Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-01
Predicts Regret of Action.

In opposing the recommendations of the
committee, Mr.. Edison predicted that the
Board of Trade would regret it's action
! and that it would lose prestige with Con-
gress. He declared that the cooperative
plan whereby private and government
| charity work is carried on in hospitals
| in this city and elsewhere is bound to
so.
Col. Myron NJ. Parker said that if he
had been member of the board Of chart
ties and had continued along the same
path for ten or twelve years while the
rest Of the community was against the
plan Of the board he would take another
tack. He said he had been told by men,
bers of Congress that the appropriations
for the hospitals would soon be allowed.
r. Southland Parker said:
II have been associated in the manage
ment of Columbia Hospital for Women
for a number of years, and I want to ex-
press my approval of and my gratifica-
ton at the report of the committee. In
view of the past and present record OF
this hospital, / doubt If In the history
of charity bestowed there could be found
a more judicious and beneficent use OF
money. There might be economy. as
has been stated. in closing Columbia, but
that could be said of any charity. We
do not want to begin ecOnomfzing on the
suffering.
"a little over a dollar a day provides
a bed, board. careful nursing and skilled
medicinal attendance at the Columbia
Hospital. 1t would be better to abandon
the board of charities than to close the
wards there and better, far better, that
the Municipal Hospital should be hope
never to be realized than that 1t should
be built on the ruin of the Columbia
Hospital.
George NJ. Evans and Dr. Thorn Will
liams also took part in the discussion.
The report of the committee and its
recommendations, which were approved,
were in part as follows:
Report Of the Committee.
whether or not the policy Of COM
plete separation Of pubic and private
medical charities is wise, your committee
does not feel called upon to attempt to
decide Much is to be said in favor OF
the position taken by the board Of chart
ties. On the other hand. eminent authori,
ties on this subject, among whom may
be mentioned DIR. Potter. for some time
connected with the department of finance
in the city Of New York, and DIR. Gold
| water, consulting supervisor Of hospital
construction in New York city. have ex-
pressed themselves to the contrary. Ac-
cording 10 the official reports OF the
United States census bureau, publisned In
1904 public appropriations for the sup
port Of private hospitals are made In
forty states of the Union and In SIX
OF the Canadian provinces.
while most of the members of your
committee are not connected with the
medical profession, some of them are
and the opinions of the physicians on
your committee as well as the views OF
many of the other most eminent medical
practitioners in the District Of Columbia
are that more effective work can be ac-
complished in the treatment of maternity
| and genealogical cases in a hospital
making this peculiar work a specially
| and where pay patients as well as free
patients are treated. with the high char.
| acter of specialists in daily attendance
at such an institution. than could pos.
sibly be done in a municipal hospital
| for free patients solely or in any general
| hospital admitting both males and fe.
males not making a speciality Of such
cases. That this is the view of the med.
| ical profession in this District seems tt
| be evidenced by the fact that the Wash.
ington Obstetrical and genealogical So.
ciety and the District Medical Society
have both within the last few weeks
| placed themselves squarely upon record
as opposed to the position of the board
| of charities and as in favor OF the reten-
| ton Of the Columbia and Emergency
| hospitals.