The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-10
SOON TO ACT ON
HOSPITAL OFFER
City's Acceptance OF Memorial
Will Be Considered at Meet
ing on Monday Night.
QUESTION LONG ON SHELF
Though City Hospital Is Needed,
Opinion Is Divided on Offer
From Board.

To consider the offer made some
months ago to turn over the Memorial
Hospital TO the CITY Under certain con-
dltions. Joint me ting OF the Council
Committees on Relief of the Poor and
Finance has bscu called :or Monday
night at 5 o'clock
The offer OF John l. Williams. pres
ident of the Charlotte Williams Hos
pital Corporation which owns the
Memorial property. was communicated
IL, II. Pollard. Jr., OF the Finance Com
mittee. and referred TO the two COM
mittees Jointly. No meeting has since
been held. nor has the matter been
further officially discussed
The letter OF Mr.. Williams sets forth
that the Charlotte Williams Corpora
ton owns the Memorial Hospital. at
the southeastern corner Of twelfth
and Broad Streets with It's equipment
and grounds; that 1t WAS erected and.
SO far as funds have permitted. has
since been operated as charitable
institution and for this relief OF the
sick and suffering and for the ad-
vancement of medical education.
Condition, Of OTcr.
To, further these ends. the trustees
now propose TO convey the whole
property. worth probably 100000. 10
the city. on the following conditions:
The hospital is 10 be known as the
Memorial Hospital OF the city of Rich
mond; the city is 10 assume debt on
the building amounting TO $4,000 and
Is TO agree to maintain the institution
as Charity hospital, and the control
Is TO be vested in a board OF seven
consisting OF the MAYOR and tn. chair
man of the Finance Committee OF the
City Council, ex onicio. and Ave nzm-
bers. TO be named BY the Charlotte
Cnr-0r1 Ion, 10
self perpetuatins.
Erected in 1908. the hospital has
never been operated as Z money max
ing venture. Tae number OF free beds
has always been larger than the num-
Der of free beds III any other hospital
In the city. even including such ALL
free hospitals as the Sheltering Arms
In recent years the owning corporation
mas leased the building, with It's eqri!p-
ihent, to a number OF physicians. who
nave operAted II approximately at
cost maintaining as many tree beds
as possible. and using the private
rooms for the use OF their own pa
tients.
Modern building.
The building is OF substantial. mod
crn and fire proof construction, com
posed of three connected pavilions
every room opening on the exterior,
and having direct sunshine. Tho walls
are sound proof the steam heating
ventilatinG and lighting arrangement
are modern, and OF the best l.stal.a-
ton There are thiriy-seven private
rooms in the west pavilion. with ac-
commodations for forty-sevcn patients
There are n!nety-two beds IN the SAX
wards, designed for the treatmen, OF
only pay nominal rate. Surgical APP
piiances, laboratories. laundry and full
offices are In the central
building, the kitchens, operating rooms
and other departments being arranged
along the best lines of hispital con-
structioa.
The offer OF Mr.. Williams and his as
sociates TO turn the hospital over to
the city, has provoked much division
of opinion among physicians OF the
city, and storm OF disapproval from
those now practicing at the Memorial,
who desire to see the present arrange
ment continued. While in many ways
the building is admirably arranged for
the purposes OF city hospital. 1t has
been pointed out that 1t is hardly com
pletc. since one or two additional wings
would have TO be supplied for treat
ment of contagious diseases. and more
adequate provision would have to be
made for treatment of coiored people
than the limited space a the Memorial
now affords.
The Committee on Relief of the Poor
is On record as l..vorinG the erection
of new and modern city hospital
along adequate lines, leaving at the
Almshouse only chronic cases such as
do not require Immediate hospital
treatment. In point of location the
Memorial is said to be adequately and
centrally located, especially since the
city has acquired the entire Ford block.
separating II from the City Hall, and
proposes some day to erect there Il
municipal courts building.