The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-04-26

this meeting that public necessity
demands the immediate erection of
a hospital for contagious diseases
and that the city of Mankato should
take the initiative in securing a site
and necessary building"
This motion was made by DR.. J.
w. Andrews at the meeting held last
night to discuss the necessity for
such an institution and the possibil-
ity of securing one. There were
present Representatives from the va
rious wOmen's clubs, Professor j. A.
Hancock of the normal school, Pro
fessor J. r. Brandrup of the Com
mercial college, Mayor Taylor and
Benedict Bangerter, Jr., of the city
commission, several physician, in,
Guiding DR.. A. E. Sohmer, the city
health officer, and Rev. Father
Hughes and Rev. Father Hartman of
the two Catholic churches.
Necessity of Hospital. :.
Mrs. J. w. Andrews acted as
chairman of the meeting and said:
81 think we need not discuss the
necessity of a hospital for contagious
diseases because we know that there
is such great need for one. There
are many students in the city who
need care for diseases of this sort.
and we have met here this evening
to talk it over and decide what can
be DONE DR.. Sohmer was called
upon, and in his remarks said that
there were many people in the city
who did not understand the neces'
sity for it and the work which will
be done by it. "As a city we have
certain advantages p but also certain
obligations. The city must give the
individual chance. Contagious dis
eases are not transmitted through
the air but only by contact. The
only way, then, to take care OF
cases of such sickness in order to
prevent the spread Of contagious is
to isolate. the patient. If, the out-of,
town students who are attending
schools in this city contract a con
tagious disease here there is no
place for them to be cared for. The
only way to control a contagious dis
ease is to control the person having
the disease. The patients will nat
urally have to pay the bills, but we
must have a place to put them
Views of Mayor TAYLOR.
Mayor Taylor spoke as follows:
'The proposition has been. before
the public for some time but has
been shifted about. One year a
detention hospital was kept in West
Mankato, and the people objected to
the proximity of such building. 1t
is hard to do anything to prevent
the people from destroying such a
property. There is, too, the question
of finance. The city is badly in
need OF such a hospital, but it is
badly in need of a city hall. The
present building is a poor excuse Tor
a city hall in city like Mankato
But do not think that there is a
man on the commission but who
would be in favor of having such a
hospital"
DR.. Holman spoke first of the de-
stroying of the buildings which have
been used formerly He said that
those buildings had been of such
kind as to invite destruction. The
sort of a building as should be IN
Mankato should have modern CON
veniences, water, sewerage ana So
forth It should be an antiscptlc hos
pital and a good building. 1t should
be conveniently located and should
be known as hospital for con
tagious diseases. The present city
tax rate is high, but he does not see
that that is an argument against
what we should have.
Prejudice Must Be Overcome.
Mrs. J. H. James said: cit is a
curious thing to me how preJudlced
and suspicious people are about such
a thing. They are not AFRAID 10
have some one sick with a conta
gious disease in a private house next
door to them, yet, if patient were
moved to a stable on the same
premises, which had been arranged
for hospital, they would immedla'e'
ly protest. In common decency we
ought to provide place for students
who contract contagious and VINO
bring to the city hundreds OF dollars
every year. But, the point is Where
should it be putt 1t should be a
place of easy access"
Rev. Father Hughes felt that peo'
pie would perhaps be more interest
ed in such hospital for more
selfish point of view, would rather
look upon it a.; necessity Tor the
people who are residents, of the city,
than as a place for students to be
cared for only. He said that the
first thing to do is to impress upon
the people the need of the hospital.
After that there would be little diff
ficulty in security funds for its build
ing. The. state probably could be In
terested in building OF this kind,
to prevent the carrying of disease
out of the city. @ I4...
Would Not Fear Hospital.
DR.. J. w. Andrews summarized the