Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-13

lish a municipal hospital to do all this
work: and. second, should the govern
ment appropriate 100000 to aid in the
construction Of a new Emergency Hos
pital building. or should the Emergency
Hospital be allowed to die. now that the
government has condemned its present
site. and the emergency work of the Dis
trlct be turned over to George Wash
ington and Georgetown University hos
pitfalls.
Divergent Views Expressed.
The representatives OF the Emergency
Hospital who attended the hearing in
considerable force. were strongly opposed
TO the construction of a great municipal
hospital and also to having their institu-
tion pass out Of existence.
The representatives of the George
Washington University Hospital opposed
the construction of a municipal hospital,
and were in favor of allowing the Emer-
gency Hospital to die a natural deaf 1
and have the emergency work given to
George Washington and Georgetown.
The representatives OF the board OF
charities favored. first. the construction
of a municipal hospital. and. second, tie
tai. and the division of the work of that
hospital between the George Washington
University and the Georgetown Universe
ty hospitals.
IN Inc TRIANGULAR OueI, therefore,, the
Emergency Hospital received the fire of
both the other parties. while the others
had at least one common ground Of de-
Tense and attack.
DR.. George Kober was before the COM
miftee In a dual role. as the medical men,
Der of the board Of charities, and also
as the dean of the Georgetown Unive. Sity
Medical School
Committee Defers Action.
The hearing. which began at o'clock,
lasted nearly five hours. The subcom-
mittee decided at the end Of this time
that ii needed still further information
before 1t could decide the questions in
volved. The representatives Of the vari-
Gus organizations did not hesitate to
speak their III minds mind plainly: several
Gates Of the Emergency Hospital charged
openly that the board of charities and
the Georgetown and George Washing
ton hospitals had combined to put the
Emergency Hospital cut Of busin> IS. the
others alleging that the Emergency
Hospital was endeavoring to establish
a general hospital. and also to eliminate
all other hospitals from the emergency
DR.. w. p. Carr. acting president of the
Emergency Hospital staff, opened the
argument He attacked first the po-
sition of the board of charities that the
q
care for all the INDECENT sick in the Dis
trict would be more economical than the
present plan Of co-overating with the
private hospitals. The cost Of caring for
here he gave as follows: Freedmens.
which is q government, hospital, LOS;
Columbia. $40; Garfield. $1.J0; George
Washington University Hospital: $40:
Emergency. $50: Naval Hospital, $1.OS.
and the Washington Asylum Hospital
and Tuberculosis Hospital, between 70
cents and 81 q day.
Government Pays 81 a Day.
Under the present plan of government
appropriation for the local hospitals the
government pays 81 day for the care
of PATIENTS In the various institutions,
the hospitals making up the rest Of the
cost from their other sources of rev.
enue.
Dr. Carr contended it would be impos-
sibe for the government to maintain a
suitable municipal hospital, with branch
first aid stations throughout the city for
emergency cases at less expense than
81 a day for each patient. which is the
present cost to the government. At the
Washington Asylum Hospital and the Tu-
berculosis Hospital, both government in
stitutions, he said the class of patients
made 1t possible for comparatively
gardens. etc, helped to reduce the ex
pense In these institutions.
DIR. Carr declared that political pull
WAS bound to enter into any large gov
eminent hospital, SO far as the appoint
ments were concerned, and that it would
work to the detriment of the hospitai.
lie said IL the government would con-
tribute 5000 for the erection Of new
Emergency Hospital, the citizens would
nut up the other $4,000 necessary. He
denied the statement by the board OF
charities that the practice of co-opera-
tive work between the government and
private hospitals was dying out in all
parts Of the country and the straight
municipal hospital was being substituted.
mentioning many hospitals in New York
which now care for government cases
and receive appropriations annually for
IN Baltimore. which receives $4,000 an
nually from the state OF Maryland.
Or. Carr said that Washington is
poorly supplied with hospitals now. and
that to do away with the Emergency
Hospital would be a calamity, and that
crowded most of the time. could not take
up the work.
Regarded as Expensive System.
DIR. James Dudley Morgan declared that
the establishment of a big municipal hos
pital with frst-aid stations about the city
would cost the government much more
than does the present plan.
That the board OF charities was COM
posed OF a physician not, now In active
practice-Dr. Kober-and OF lawyers and
business men who know nothing abou,
ing for the sick was the statement made
by Dr. s. Barnes Hooe, who said he at