New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-11
FAVORS AUTONOMY
FOR HOSPITALS
Goldwater Says Charities
Department Should Be
in Charge.

DR.. S. 6. Goldwater. Commissioner OF
Health, refused yesterday to make any
comment on the proposal advanced by
critics of Charities Commissioner John
S. Kingsbury that the supervision OF
citv institutions for the treatment OF
tuberculosis should be transferred from
the Department Of Charities to the
Board of Health.
DR.. Goldwater also refused to make
anv statement which might be inter
preted as a criticism Of the present
administration of the Charities Depart
ment. He admitted that he had been
aware for some time of the dissatls-
faction existing in certain quarters
with the management of the Sea view
Hospital. g.,
"As a matter of fact" said DR.. Gold
water, "this department has enough to
do to take care of the institutions now
intrusted to its charge. Many organlza-
tions and individuals interested IN nos
pital work in this city, and especially
in the treatment of consumptiVe pa.
tients. have deprecated the lack OF
unity in the organization Of institutions
which are maintained as tuberculosis
sanatoriums and clinics. They bel1eve
that all such hospitals should be under
the direction of a single city depart
ment.
Favors Autonomy.
"For myself, deprecate the idea OF
a too strongly centralized authority IL
Lospital work. There should be CEN
trail authority, with powers OF super
vision. of course; but the hospitals VIII
thrive best if to each institution is lett
a large measure of autonomy.
at is one of the peculiarities OF IN
stitutional management that no lnstl,
tuition can thrive which IS managed
wholly from without. Paris, with Its
large number of district hospitals, pre-
senting an almost perfect system on
paper. affords a striking illustration Oh
a collection of institutions which Ian,
guish under rigid rules promulgated
from central authority.
"No central authority, whether COM
missioner or board, can ever take the
place of a number of local authorities,
each actually engaged in the conduct
each actually engaged in the conduct Of
a given institution, feeling its stresses
day by day, contributing to It's success
answerable for and conscious of its
failures, studious of the achievements
Of its rivals, Independent, aggressive,
else responsible.
Willing To Be Candidate.
"Tbe way to improve the hospitals Of
the city is to place them in the hands
of the Commissioner of Charities If he
is ready to accept the foregoing princi-
ples. or in the hands of the Board Of
Trustees of Bellevue and Allied Hos
pitfalls if they will subscribe to institu-
tional autonomy as the fundamental
basis of effectual hospital organization.
If neither of these departments Will
agree then the Department OF Health,
Notwithstanding its present burdens, Is
willing to be regarded as a receptive
candidate"
1t was learned yesterday that the
committee on the prevention OF tuoer-
culosis of the Organized Charities So
ciety has recently adopted resolutions,
which will be presented to the Board OF
Estimate and Apportionment at its first
meeting this fall. These resolutions
recommend that the custody and diree-
ton of institutions for the treatment
OF tubercular patients be transferred
from the Charities Department to the
Board of Health.
Officials of the State Board of Chart
ties said yesterday afternoon that the
investigation Of conditions in various
city institutions, including the aims
houses on BlackwelPs Island, had not
vet been completed by the inspectors
assigned to the work. The State
Board was led to make the inspection
as the result of numerous complaints
received from various sources concern
ing the present administration of the
Charities Department.