Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-08-16
PHYSICIANS OBJECT
TO PROPOSED PLAN
AGAINST ABOLITION OF PRES
FNT EMERGENCY HOSPITAL.
Reasons Set Forth For Position
Tdken-EffOrt to Set the Public
Right Cite Opinion of Justice
CdsSoddy- Declares Such Grant
Unconstitutional.

Editor Leader There being meas
ure before the com non council asking
for an annual appropriation to st.
Mary's Hospital and the abolition OF
the present Emergency Hospital and
this measure having been much pro-
claimed IN The Daily Times, besides
other ridiculous statements made In
that paper it seems only just and
proper that those who have read the
Times article in last Saturdays lssue
and who are no doubt in consequence
of this article laboring under false
and absurd impressions, should be set
right.
The writer of the article in the
Daily Times of last Saturday evening
cannot be familiar with the conditions
az thew now exist. The fact is that
it has only been used once for an
emergency case during the last l8
months and then only for few days.
While the conditions are not ideal,
it answers every purpose 1or an
emergency hospital, and the medical
profession as a whole are strongly
opposed to its abolition. They look
on the PROPOSAL to abolish it without
their knowledge Or consent az gross
discourtesy and the motives for doing
so cannot be regarded as Humanitarian.
Much credit must be given to j. T.
Holland of the Times for his Lersis-
tent and untiring advocacy OF the en-
Urgency hospital as it now exists, and
any who may have been skeptical, ae
to it's utility have been thoroughly
convinced that his judgment was
right in the matter. The hospital has
maintained itself and has been source
of revenue to the city. All patients
taken there who have been financially
responsible have paid for their at
tendance, and their time at the hos
pital, and for charity cases the city
has been reimbursed by the county.
There has not been since Its establish
ment, an infected case which has had
it's origin there. Its location Is cell
trail and easy of access to all physi-
clans.
1t is serving useful purpose; it
is no tax on the cIty's finances,
and so long AS large majority OF
the profe ssion are in favor of its
maintenance in it's present location,
until a better one can be found, why
abolish it?
In a measure of this kind before
the council why should not the men
who are most directly interested have
been consulted? The fact is that
Alderman Ryan attempted to force
the measure through the council with
out reference to a committee, SO that
any interetsd party who might have
wished to object had no opportunity
of doing SO. The experience OF the
profession is that there are three
classes who come under their charge
at the emergency hospital. First,
non-resldents, responsible people, who
can pay for their physician and their
attendance; second, county cases tor
whom the county has paid and lastly
railway accidents whom the railway
corporate have taken care of. All
these cases have been source of
revenue to the profession without cost
to the city. The measure before the
council means that our taxpayers shall
give charity to people who do not need
it and do not ask for it.
The opinion of the City Attorney
Kading to the contrary notvithstand-
ing, Justice Cassoday ten years ago
delivered the opinion of the supreme
court that any grant of public money
by municipal corporation to.a private
school, park or hospital, however
admirable, is unconstitutional.
w. F. Whyte, M. D.
R. B. Herman, M. u.
Frank @. Moulding, M. u.
F. &. Werner, M. D.
Carl r. Field, M. D.