked continually
To tell the truth The Meddler has
attempted to ascertain the cause Oh
all the fault finding, and the results OF
his research lead him to believe that
ii is due fully as much TO lack OF CO.
operation and misunderstanding as
anything else. OF course the dlfec-
tors may have made mistakes-thls
would not be surprising in considera-
IlOIl OI tLtII tABtlltiiNS 80
hardly credible that they have DELHI
erately acted in such manner as TO
thwart the purpose for which the
hospital was built Take, for eX-
ample the rule regarding free treat
ment If in the judgment of the d.
rectors a person is not able to pay
the regular rates a portion or the
whole of the amount will be related.
This rule is fair enough if the judg-
ment of the directors is good, and
The Meddler has yet to be shown
proof that they have used anything
but good judgment. The rule that
no major operation shall be per-
formed unless a member of the con-
sulting staff is present would seem 10
be in the interest of the hospitafs
reputation, if not in the interests OF
the local surgeons and perhaps a bit
of drain on their patients bank bal
ances.
In order to have a public institu-
ton like the hospital successful the
must be absolutely i'm
partial in its administration and the
people of the town must put eonfi-
dence in the integrity of the man
agement. Naturally the success or
failure of hospital rests largely
with the physicians who are connect
ed with it. If they cooperate for it's
welfare then that welfare is
assured, but if they pull and haul
and let professional jealousy stand in
the way of good judgment the end
surely will be defeated. The Med
Her feels pretty sure that there has
oeen more or less of this pulling and
hauling in the past but he is inclined
n thot aynarianpa ic a
,iently able teacher to show the pull
ers and haulers the error of their |
ways.
The bailiffs, especially Messrs
crosby and Calvin, deserve recogni- |
ion for the enterprising way in |
which they have relieved the local |
water situation. 1t was a hard COM
,ination to beat--no license and no
they met it manfully and |
vercame it as quickly as could be |
expected. The pump which they |
procured was in working order Fri
lay afternoon and since then a stream
# water has been continually pour
ng into the Chestnut Hill reservoir.
f the bailiffs had shown as little
of the seriousness of the
ituation as was apparently mani
ested by Mr.. Crowell where might I
re have been at by this time?
II
Comparatively little interest at 1
ended Dummerston's step into the
o license ranks but there was con-
iderable excitement over the fight
gainst the so-called Miller crowd,
'hich has held fully its share of town
fices in the past. The attempt to
ust Adm F. Miller from the position
town clerk failed by small mar
in but his opponents had the pleas
re of seeing the treasurership taken
ON him and given to l.. S. Lynde. |
lille j. Arms Miller was an unsuc-
assful candidate for selectman
hole the anti Millerites feel pretty
ell satisfied over their first fight
sainst what they term 'ring-ruie."
nd predict a still larger victory next
EAR. When town meeting day passes
Dummerston without developing
me sort of scrap it will be because
lie snow is so deep that no one can
IT to the hall.
The trustees appointed under the
i'll of the late William Austine 10 :
ect and govern the hospital made
'ssible by his bequest to the town of
TdttleDOfO OF S5U,UOO have an idea
at a sanitarium for consumptives is .
hat ought to be built 1t has been
timated by some of them that the
ate will appropriate a sum of mon
10 help such an institution. Let (
hope. however. that the consume
'e sanatarium dream will mass
FAY. The establishment in Brattle-
70 of an institution for the treat
ant of consumptives would be any
ing but a blessing. especially If l.
ceived help from the state and he
me public affair In the first
ace Brattleboro as a summer resor,
'uld be tabooed by all healthy pao-
Z; that has been the case In Ruf
I'd. Mass. where the Massacbu- 4
Us sanitarium for conservatives is !
'ated- Again, the patients of the &
ititution would be on the streei-
re or less and the danger Of cor L
non would be increased. The p
ms of Col. Austine's will are nos
explicit that a consumptive sana-
ium is absolutely necessary ana 4
re are many people who hope that
ne viii be established L