The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-11-20
Use OF TIE PuBnro FuNps.

USE OF THE PUBLIC FUNDS,
The aldermanic committee which
has before it the suggestion to recon-
mend the appropriation of money to a
considerable amount for the estab-
lishment of an institute equipped with
machinery designed to benefit deform-
ed school children have reason to Sc
riously consider the legitimate use
Of the public funds as compared with
their illegitimate use. Any number of
excellent suggestions could easily be
made by sympathetic people for the fur
Their betterment of the children in the
public schools of the city, just as 9th
er equally good suggestions could be
made looking towards the better care
of the residents in the tenement dis
tricts, but there always remains to be
considered at the same time the JUS
tice Of imposing upon the community
a heavier tax than experience has
demonstrated 1t can bear.
In this particular instance it is not
at all a question of the usefulness Of
the proposed machinery. The fact that
1t has received the approval of man
of DR.. Leonard w Bacon's Judgment
and experience removes it from the
field Of speculation. He has watched
the operation of it in Germany and is
convinced that If the city Of New Ha-
ven should install the machines here
and put them to the proposed use
great good would be accomplished. We
do not understand, however that DR..
Bacon advocates the proposed appro-
priation on that account. We should
judge from what the newspapers re-
port Of his appearance before the al
dermanic committee that with his US
ual good sense that question he refers
to those who better understand the
financial strength of the city. The
man who would in particular have the
city make the appropriation really
asks the city to go into business part
nership with him. He would operate
the machines, without charge in the
case of patients from the public
schools, but when not busted with
them he would treat his own patients
at a stated cost to them. Among the
opponents Of the scheme were several
doctors who stated their disbelief in
the propriety Of the city voting money
for semi-private ventures, though the
hot retort was madeSby the petitioner
that he was opposed by physicians
who thought they saw in his SUCCESS
ton a blow at their professional pros
perity.
A controversy of this character is
usually determined best by leaning to-
ward the rights of the community it,
self. In the first place it has yet to be
proved that the city Of New Haven can
legally enter upon such a business
partnership as is here proposed. II
| it can appropriate money to set UP an
individual in semi-charitable enter
prise Of one kind 1t can set up other
people in another kind of semi-chari-
table enterprise. If It can be demon
strated in fact that the city should
set up such an institute as is here
proposed; that 1t is its duty to serve
the school children of the city and
others needing that kind Of treatment
free, then the answer is not appro-
priating money for partnership
with the petitioner but an approprla-
ton to buy the machines outright, to
be cared for and operated by the board
Of health. Nor are we inclined to ac-
cept the charge that the opposing doc
tors take the position they do for mer-
cenary reasons. The doctors of every
community give too much of their ex-
perience and skill for nothing to justi-
fly any individual in ascribing to them
mean motives. In fact the atmosphere
which this controversy has generated
in the short time it has been heard
forces one to the conclusion, however
reluctant, that the petitioner should be
given leave to withdraw.