The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-11-09
SUPPLIES FOR
THE HOSPITAL
Trustee McInerny Explains the
Recent Action of the
Board.

LHC pCSAtAOAA AelhCAl Dg Tic u uSLCOs
Of the Queens Hospital seems to b,
misunderstood by the public and con.
sequently by the newspapers" said W
H. McInerny yesterday when question.
ed regarding an item in an afternoon
paper.
THE conclusion of the trustees to
ask for bids for hospital supplies is
not exactly the result of any agitation
by Doctor Hodgins and his friends
Fthough his remarks at intervals dur
ing the past few months have prob
ably led the people to believe that
| benefits would follow such action, so
We have decided to take it, About a
year ago George W. Smith, secretary
of the board of trustees, suggested that
| tenders be called for, as he understood
there was a feeling that he was get
| ting too much of the business. No
action was taken at that time.
Going into ancient history con-
tinued Mr.. McInerny, Il Will say that
the statement that all of the instru-
ments for the hospital were bought
through Benson, Smith & Co., Ltd, is
not COIlGCt- llICS Inherent HIulS Oh
the mainland We're communicated with
relative to the supplies of this charac-
ter and bids were received from each.
They were ordered by the trustees di-
rect. The only connection Mr.. Smith
had with the transaction was attend
ing to the correspondence as secretary
to the board. We do not furnish sup
plies of any character simply because
ries them, we provide exactly what is
specified by the physicians and would
not dare do any thing else. One ar
ticle used in surgical operations is in
my mind at this moment and 1 wish
to say that there are four different
makes of it, as much alike as two
peas, as far as the layman is concern
ed, but because the doctors differ as
to their value we must carry all four
kinds. Benson, Smith & Co. have the
agency for several articles used in the
hospital and those things have to be
bought there, naturally, the same as
if your company held the agency for
certain make of paper in general
use; other dealers would have to buy
from you.
For twelve years Mr.. smith has
bGSIl SSCISIdIy LOT lLS. uOSDlldI anu he
gets no compensation for the duties
he performs and this fact may inspire
the belief that he has an advantage
over other drug firms. This is not so,
for there is supervision over the
prices by the superintendent as well as
the board of trustees. This brings to
mind the reason for this firm having
a semblance of a monopoly on the
hospital trade. In the beginning it
was found that there would have to
eight thousand dollars worth of sup
plies for the use of the surgeons and
physicians ard general hospital pur-
poses, and twas not considered good !
business for the hospital to tie up
that amount of money in drugs, band
ages and surgeons requisites. The
as to the advisability of ask
ing bids came up and they were call |
ed for. 1t was found that some of the /
articles had to be bought from the |
local agents, who happened to be Ben
son, Smith & Co, and after that ex-
perience the trustees decided that it
would be as well to buy direct, under
certain restrictions as to quality and
price, from the persons from whom
the other druggists had to buy. The
question was argued something like
this: If we call fer bids we shall ex-
pect that the dealers can supply us as
we require. That will mean that each
Of the drug firms in the city will have
to lay in a stock. All of them could
not get the award and some of them
would find themselves at the end of
he competition with stock of drugs,
etc, on hand which, in the natural
order of events, would go stale and
could not be used here. We have had
lnder consideration the plan of pro-
riding the drug firms here with a list
If articles used during a previous year
Ind asking them to bid on the same
quantity for a year, to begin at a date
TX months following the call for ten
iers. In time 1 believe this plan will
De adopted, but it may follow that
some one will get stuff he cannot dis
)ose of if he is underbid."