New-York tribune., 1908-06-26
MORE HOSPITAL BEDS
REPORT ON FUTURE NEED.
Charities did Committee Discovers
Freak Formulation Grozcth.

some freaks in the growth OF population IN the
Borough Of Manhattan are brought out in the re-
cent report of the standing committee on hospitals
of the States Charities Aid Association, following
an investigation which sought TO produce remedies
FOR the present haphazard ambulance and hospital
service OF the city.
Some of the provisions for the future advocated
by the committee are based a report compiled
by the association IN connection with the work OF
the standing committee. This latter report shows
that while the borough whole has grown enor-
nousIy in population I'm the last quarter century.
the population in Of the old ward divisions
has decreased In this time, of the six wards
showing decrease amounting to all OF z per
cent. four below Canal street. and the two
others Just above it the west side OF the CITY
This decrease is due the extension Of business.
the sole residents of whole blocks being only the
tanitors of office and business buildings. The old
uptown wards have shown growth as phenorn-
enal as the falling off in the lower part OF the
city increasing 80 per cent. in Twenty-Five years.
while the district between Hth and 10Th streets
has remained almost stationary
Based partly on the results OF this investigation
the standing committee SAYS that by 1870 5.SI%
additional hospital beds will be required f'n1er-
gency hospitals to for the increased needs OF
the city are recommended TO he built at fourteen
ponts Bv the end of the next twe<ye years these
bosnitsIs or emergency relief stations will have
to be replaced the report says, by larger struc-
tures Two hundred beds will be needed on the
lower East Side near the Bowery and Sprins
STR
lem Hospital and 300 more will have TO he ADDED
+o .ara for those sent TO the new Coney Island
rTospital One hundred beds. the report says, VIII
be needed to replace the suggested anouIahc7
stations near Flushing avenue ana Broah"sS'
Borough Park and Newton. and the same numoer
- -, ,;l1 have tn be added to the New Ford
han, Hospital Cumberland street Hospital ana
4bA n.v Bradford Street Hospital
The fllflnnent Of the plan would mean an aver
az. annual increase OF Z75 beds in the next tNeiVe
81
years but the report SAYS that the suessSeu p.o
cedure would give the most ehie'7'''
lowest possible cost .~
II is also recommended in the report 'nat s'ep
he taken Immediately TO procure hospital SITES i
all the outlying districts where land may no" o7
ob+sined AT a reasonable rate. Five ambulance OF
,sr.1,1- stations are needed ar once. says the
ranor+ The sites suggested for these stations are
ss follows: -,
retveen the Manhattan ends OF the broohE.
and Manhattan bridges. TO the south ana edsI u
Chatham Square: middle West Side. near tne eHi
.-1-s,is e,s+ion about halfway between New YORK
and Roosevelt hospitals; 120th street and East
River on or near the old Harlem Hosp'Ca' 3'-'
Rrnoklyn near Flushing avenue ara BroauNaS'
and South Brooklyn. between Bath sea- JO''-.7'-
and Ocean Parkway in the Borough PARK dis'rlct-
-ross which will he needed by 1870 IL is suggest
ed should be placed at or near Auduooh ~ raih
or fust north Of II; at the Bowery ana SpIIe
near Kfnssbridge. in The Bronx IN Nliialie'
,.ar Williamsburg Park: Bath Beach: IN 'he
-o,,+barn mart of the WaverIy district, between
p.r,ee, avAnue and Rockaway Parkway; IN west
arr, Jamaica in Woodlavn or Richmond Hlii' a.
Rockarsv Reach and one in Richmond on the
South Shore. near Red Bark
It IS recommended that a hospital TO contain noL
more than 500 beds be erected at each END OF
BlacEweIrs Island the intervening space 10 De
devoted TO park after the removal OF the aims
house and penal institutions. This central space
amounting to perhaps three-quarters OF tne areo
of the island could also be used. as the future
demanded for additional hospital pavilons
Concerning the recent plans for enIarsins beite-
vue Hospital the report says
The present plan as approved by the CITY aG-
+horities uDou which construction has rIlAOe SoIs
n-oeress provides for ample allowance OF
floor space and cubic air space for two tIouS ,fr %
bAds If fl were possible 10 reduce TINS nuInoSF
sonewhat-say to sixteen hundred oeds-E VI
ont irpafring the value of the plan as a W!loLe'
ard Win a view 70 expeHding the amount so
saved in the erection Of other hospitals etseWHeE
We believe that such step would pe "i7e -, ~
cannot be too strongly stated however inaI Ine
total number Of additional beds needed IN Mai-
hsrtau and The Bronx by 1912 Will be largely IN
excess of sixteen hundred. We are OF the op1nlon-
however that beyond enlargtng Bellevue 20 SIX
teen hundred beds the excess should De lsccateu
preferably elsewhere than at 26th street ana the
East River.
Homer Folks. Commissioner Of Charities under
Nayor Low is secretary Of the committee The
report is now being considered by the city Off
cfaIs interested. and probably will lead to con-
ference between them and some Of the leading
physicians of the city.