Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-13
,ng recommendation against such a
\.
An Economy Measure.

plan.
An Economy Measure.
DIR. kober argued that the establish
ment Of a municipal hospital would re-
suit in ultimate economy for the gov
eminent. even though the initial cost
might be great. He quoted the cost at
Freedmen's Hospital and Washington
Asylum Hospital to show that the gov
eminent could conduct hospital
said that in recent years the govern
ment had appropriated $4,000 to aid in
the construction and Improvement Of
local private hospitals, and that not one
of these hospitals could show forty adj
ditional beds for the poor because Of
these appropriations. He said that this
money had gone in handsome marble
stafrcases and operating rooms. etc. He
praised the work of the Emergency Hos
pital, and admitted that that institution
had not put any money into marble
stairways or other adornments. But he
said the Emergency was now going the
way OF the rest, and was asking the
government for 100000 to aid in con-
structing handsome hospital. He said
that the board Of charities believed the
government should not appropriate
100000 for any of the voluntary hos
pitfalls, and that it should control its
hospital work just as it did other gov
ernmental activities.
DIR. Kober said he had suggested it
would have been a graceful thing for
the Emergency Hospital to do to divide
its assets, now that it's building had
been condemned by the government, be-
tween the George Washington and
Georgetown University hospitals. with
the idea that those hospitals should take
over the emergency work or the D1strict.
Makes a Recommendation.
That was as far as he went in agree
ment with DIR. Carr. however. for DR..
Borden recommended that the Chamber
Of Commerce should not advocate an
appropriation Of 100000 to. aid the
Emergency Hospital in the erection of a
new building, but that the emergency
work of the District should be turned
over to the George Washington and
Georgetown University hospitals. He
pointed out that these hospitals were
centrally located and were well fitted in
every way to undertake this work now
performed by the Emergency Hospital
He charged that the representatives of
the Emergency Hospital were seeking to
establish a general hospital under the
name OF an emergency hospital, and
were seeking to obtain all the emergency
work to the exclusion OF the other hos
pitfalls here.
Il do not believe in subsidized medi-
He said the Emergency Hospital had sue
ceeded in preventing the other hospitals
from competing for emergency work in
the District. and that II continued do
Ing So ~, ,anro.n,.,, ,,ss % -. rn,.r
gcncy Hospital replied that instead of cut.
ting of the other hospitals from
emergency work, the other hospitals were
trying to do away with the very existence
OF the Emergency Hospital, and that DR..
Kober and DR.. Borden of the Georgetown
and George Washington University hos
pitfalls, respectively. had already begun
to figure on spending the money of the
Emergency Hospital even before that in
stitution was out OF existence.
Chides Fellow-Physicians.
DIR. Thorn Williams. an advocate. lie
said, OF none of the particular PROPOSE
tions advanced. declared that physicians
| here should not charge that politics
would play an undesirable part In ap.
pointments in a municipal hospital In
view of the favoritism which had In the
past influenced appointments in volun,
| tary hospitals in this city. He said thai
| the Cook County Hospital in Chicago, one
OF the greatest in the country. was 9
municipal hospital. and that 1t was EN-
| GENTLY and economically conducted. HI
| added that II 1t was necessary pay bedl
could be placed In a municipal hospita
| and such patients as could afford to pay
a part Of the cost Of their treatment.
| The plan for q municipal hospital al
suggested by the board Of charities wal
strongly advocated by DR.. George H. Kob
or. In reply to the criticism that he vas mol
practical medical man. DR.. Kober said
that for twenty-five years he had beer
IN ective medical practice before takins
l up the work OF the board Of charities and
| the Georgetown University Hospital. He
said that when he had become member
of the board Of charities he had believed
as do the physicians now opposing the
establishment of a municipal hospital
but that he had been converted by the
| to their views. He said that they lock.
| ed at the matter from . practical busi.
ness standpoint and that they believed
the state should take care OF those pa.
ana no relatives - care fsr then. q