The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-08
THE WEEKLY JOURNAL. Issued Thursdays, One Dollar a Year
THE coSrAGro US Hosp1rA1.

"tAo idFo WorheO QlliBently Wltn US committee to keep alive interest in the erection of hospital for the care of contagious diseases was further exem- plified by their report last evening to the board of aldermen in the form of Q new petition. The twelfth ward site is abandoned, upon the theory, doubt less, that 1t has occasioned so much Ill feeling that only harm could come to the city from It's revival with no prom ise of its being adopted by the alder men. In It's place are offered three sites where the proposed hospital could be located with profit to all concerned.
 There Is an obvious advantage in having number of sites to consider, for there is removed at once the sus- picion that back of a single proposal turks a hidden motive to unload upon a particular section of the city an in- sttution which might be objectionable to all other sections. It was unfor- tunate that an impression got abroad that the original twelfth ward site was Belected with no deference to the feel ings of the residents of that section, and 1t was unfair that the idea should have been given widespread circulation that what was actually proposed there was not hospital for contagious dis eases at all but pest house. How, ever, a case was made out against it, in spite of the fact that the establish cg6ent there of the hospital would have beer an ornament to the ward and a stimulant to local property values. We are not aware that the property has been disposed of, so that in conse- quence of the board of aldermen agree ing upon one of the three sites recom- nended by the medical society, 1t could be disposed of and the revenue be used to build elsewhere.
 There are two or three things which
 
 constantly before them in their consid- eration of this important question. All suspicion of the motives which move tho doctors should be at once elimina- ted. No other class in the community is So well fitted to pass upon both the need and the humanity of a hospital as those who daily see and come to ap- preciate the distress visited upon those unfortunate enough to be stricken In localities and buildings where the chances of epidemic are most favorable. Nothing shows in fact more convincing ly the altruistic spirit of the physicians of New Haven than their willingness to serve the people in spite of misrep- resentation and occasional obloquy They are as solicitous friends as the plain people of New Haven are likely to find. Nor should credence be given the charge, irresponsibly made, that there in ar effort to unload upon the unsus- pecting something which the rest of us are clever enough to dodge We can recall no movement in full generation which has more to commend 1t for it's unselfishness than this hospital move- ment.
 The theory of the right of eminent A1t ott {e hot Qr. i, welfare and comfort of the greatest number, given piece of property be taken from those unwilling to part with 1t, it ought to be done. A similar theory supports this undertaking to er- ect hospital for contagious diseases fin this city. Not only the welfare of the greatest number is involved in its establishment, but in particular that portion of the greatest number who for one reason and another do not enjoy the privelege of having homes which can easily be isolated should contag- the privilege of having homes which tai for contagious diseases on Prospect street or Hillhouse avenue would be useless to give the service required, for the residents there have sources of self protection which are denied the resi- dents in the more closely packed sec- tons of the city. So 1t would be use- less to locate the building there, though locating it there would perhaps grati- fy mistaken predjudice against wealth. It must go where it can best serve the largest number, who are in danger of eontagion or whose children are to be threatened with death in case of contagious disease presenting itself Too much stress can not be laid up on this phase of the movement, and 1t is only very careless observer who would undertake to poison the minds of innocent people with the untruthful thought that the more fortunate and we'll to do are attempting to protect themselves against the relatively un- protected many.
 We hope sincerely that this time the contagious hospital will receive more patient consideration, and that larger