The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-25
URGES COUNC|LTO
ACCEPT HOSPITAL
Subcommittee Reports Favorably
on Plan to Acquire and
Enlarge Memorial.
FINAL ACTION ON FRIDAY
Questions Of Administration and
Maintenance Cause Tenn
Porary Hitch.

! bcspIte report by the subcommit-
tee recommending the proposition as
one meriting acceptance by the city.
the Council Committees on Relic, Of
tho Poor and Finance. in joint meeting
last night, declined 10 take Immediate
action on the proposal to take over
tho present Memorial Hospital from
inc Charlotte Williams Hospital Cor
poration. witch now controls IL. 4
number OF committee members were
opposed to proceeding furthec with
| the matter without more information
In regard to the cost OF maintenance
and enlargement.
! Following two hours OF discussion
the committee adopted a motion offered
by DR.. c M. Miller. appointing tho
chairman ot the committees which
| nave the matter in hand a committee
oi Two 10 confer with the Charlotte
Wiiiiams Corporation and the City
| attorney touching the question OF CON
| .foi ana administration. The commit
zee vas instructed to report at a joint
! meeting to be held next Friday night
Owners VIII Give Up Control.
Tho question OF control. which
proved the stumbling block at a. pre-
! 'ious meeting of the committees called
to consider the adviaahility of the
requirement by the city Of the Me-
moral Hospital property. was practi-
aolusted lset night. E. l.. Bemiss.
OF the Charlotte Williams HospItai
corporation. stated to the committee
that the present owners would be will
ing TO enter Into an Arrangement
which, while insuring them some voice
IN the management of the institution.
would at the same time place the city
in absolute control
pTouositiopc
IL acquired by the city. under the di
rection OF committee consisting Of
| from seven to eleven members rho
majority OF which should be appoint
ca By the city government met with
numerous objections. and no recon-
ihehoa'iohs were made. 1t was point
ed out by several members thar to
place this institution IN the hands OF
a special board would In effect amount
10 encroachins upon the functions re-
served for the new Administrative
Board. which was designed to take
care OF just such matters. Jacob Inn
iauf vigorously opposed the special
board plan as illegal under the amend
cd city character. and insisted that the
new Administrative Board was the
oody 10 take active charge OF the ad-
I min,stra1lon OF the hospital
1 Question of Cost Up.
Next TO the question OF control, that
OF the cost of charging ire present
3 building TO the dimensions demanded
oF the needs OF the city. as we'll as
the expense of maintenance, was tho
most debated. On the point OF the
cost OF the annex there was decided
diUerence of opinion. The subcommit-
I Tee appended to its report estimates
furnished by Building Inspector II. p.
: 6eck which placed the cost OF tho
extension at about 100000. Figures
I n
{ oy number OF Richmond architects
estimated the cost OF the annex at
from $4,000 TO slls.ooo.
me tentative plans submitted by
me architects to Dr. Johnston. said
MT Beck. would. with minor modif-
cations. be acceptable TO the ONCE of
The Building Inspector. He Insisted,
noweVer, that building constructed
IN accordance with the specifications
laid down would cost nearer 5000, 600
than the sil6.0e0. which was the high
est bid OF the contractors. The pres
cnt building, he said. was erected at
cost OF sls3.aoo b. the same con-
tractor who now offered to build the
ahhSN' winch VIII be 20 per cent. larg-
er. for only $4,000.
MT Beck presented his opinion in
the form of a communication. which
was attached to the subcommittee's
report 1t recommended as preferable
10 the requirement and enlargement Of
the Memorial Hospital the building
! Of an entirely new structure In an
ether part of the city. Touching the
Cost OF the proposed annex. the report
read:
After considering the various pro-
losals submitted TO your committee I
iail TO see how il is possible for a
! greater size fre-proof building TO be
, erected for less amount of money
| than was expended on the present non
hreproof wing. and in all earnestness I
do not see how 1t is possible for your
committee to make any comparison
between my original estimates and
the contractors estimates based upon
! such incomplete data as the contrac-
tors undoubtedly inquired on.
AT the same time trust your hon
orable committee will not forget that
ali entirely new hospital in a suita BILE
location may be erected and equipped
at cost approXimating $1,000 per bed.
ard that this total cost will hardly en-
ceed the amount necessary to extend
| and remodel the present Memorial
HOSPITAL so as TO increase its capacity
to take care of emergencies and future
growth.
Fnvors Central Location.
DR.. George Ben Johnston explaine ed
the architects drawings for the annex
"hieh ne thouGht could be constructed
a cost considerably below the esti-
mate of the Building Inspector. He
was opposed for a number of reasons
I" the project OF building a city hos
pital in the suburbs or in an outlytng
section of the city.
Such location. he said. would ne
cessitate long hauls 70: injured per-
sons. since most accidents happen in
the conEested business and manufac-
turing districts. There would be cor
rcspondingly long hau!s for all hos
Z pital supplies and greater inconven-
fence for attending physicians. The
needs of the city, he thought. demand
ed that the municipal hospital be sit
uated within easy access of the dense
" populated districts
Objections along the same line were
offered by DR.. c. NJ Miller, who asked
that the committea yota dou,n NV