The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-14
WORST ROW
YET ABOUT
HOSPITAL

ing to accept his resignation, as the
president has only a few months more
to serve.
The members also declared them
selves in favor of the removal from
the board of directors of all physicians
and their wives, and also for a smaller
board. The present board consists of
sixty-two members.
In his annual report last winter Mr..
Okin recommended hat mo doctor
connected with the hospital. and his
wife, or the wife of IN doctor be al
lowed Oh the board of directors" A
bitter fight followed the reading of the
report, which was not approved at the
time in It's entirety. and that fight
continued until yesterday.
The result of the meeting yesterday
was a great surprise to the physicians
and their large constituency present.
as it was fully expected that after Mr..
Okin had given his reasons for tender
ing his resignation the members would
concur in the action of the board. The
meeting VAS most exciting and lasted
from 3 o'clock until after darkness set
in, every moment being taken up In
the discussion.
One thousand people had crowded
into the synagogue. one-third of whom
were women, many of them being
members of the hospital auxiliary. Al
times but for the presence of Rabbi
Solomon Foster, of the Temple B'na
Jeshurun, who seemed to have a re-
markable influence over the throng
the meeting might have been ever
more exciting. Several times at crucia'
points Rabbi Foster assembled the plat
form and brought order out of chaos.
The meeting was called by Mr.. Okin
that he might make a statement as tc
why he had resigned his office. He
asked that a temporary chairman be
appointed or elected. William s. Reich
of 206 Hunterdon street, was nominated
but was rejected, there being a gen.
eral demand from all parts of the
room that Mr.. Okin himself preside
The president had a large representa-
ton of friends. for every time his
name was mentioned cheers followed
and whenever a doctors name 1t wa.
received with disapproval. The physi'
clans and the women who occupied tht
| gallery also had a large number OF
supporters, and frequent clashes be
tween the factions occurred. No sooner
had the meeting been called to ordel
than Hyman Soho. of se Broome street
began to make an address condemnint
the action of the board of directors IL
acting on the resignation of Mr.. k
instead of presenting II to the mem
bers of the association. He was inter
rupted by Edward Prokocimer, of 80
| Fifteenth avenue, on a point of order
who wanted to know on what groun'
Mr.. Okin called the meeting after h
had rendered his resignation and it hat
been accepted.
The meeting had beer called, he wa
told, at the request of the officials o
the Hebrew Free School, who wantei
to know why the president had ten
dered his resignation at such an i'm
portant time, resigning when the hos
pital was about to be opened. At TIL
juncture Louis Bernstein, Of ga Halse
street, protested against any but mem
bers of the association taking an actiy
part in the business of the meeting
He was drowned by a noise that fol
lowed his suggestion. Order was final
restored.
Louis Schutzman, of so Candle
street, said that the meeting had bee
called for a specific purpose and pro
tested against allowing any one t
speak until Mr.. Okin had rendered
statement explaining his reasons fo'
resigning, the object of the meeting.
Mr.. Okin then, after explaining wha
part he had In calling the meeting, SAID
that when he presented his resignation
to the board he expressly stated thai
Ii was with the intention of having tht
board call a meeting of the assocla-
ton and have his resignation actee
upon by the association, and not by
board of directors who were opposed
TO him. Concerning his reasons for his
action, he said:
1.-The reason l sent in my resignation as
president of the association was because !
could never get a resolution adopted by the
board OF directors which the doctors e4
their wives did not like. There had beer
considerable mismanagement In the arnlrf
OF the old hospital. When 1t was to be
razed to make room for the new building. Il
suggestion was made that the then super
iptendent be held by the association until
the new building was completed, ana pay
her half of the salary she was receiVins
when the old building was in use. | pro-
tested against doing so, as we did not
know whether she would be able to man
age the new institution, and wanted TO
have her let go. But the doctors had q ma
ioritY. ard my suggestion was turned
down. Two nurses were also kept after the
old building was RACED, on the ground that
they were needed in the dispensary that
was to be conducted while the new build
ing was in course of construction. but as
II was open only two hours q day. | did not
see the necessity of keeping two of them.
The balance OF the time they were sent
out by the doctors TO sick homes, and the
money, l understand, was paid to the doc
tors.
Mrs. Edward Prokocimer, OF 30S Fiji
teenth avenue, complained TO me that SIS
had been collected of ner by one of the
doctors, and none of 1t was turned into the
association, although the association VAS
paying the nurses a salary. This is only
one instance where such a thing was re-
ported to me, This fact the doctors have
not denied.
Regarding the management OF the old
hospital, I can say but little. one woman
was sick in it, the result of n trolley acct
dent, and lay In the ward until she was
willing to pay the doctor $50. He took her
In a carrfage to the West Side Trust Com
pany. where she drew ont the money. An
other case was that of Il man who was in
the hospital, and he was told that ne
would have TO pay the doctor 800 for treat
lnent. / heard that the mans wife touk
his watch and pawned 1t for St7 and gave II
to the doctor. Tile matter was then
brought to the attention Of the executive
committee and he refunded the money, anu
the matter was squasheG. Other similar
cases were brought 10 my lttcrtiOr
IF we had only one bed In the hospital
open and n poor man and a rich one should
apply for II, which do you think the doc
tors would receive? Therefore, you can
should not be In the hands of the doctors,
but laymen who will recognize charity be-