The San Francisco call., 1908-11-07
BUSINESSMAN FOR
HEAD OF HOSPITAL
Mayor Favors Appointment of
Layman to Take Charge of
City Institution
Board of Health Divided Over
important Matter and Conn
promise May Take Time

What, put a layman over a phys
the board of health to Mayor Taylor
when the latter very plainly expressed
his view that the proposed $2.000.000
city and county hospital should have
at its head a competent businessman
instead of a doctor as its warden.
Certainly" replied the mayor, HIM
self physician of note. What the
city will need to manage the institu-
tion will be good hotelman. The
warden should be an executive. His
duties are altogether different from
those of a surgeon or physician.
and it is rare to find among the ranks
of the profession a man who is dis
tinguished both as an executive and for
his professional attainments.
But II you put in a layman," pro-
tested Ophuls, what warrant have we
that he will not be interfering with
the work of the physicians and nurses?
That would be intolerable."
WANT AN EXECUTIVE
Simply this responded one of the
supervisors present at the conference.
that we don't expect to find first
class executive man to manage the
hospital on its hotel side and at the
same time pick up a fellow with no
HOIS6 SSHSG- vi COuISe, TIE IldHdSc-
ment of the patients will be left en-
tirely to the physicians. But to my
mind it is equally plain that the man
agement of the institution, which will
be nothing but a big hotel for sick
people, should be in the hands of
businessman who understands the busi-
ness"
The above interchange of views took
place at the mayors Office at a recent
Dr To vi oil
of the supervisors and the physicians
of the board of health, and was the
elimination of a controversy that has
been quietly going on for some time
among the departments concerned.
DR.. Ophuls said yesterday that the
matter would probably be taken up at
next Mondays meeting of the board of
health. Under the charter that com
mission has the choice of the wardens
at all the city hospitals, and it so hap
pens that each of these is now in the
hands of a physician.
The supervisors finance committee
cursorily touched on the subject yes
terday and made plain the opinion of
it's members that the hospital should
have an efficient business manager
Pollok remarked jocularly in passing
that he supposed that would be "the
job for him." he had been connected
with the management of the Palace
and the ST. Francis. The committee
was in earnest, however, in it's recon-
mendation that the warden of the pro-
posed hospital should be a man chosen
solely for his executive ability. The
health boards management of nearly
all it's institutions has on the financial
side incurred the criticism of the COM
mittee time and again.
HEALTH BOARD DIVIDED
Drs. Ophuls. Huntington and Man
ming of the health board. IT is under
stood, favor the appointment of a pro-
fessional man, while the attitude of
Billiard. Wilson, Hillyer and McLaugh-
lin is understood to favor a purely
business choice. The lay members of
the board have usually deferred to the
professional minority, the bubonfc
plague campaign and most of the COM
missions work being of a character
to impel such reliance, but the mayors
backing and the expressed sympathy
of the supervisors will probably
strengthen them in insisting on a lay
man's appointment.
While none of the officials concerned
would yesterday admit that any par
ticular choice was In mind for the
place. 1t Is probable that Superintend-
ent Wollenberg of the relief home and
.infirmary will be the selection. VOL
lenberg's management has been praised
by the members of both boards and
by the mayor as exceptionally able and
successful. No criticism has been ex-
pressed of DR.. DORIS professional serv-
ices while at the head of the Ingleside
institution. but the supervisors at least
have not regarded his business acumen
with favor.
The cheaper grades Of coats are