Evening star., 1916-04-30
WRITER SAYS HOSPITAL
SITE LACKS SUPPORT
Claims Commissioners Were Not In
formed of Real Sentiment of
People of City.
Location at 14th and Upshur Streets
Declared Opposed by All Ex-
cept in Southeast.
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
In recent issue of The Star you pub
lished short article entitled Hearing
to Be Given on. New Hospital Site"
which I should like to supplement at
the request of the general committee of
Citizens Associations and in behalf of
the property owners and taxpayers on
18th street.
1t is stated in the article in question:
"As the Commissioners have asked
Congress for an appropriation for the
Municipal Hospital, just what the
northwest residents expect to accom-
pish by a hearing at this late date.
when the appropriation bill is under
stood to he practically finished. is not
known" There are two points in this
paragraph which require answer. The
first is in respect to the Commissioners
attitude and the second is in respect to
the citizens who oppose the location of
the Washington Asylum Hospital un-
der a new name in one of the best resi-
Dental sections of this city. at 14th and
Upshur streets.
Claims Strong Sentiment.
We believe that when the Commits
sioners made their recommendations
they were not informed as to the real
sentiment on this subject among all
the people of the city except the resi-
dents of the southeast, who want to get
rid of the hospital. At the present time
all the citizens associations from
Florida avenue to Brightwood a
unit against the location of this hos
pital in their territory. These include
the Columbia Heights. Petworth, Piney
Branch. Park View, Brightwood Park.
Brightwood Citizens. Chillum Castle
md
ing an estimated population of more
than 10000 people.
But the sentiment is not confined to
the residents of that particular terri
tory, The Midcity Citizens Association
and the Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations of the District of Columbia
are stated to have gone on record
against the location of the hospital at
14th and Upshur streets. / am in
formed that the Chamber of Commerce
of the city also has gone on record
against that location; and finally, with
in the past few days. the Board OF
Trade has not only refused to indorse
any recommendation for the site in
question, but unanimously passed
resolution declaring that, owing to the
changed conditions since the purchase
by the government of the ground at
18th and Upshur streets. the Board OF
Trade is opposed to the location of the
Municipal Hospital at that site
I call attention to the Iact tnat the
Il
merce are not limited to residents OF
the northwest, but include our leading
business and professional men from all
parts of this city
will Damage Section"
We believe that the Commissioners
and Congress are too keenly alive to
their duties toward the citizens and
taxpayers of this District to adhere
to their recommendation of the site In
question when il is made plain 10
them that the location of the Wash
tngton Asylum Hospital, with its train
of dangerous and undesirable features,
on that site will damage the entire
adjacent residential section from
street north, and for that reason that
il is opposed not only by the residents
of the territory affected, but by every
fair-minded citizen OF the city VINO
knows and understands the facts
We are not opposed to an approprl-
alton for a municipal hospital on it's
present site, where IL should remain,
as the government has owned the
grounds of reservation IL, ample IN
extent. excellent in location and capa-
BILE of any desired expansion and Deau-
tifica ton, for about seventy years NO
one who lives in that vicinity has
right to complain of lack OF notice, yet
the citizens in the southeast section do
complain and are eloquent In their ap-
peaIs for removal of the hospital and
its attachments. With this object les
son before U.S. how foolish il would be,
IL the hospital is to be moved at all.
to bring IL back into the city, and
especially into a more valuable, thlckly
settled and rapidly developing residen-
tial section.
"Club Not Favoring Site"
The Monday Evening Club has circu-
lated petitions without reference to any
site, and at it's last meeting the policy
of the club was announced by its
president as being for the hospital
only. without reference 20 the site.
This can only mean that the club is
not fayoring the site at 14th and Up
shur streets, and that the petitions
which IL is circulating are not to be
taken as advocating that site. They
relate merely to the general desire to
secure a decent municipal hospital.
which many good members think
should be located on reservation 13,
where the old one is now. or st!ll far
ther out
The hearing before She Commission
ers at 10 o'clock next Monday morn
ing IN the Municipal building, 18tn
street ana Pennsylvania avenue north
west. is not with regard to getting an
appropriation for a municipal hospital,
hut only on the question OF whether or
not the Commissioners shall reconsider
their recommendation that the new
hospital. il erected, shall be located at
14th and Cpshur streets northwest. 1t
is the right and the duty Of every citi
zen. no matter whether ne or she wants
municipal hospital or not, to go to
that hearing and show by physical
presence that he she is opposed to
having the alcoholic and the demented
and the miscellaneous trains of cases
that no other hospital will take. drawn
together and concentrated at 18th and