The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-16
KINGSBURY DEMANDS
APOLOGY OF PRIEST
Charities Commissioner Acru~,
Father Farrell Of Brooklyn
Of Slandering Him.
NAY TAKE CASE TO COURT
Clergyman Charged City Had
Refused Pay for Care of
Emergency Cases.

Charities Commissioner John \. ktnrs.
bury sent letter yesterday to the Rev
william b. Farrell. one OF the best know,
priests In the Brooklyn diocese uskino
him to apologize for statements regardint
hospital service which the COMMISSIONS,
says are false. Mr.. Klngsbury accuses
the clergyman of slanderlug him and
says that II no apology In offered he may
bring suit.
A copy of the letter was sent to Mayor
Mitchell and after Mr.. Kingsbury had
talked with the Mayor duplicates ver,
given to the press from the Mayors office
Father Farrell is pastor OF the Church
, of st. Peter and 81. Paul, In Wythe ave
nue., Williamsburg. he is also presiden
| OF the Williamsburg Hospital, a member
| OF the Hospital Alliance and OF the COM
! mittee OF the alliance which complained
| to tho Charities Commissoner on Thurs
| day that the city was unjustly refusing
| day that the city was unjustly refusing
to pay private hospitals for the care Of
many poor patients rated by the hospitals
| as emergency cases"
| One OF the statements TO which Ma
kingsbury objects IL the following, at
tributed to Father Farrell by the Brooklyn
Eagle:
while the papers blaze with his tths
Commissioner Of Charitiesl Indignation
| his department refuses to permit private
| hospital to take care OF a man with hta
| arm torn out of its socket who yet has
grit enough to walk to a hospital. THAI
| case he declares not an emergent one
| because the man can walk for time
under the benumbing strength OF his own
! agony"
| In the course of last Thursdays hear
ing Father Farrell said the papers had
, misquoted him. In his letter Mr.. Kings
bury says:
| ~ challenged you to produce the record
OF any such case which had occurred In
my administration, stating that IL YOU
/ could not / was sure you would be glad
| to apologize. You thereupon admitted
| that this case did not occur I'm my admin
istration. I regret to say. however, that
you did not apologize. wish still TO
| give you an opportunity 10 do so IN order
| to correct the erroneous impression Of
the departments policy toward the
| private hospitals"
Other criticisms OF Mr. klnysbury wiicS
| Father Farrell was quoted as voic!ng az
| a meeting Of the Hospital Alliance az the
! Academy OF Medicine on June 3 are 10
| scribed by the Commissioner as damaging
| and slanderous,' one OF them was that
| TIE hus Ut = IeCeilt TRIP lD tnc MelIopIiA-
tan Hospital was staged for effect and
| that patients whom the Mayor saw sleep
| ing on the floor were distributed anon.
| other hospitals within the next few days
on this point Mr.. kingsbury says IN his
| letter:
'These statements are both false, and
| feel sure that no gentleman of YOU
standing. and certainly no minister Of III
| Gospel, can afford TO let such false state
| mpntS the Diblie without "A
| least making an effort to correct theln
| / ain writing this letter to give you al
| opportunity to do 80. These
statements are an insult to the Mayor!
intelligence"
Another remark reputed to have beer
made by Father Farrell and branded a.
false by Mr.. Kingsbury was that II cost:
the city about s2.s2 a day to care foI
each patient In the public hospitals, while
the private hospitals get only sl.O5 from
the city for an emergency patient.
The Commissioner insists that his policy
toward private hospitals Is neither
| "grudglng' nor 'cheeseparing." He says
he is merely trying to enforce fairly and
honestly rule OF the Board of Estimate.
which provides that except In emergency
cases the Commissioner OF Public CHAR.
ties shall not accept as proper charges
Gin private hospitals) persons capable OF
paying for their own support. or for
whose adequate care provision can be
made In public hospitals"
''ln my Interpretation OF this rule"
says Mr.. Kingsbury. 1.-THE type OF case
which has been rejected by this depart
ment Is not that OF a man whose arm
has been torn from its socket. but OF cases
OF clubfoot. harelip and bowlegs, which
could easily have arranged for thelI
treatment in the departments hospitals
but which were admitted to private nos
pitfalls and the bills submitted to me for
approval. Such cases we regard as non
emergent. Also we regard cases when
are clearly prearranged with the pr'-
vate hospitals. II arrangement could have
been made In public hospital as falling
within the jurisdiction placed upon the
department by the Board OF Estimate ana
Apportionment"
Father Farrell is one Of the Hospital
Alliances committee OF seven appointed
last Thursday to meet the Commissioner
again and SEQ II the controversy canho'
be settled. Mr.. Kingsbury has asked tha'
. the committee be reduced TO three men