Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-09
W|THDRAWS OFFER
TO SELL OVERLOOK
Head of Summit Hospital Says
Associations Conditions
Are ProhibitiVe.
Especial to the Evening start

the conditions imposed at the pub
lie meeting ten days ago to consider
the proposition Of purchasing Over
look Hospital were prohibitive, DIR
William H. Lawrence, jr., has with
drawn his offer to the Summit Hos
pital Association to sell the institu-
ton for S125,OOO
The fact that the executive COM
mittee of the hospital association
| had hurriedly called a meeting TO
be held in the Highland Club to-
night led those who endeavored to
| keep in close touch with the hospital
purchase movement to believe there
was something doing" in connec7
| tjon with the project which had not
been on the program. Attempts to
get the proposition from DIR. Law
renee. Rev. Walker w. Gwynne, pas
tor emeritus of Calvary Episcopal
! Church who has been an ardent ad-
yocate of the proposition to pur-
chase the hospital, Rev. Minot c.
Morgan, pastor of the Central Pres
bvterian Church, who was until
few weeks ago president of the hos
pital association. DR. Thomas r..
prout. chairman of the committee of
the local medical society, which also
favored the purchase of the institu-
ton, and others interested IN the
scheme proved futile until today
when DR. Lawrence consented tq
talk.
DR.. Lawrence said.
Not Necessary to Raise $4,000.
Il have withdrawn my offer, made
to the Summit Hospital Association
to sell Overlook Hospital. its equip
ment and property for $4,000, be-
cause | learned that the public SEN
l,a ~
public meeting held February "a inn
posed conditions which are really
prohibitive 1t was not at all neces-
sarv 10 raise S1750O0, as required by
the vote at the public meeting.
II have never heard DIR. Law
renee continued. "of ii being neces-
sary for the successful operation or
maintenance of hospital to frst Sc
cure an endowment fund of $4,000
as required by the action of the pub
lie meeting, to consider the question
of the purchase of this institution.
believe the sum for which offered
to dispose of Overlook Hospital,
s125. 900. to have been a decidedly fair
price, and / do not entertain the
slightest doubt that that amount
could have been raised by public
Subscription I concluded, however,
that to raise $4,000 at this time
would be absolutely out of the ques-
ton and, in justice to myself and to
this institution, I deemed II best to
withdraw my offer, both for the hem
eft of the future of the institution
and myself.
after nearly one year since the
proposition to purchase the. hospital
was taken up, I write Rev. Minot {.
Morgan. then president of the sum
nit Hospital Association, on January
16 that unless something definite was
done by the association or the public,
I should withdraw my offer, Dr
Laurence said Il was persuadedA
however, to await the holding of the
public meeting, which I did. and with
this result" the doctor concluded.
Must Become Public Institution.
Asked as to what, If any, new
plans he had in mind for the future
of the hospital, as it has been stated
athat DIR. Laurence would not continue
individually to conduct the institution
as a semi-public hospital, as at pres
emit the hospital head replied that sit
is not improbable that the hospital
will become a public institution some
time"
That the plan to have Overlook
Hospital purchased by popular sub
scription and operated by the trustees
of the hospital association would fail
was predicted in the report in the
Evening Star of the public meeting.
That there were many substantial
citizens at that meeting who We're OPP
posed to the scheme and who did not
give expression to their views was
known. but 1t was through the par
liamentary maneuvering of former
Councilman Herman De Celding that
the resolution providing for the rails
ing of SITE, 900 and $4,000 additional for
a campaign fund was put through
when it was seen that the proposition
as submitted by the committee of the
hospital association to raise only
lao. 900 was about to be carried.
Those who opposed the requirement
of the institution were confident that
il the amount was made SlT9,OO0 the
plan would fail, as that sum could
not be secured.
1t is also felt, it is said, by those
who would have the hospital taken
over and controlled by the hospital
association. that the suggestion made
at the public meeting by Rev. Wal
ker Gwynne that the city might APP
propriate $500 annually to the sup
port of the hospital, and which was at
once frowned upon by Mayor Bergen,
was a dad break"
1t was figured by some of the adj
vocates of the hospital purchase, 1t is
/ said that if after the institution had
ben acquired it could not be operated
successfully the city would eventually
be forced to take over the institution
and maintain it as city hospital.