The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1912-11-22
The Hospital Proposition.


A meeting of physicians was held
Drs. Buffers and Blanton's offices las
Monday night to hear a proposition Mr.
Bob Craig had to offer for the building
and maintenance of a hospital in UnioI
City, where the advantages of specia
medical and surgical attention can b.
secured without taking our patients tt
Nashville, Memphis or other cities TO
such things.
Mr.. Craig's proposition was that /, 2O(
people be solicited and that number bt
be secured to take the small amount Of
SO each, payable when first installmen'
is made and Sc a year for one and two
years additional. This would give
$4,000 with the first subscription,
$4,000 to be invested in building and
two thousand for maintenance for the
first year. The additional installments,
he calculated, would keep the hospital
running for five years, providing a fund
of Sc, 900 a year. Mr.. Craig proposed
that the subscribers have the advantage
Of treatment at cost for a specified time.
Some discussion was elected, the
physicians all agreeing that his plan was
a good one, but others were offered in
lieu, which were urged to have some
advantages. Finally the agreement
was reached on proposition that Union
City and Obion County needed and
should have a hospital. 1t was also
agreed by those present that an effort
should be made to establish hospital
or infrmary in Union City, and the
most feasible proposition was that shares
be offered for sale at $40 each, and that !
every citizen be allowed to take as many
as desired until subscription of $780,
900 be reached, the building and equip
ment to cost $4,000 and remainder
to be utilized in maintenance, etc., pay
mentS on stock to be made in install
ments. The organization was to be
made a stock company. with the cleo
ton of president and secretary, treas
urer, etc, each shareholder to be allowed
only one vote, makes no difference how
many shares he holds, on all questions
except the election of officers, when the
number of shares will be counted until
a quorum is reached, and so voted.
Now the organizers should also go a
step further and deed the property in
trust to be used for no other purpose
than for a hospital.
All Institutions of public character, t
with public management, have more or {
less downfalls, and there are times when
failure seems imminent. At such times {
as these spectators are looking for
interesting, aud the institu-
ton is allowed to be sold under the
hammer. 1t were better for the city
and all concerned that such au institu-
ton had never been organized. The
better way is to deed the property in
trust to be used for 40 other purpose
than a hospital. Then when bad man
agement comes and goes the hospital
will still be available for rehabilitation
and revived under proper control with
the assistance of the public. Wewould
not blame any citizen for refusing to
take stock in a public enterprise calcu-
lated after few years to sold to few
spectators.
Union City needs and should have a
hospital. There should also be some
place to take care of infected patients in
isolated quarters. This is really needed
more than a place for other patients.
The public is more benefited when in
fictitious diseases are isolated and proper
Iy taken care of. But the physicians
need place where they can have all the
advantages of surgery and nursing, and
the institution should be Of a general
character.
By all means let's have hospital,
but let's have permanent one when it
is instituted.