New-York tribune., 1912-04-05
NEED GROWS WITH CITY
Department of Charities Asks a
Big Appropriation.
DRUMMOND TELLS DEFECTS
Commissioner Says Work Must
Fall Behind Unless Facilities
Are Increased.

Commissioner Michael j. Drummond is
asking the Board OF Estimate for over
| S, ,0oo, 600 Of corporate stock for the Depart
ment OF Charities In 1918. He will ask for
more money for maintenance for next year,
too. To The Tribune reporter who wanted
to know just what are the most urgent
needs OF the department the Commissioner
| said:
This department has never received In
any one year enough for its necessities
We can't keep abreast OF actual need; we
merely temporize. II we had city that
didn't grow, | suppose We should eaten up,
but We must go behind unless we can keep
| increasing our facilities.
| What are the special reasons why we want
more money? Every hospital we have Is
special reason. | could talk to you till
night about what we need and haven't got,
| but shall let you go and see the places
| for yourself"
Armed with the necessary letter and pass,
! the writer found DR.. Walter II. Conley at
the Metropolitan Hospital on Blackwelrs
Island. Dr. Conley was more specific in his
explanation OF Just what is wanted and not
bit less emphatic.
| TO DeEln WltIl, lie cdlu, We h"'
| low wages that We can't get competeh'
employees or enough OF them TO 90 the
work" He spoke OF 400 changes having
been made in one year recently TO Keep
!. 200 places filled Imagine what 1t is 10
have TO do the work with the kind OF peo-
ple who change six times year" said the
doctor. I'VE pay them only $40 or sl2
month and their living. and some WORK lor
living only What class Of helper gets such
nav? Well they are the people VINO 90
| two-thirds OF the work. They are employed
in the laundry. the boiler house, the dining
rooms and kitchens. and ABOUT the sF'"i'd8
and some help in the wards
ALREADY this year We have broken iast
Years record for the largest numpef VI
patients on any one day. There mas oeen
an increase of seventy-one patients, but no
more people TO care for them. Wheh our
new dormitory for women employees ID
opened the quarters they now occupy Will %
turned into wards and we will have still
mara 10 look after Next year we VIII
nrobably have $50 or 1890 patients ana
we must have more help.
'It isn't iust employees, though, thar we
have TO think about. This oulldins hae
,een here for fifty years. and until a snort
I. ,,,,. ago nobody paid much attention 70
renairs Expenses were kept down While
the property detenorated, and now We
have 10 look after many repairs at once
DO YOU know we have rooms in this nos
pItal rooms occupied by patients, where
the nurses have to use common kerosene
lamp? We are going TO have electricity
| soon.
I'VE need a pavilion for children. Now
we have about seventy boys and girls IN
two onc-story wooden shacks. and the chil-
dren who need surgical treatment are put
| into the wards with adults. our general
supplies are scattered all over the place,
and we want store room where these can
he kent until needed. and in the same build
ing we want a dining room for employees
and q kitchen for tho general hospital. The
dining room we are using now is forty
wears old. dilapldated, and not nearly large
enough.
"Another urgent need is a reception build
ing. where newly arrived patients can be
kopt until they are classitled also untll
they have been bathed and q receipt given
to them FOR their clothes. All these things
are absolutely needed to run this institution
properly. The place Is entirely run down.
In the Commissioners statement to the
Board Of Estimate he sets forth the need
OF the general drug department. This de-
partment Is now on ground needed for the
new Bellevue Hospital, in a building too
small to hold its stock. The building was
opened in 1887, since which time the amount
Of drugs distributed has more than doubled
At present the stock is scattered, some on