The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-13
CTYyHOSpITALS OFTHEFUYUUE
IouR. HEBBERD WOULD NAVE
SviLL ONES IN EACH BOROUGH,

chronic Gases and GOnValesccnts, Not
in Palaces, but In Adequate buildings.
sOue thing that impresses me most when
consider the needs Of the Department OF
charities is the lack OF preparation for the
r,,rr. Present facilities are entirely In
,nririent, especially those Of the hospitals,
and the city is growing 80 rapidly that,
less steps are soon taken to increase the facil-
,,,os in A large way, much suffering must
;neyitably result" said Robert w. Heb
rord the Commissioner Of Charities, to n
Sun reporter.
-Tbls il by no means a new subject to
mo % continued the Commissioner, "for /
Gas very familiar with the work Of the de-
nsrtment in a general way during the
tuelye or more years OF my service with the
charity Organization Society Of this. city,
and still more familiar with it during my |
nearly ten years OF service as secretary OF
tha state Board OF Charities, which has gen.
eral supervision Of the work OF the depart
ment In fact, it seems to me that one fire.
orently secures a better outline Of the work
NJ q department such as this when he views
il from the outside, just as a better view
NJ q mountain is had before the foothills
are reached.
when 1 consider the f~orethought that.
over half a century ago, planned and SON
s,ructed the present city hospital on the
south end of Blackwell's Island, l am amazed
to think that no structure has been erected
on the island since those days that can In
any respect be compared with It. This is
Of itself a striking commentary
II believe not that the city should erect
ralaces on the island, with imposing towers
and battlements, but that 1t should con-
struct buildings of a simple type, adequate
in size, capable of expansion, and thor
olghly equipped inside for the work they
are to carry on"
Asked for his views upon the proposition
to turn Blackweli's Island into a park the
Commissioner said: The plan Of turning
BIackwelrs Island into a public park it seems
to me is worthy Of the most careful consider
alton on the part Of the city authorities.
In my opinion the sick poor and their
friends who visit them are entitled to'a
park as much as any others can be, and the
city cannot possibly acquire any property
so well adapted in all respects to the loca-
ton of hospitals as Blackwelrs Island
an time all the chronic and the conva-
bscent adult patients cared for IN pubic
hospitals by the city could be cared Tor IN
the HOSPITALS on Blackwell's Island, where
thew Will Dt CDlNGu6hlt W w. '
every borough of the city. There is ha rdly
any other obtainable location where this
would be possible. The facility OF the
delivery Of supplies, as well as the trans
p~ortation of patients and vtsito rs, must
also be considered. 1t will eadily be
seen that there is no place to which suGh
1 stores can be so readily and 30 economically
delivered as to the islands in what We call
the Fast River.
Then, too, it is extremely difficult to
secure property in n residential section
Cand one could hardly be expected to go
elsewhere for the purpcser upon which
Of a comparatively rural section on Staten
Island are up in arms and are seeking IN
the courts and in the Legislature to pre-;
vent the construction OF the piroposed
municipal aanitarium in the town OF North
field on the island. So it would be wherever
the city proposed to estaolish any sihiiar
institution.
In my opinion, the penal institutions
as already provided by law, as soon as pos
4 sibIe, the City Home for the Aged and In
firm formerly known as the almsnouse'
should follow, and the proposed new Metro
island and the proposed new city hospital
on the south end should remain. The re-
mainder Of the island could be made into a
public park. Visitors to the city by way
beautiful to greet them, instead OF the
more or less motley array OF prisons and
charitable institutions which they now
see. The city will, in all probability, sooI
and the remaining half of Randsll's Island
through their vacation by the State, dno
will then be in a better position to classify
its other dependents. Such as are pie
bodied. and yet not OF the vagrant class
10 ba cared for in the workhouse can be
sent to the farm colony to raise Vegetables
for the Others" -.
In answer to the question how, IN his
u opinion, acute and emergent cases OF illness
# should be cared for in public institutions
Commissioners Hebberd said; in my opin'
ion such cases should, as a rule, be cared
for in comparatively small hospitals scat
tered throughout the city in every borough
70 that they will be convenient to patients
and their friends. Each hospital. shoulo
have its ambulance district and be in 9
position to render prompt ana enectlvt
service. Great care should be ,exercisen
in Locating such hospitals, in order to pre-
vent. il possible, their construction in loca
tons that are likely soon TO be given owe
to shops and factories and the din OF busi
ness
Then YOU do not believe in the Large
Relleyue'37 said the reporter. To this tn,
Commissioner replied: Il am a membei
Of the Mayors Commission on Public Hen
pitfalls, and EXPECT to state my views full
b the commission on this subject, ano
therefore, in view OF its great importance
would consider it inopPortune as well a
inadvisable to say anything at this, time
1t is certainly a great conception, and thos
who are behind the movement are entitle
to great respect for the zeal and the courag
with which they nave faced a giga MT
problem ,
The commissioner was asked what tn
Mayors commission had done and what,
expected to accomplish. In answer h
slid
The commission, at a recent meetin
presided over by ex-Comptrolier Grou
who is the permanent chairman. electe
William Rhinelander Stewart, Commissions
Of the State Board of Charities fro
this judicial district. as its permaner
secretary. and ordered the collection
certain data preliminary to the appoin
ment Of committees and their assignmei
to work. The commission proposes TO s
over the whole subject of the present tangle
methods of public hospital work and hop
to be able to recommend a plan for Il
future organization and administration
thano r.oa, ;,.,;t,.;oy,n chat yvtl ha prQ 0tiO