The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-12
Miss Bagby, Who Was surpris.
ed by Her Election as Ma
iron, Declines to Accept.
COMMITTEE SEEKS FACTS.
Trying to Find Out What In.
fluences Prompt Her Re-
fusaf of Better Place.

Chairman Graham Hobson has called
"a special meeting of the Council Com
mittee on Relief of the Poor for to-
morrow afternoon at $50 o'clock to
unravel the tangle growing out OF the
selection of Il matron for tho City
Home. The present situation. members
of the committee assert, is unparalleled
in the history of the city--a city em-
ploye has declined election TO an adj
vanced position, paying twice that Of
the position she now holds. Members
of the committee are coHysnced that
there is something back OF DC refusal.
The inquiry may result in some changes
in the methods at the institution and
the establishment of an officers table
for physicians and officers of the home.
a plan advocated several years ago by
DR.. Ennion G. Williams, while a mem
be rof the committee. IL was defeated.
and since that time the matron has
been boarding Sthe ambulance doctors
and officers and head nurses as pri-
vate venture, and 1t is believed that
therein lies the key to the present dit
ficulty.
Picked by House Committee.
Some weeks ago Mrs. MacDougail,
for some years the matron of the City
Home. resigned very suddenly, and the
next day the papers announced her mar
riage Mrs. MacDougall's sister came
to Richmond TO attend the wedding and
assist In her sisters preparations TN
der direction of the Committee on Re-
lief OF the Poor. Superintendent Cabeil,
who was authorized to make tenn
porary appointment of matron, named
the former matron's sister Miss John
son. it being clearly understood that
the appointment was purely temporary.
ha 1t,,t-
matter up and elect a permanent off,
GER for the home.
Monday afternoon the committee
went out to the home on its quarterly
tour OF Inspection. Some one suggest
ed that the selection of inatron be dis
posed of, and superintendent Cabeli
and Steward Hughes highly recon-
mended the incumbent. Miss Johnson.
who mad served aeceptably for several
weeks. bur who had not hitherto been
a resident OF Richmond
The committee however, on nominal
tion OF its House Committee. elected
Miss Ida Bagby. for some time nurse
in the hospital wing OF the institution,
the vote being for Miss Bagby to 8
for Miss Johnson Miss Bagby at FRS,
refused to see the committee appoint
ed TO notify her of her election. but
later met the members and TO their
surprise declined. MISS l3aBDy eS-
planned to Mr.. Umlauf that she had
been informed that the matron was
required TO board the officers of the
institution and the ambulance internes
at SIS month each. and LAT she
would lose money by it.
She was informed that the conduct
of boarding table was purely volun-
tary; that the committee permitted
the matron to make such charge for
boarding officials and physicians. bur
that II she did not care to do so they
would have TO shift for themselves
Declines to Accept.
Miss Bagby then accepted, but yes
terday resigned. to the surprise of the
members. who fear that there is fric-
tion in the institution. and who arc
determined to stamp 1t out.
During the incumbency of the former
superintendent, George b. Davis. he
boarded the officers and internes a his
own table. The city pays no salary to
the ambulance doctors, who are eager
to serve for the experience, but allows
them $50 month each for board. and
also provides their uniforms and fur
nIshes Sthem rooms In the institutions.
For some time It has been an open
question whether the steward should
not operate at the expense of the city
an officers table, for the superintend-
ent and his aides, the head nurses and
physicians. and any members of the
Visiting staff who may be at the home,
AS a makeshift the matron has been
permi tied to take the officers ana
nurses as boarders. and the city has
made a cash allowance to the lnternes
in lieu of board.