The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1913-06-10
DOES NOT WANT
: A SAN|TARIUM
Morris Plains People VigOr-
Ously Protest.

That Morris Plains does not want
the Coots Sanitarium company to To-
cate in the town must have been evil
dent to the state board of health on
Friday after hearing on the appli-
cation to locate tuberculosis hos
pital on the McCurdy place. The
meeting was held in Firemen's hall
and was we'll attended. Protests We're
received not only from individuals but
from the township committees of Han
over and Morris as we'll as the board
OF health and boards of education of
the two townships in which Morris
Plains is locaed.
John H. Capstick, president of the
state board of health, presided over
the hearing. Other members of the
state board present We're Dr. Jacob
C. Price and DR.. Richard G. Newton.
DR.. A. c. Hunt, state sanitary and
medical inspector; DR.. R. B. FitzRan-
dolph, state inspector of foods and
drugs, and Chief Clerk Charles j..
{ Merrell, were present.
Conover English, counsel for Miss
Catherine Coots, hte protector of the
sanitarium, was the first speakeT,
presenting a statement fayoring the
hospital explaining it's aims and or
ganization and handing up to the
! lard letters testifying to Miss Coots
ability to conduct such an establish
ment. He also handed up resolutions
passed by the County Medical society
to the effect that a tuberculosis sani-
tarium properly run was not a menace
to a community. Special attention
would be given, said Mr.. English, to
children suffering with tuberculosis
of the bones.
Edward K. Mills was the first
speaker against the location. He nor
any of the other speakers against
the scheme had any criticism of Miss
Coots, their remarks were all against
the location of the sanitarium. SEN
ator Mills asserted that the location
selected was a poor one, in the CEN
ter of a growing community, within
500 feet of the railroad station, 600
feet of the post office and less than
1000 feet of practically all of Morris
Plains stores. The trolley is ON two
sides of the property and new houses
are being located on all Sides. The
brook running through the property,
he declared ,emptied into the Pater-
son water supply after passing
through Morristown. Cesspools only
oFe in use on the proposed property.
Morris Plains, too, was really a part
of Morristown, for, as a suburb, 1t
was the home of many people who
do business in Morristown.
-, Another point brought by Senator
Mills was that the projectors had not
applied for permission to the local
board of health and he then handed
otc rim hadiae, nf
Morris and Hanover townships.
David F. Barkman protested as a
property owner at the Plains. He
considered the sanitarium detrimental
to people who had purchased lots
from him and made the point that
there was danger in its operation for
the state recognized it by requiring
such place to get a license.
DIR. Mark Scott asserted he had pa
tents at Morris Plains who We're op-
posed to the locating of the sani-
tarium there. He also asserted that
only ten members of the county soci-
ETY. had voted for the resolutions
handed in by Miss Coots' attorney.
Dr. James Douglas spoke against
the scheme in the interests of his pa
tients, asserting that the only point
against it to his mind was that of
location.
DIR Clifford Mills told of the pro-
ceedings at the Medical society meet
ing and told of the offer of Freder-
ick G. Burnham of a tract of land at
Morris Plains to the Morristown Anti
tuberculosis society for use as a sani-
tarium and how the offer was refused
) when it was found the location was
undesirable.
Frank e. Tilton, supervisor of Han
ssSser township schools, asserted it an
7inj1stice to have the sanitarium To-
Gated in the midst of the community.
Representing citizens who have large
interests at Morris Plains, Gordon E.
Sherman entered protest against
the location. He told of the expert
ence of Morris Plains in past years
with the state hospital and the coun-
ty aims house and later the county
tuberculosis hospital. He asserted
that there were engineering difficult
ties that made the proper sanitation
of the McCurdy property impossible.
He raised a constitutional point to
the effect that the state board had no
right to locate such a place within
a community that was united in it's
protests against it, being against the
policy of local self-government. Prop
erty values would go down and people
cease to go to the Plains if the sani-
tarium was permitted to locate at
Morris Plains, Mr.. Sherman declared.
''If these people locate here the
property owners might just as Well
deed their property over to Miss
Coots,' declared Robert H. Granniss,
jr., "for no one would care to stay
hare"
Roy L. Shaffer, supervisor of Nor
Iris township schools, protested against
the location because of the fearful
sshSinm that goes with an institution
~ the kind and he asked the board
to keep Morris Plains clean, healthy
place.
AS the father of family Thomas
D. Leonard protested, declaring his
children run about the neighborhood
and he wanted to feel that they We're
safe from contagion if they went to
the post office or stores. He pointed
out the disadvantages of the location
including the distances from the cep-
ter of the village and from the school
houses. AS member of the board
of managers of the county tuber-
culosis hospital he assured the state
board that the county institution was
going to do all it could for the poor
of Morris county, suffering with the
dfcoaco Ho did mt think IL fair tn