The Washington times., 1916-04-19
OUTLINES HISTORY
| OF. HOSPITAL FIGHT
u. B. F. Macfariand Tells Mon
day Evening Club Of Fifteen
( Year Struggle.

The history Of the fight Of more than
a decade to get q municipal hospital In
Washington In sketched In interesting
fashion In q statement issued by Henry
b. r. Maofariand through the Monday
Evening Club.
Mr.. Macfarland. Commissioner OF the
District from 1900 to 1910. tells Of his
own efforts IN that time to get Con-
gress to recognize that the Washington
Asylum Hospital must be supplanted
by n modern institution.
His statement follows:
Before went into the official service
OF the District In May, 1900. I was just
a. actively engaged in its unofficial
service. and as a member of the COM
mittee on charities of the Board Of
Trade, earnestly advocated the creation
OF board of charities and the reform
OF All our public charitable Institutions
including the improvement of the
Washington Asylum Hospital by taking
II away from the Jail and workhouse
and converting 1t into modern munici-
"The Board Of Charities was estab-
lished by Congress and its members
whom recommended to President Nc
Kinley were appointed by him and be-
After a years study they united with
the District Commissioners IN recom-
mending the removal of the municipal
hospital and provision for modern equip
from Congress an appropriation of 800
900 for the site and bought for s67 900
the thirty-hve acres on Georgia avenue
and set L apart for that purpose. II is
suniciently large to provide for expan-
sion for many years to come and to
prevent any annoyance to the people
hood.
1--WE then obtained from Congress-
1900 to procure plans for the municipal
hospital on the new site. I personally
presented the arguments for both these
appropriations to the Appropriations
ton we held a fine competition for
plans, won by the firm OF Frank Miles
Day, OF Philadelphia, afterward presi-
dent OF the American Institute of Archi-
before both Appropriations Committees
Tor the adoption of the fine plan and
the necessary appropriation.
They met with favor from Senator
MCMILLAN. then chairman of the Senate
District COMMITTEES, Senator GaiIinger
and others, but were opposed by per-
sons interested in private hospitals who
mistakenly thought that the project
would interfere with the prosperity of
This opposition prevented the adop-
tion OF the plan, and the appropriation
OF the money. Subsequently we were
able. however, to get an appropriation
OF 100000 for the tuberculosis ward of
the proposed municipal hospital, and
with II constructed what is commonly
called the tuberculosis Hospital on the
Municipal Hospital site.
Until / resigned from the District SER
vice in January, 1910. 1 advocated ses-
sion after session before the Appropria-
uons Committees the removal of the
municipal hospital from the Washing
tom Asylum Hospital site to the Georgia
avenue site, the adoption of the COM
prehensive plan for its construction and
development through years to come and
the initial appropriation for the pur-
pose.
''1n this the Commissioners and Board
Of Charities never had the general pop
ular support which the project deserved,
and did have the opposition Of those
would be adversely affected. Senators
and Representatives OF the District and
Appropriations Committees whom we
took TO see the Washington Asylum
strongest terms. and those whom we
took to see the Georgia avenue site and
to whom We explained the plans in
dividually heartily approved the under
ing further has been done.
Naturally. / am greatly gratified to
sec the new interest in the matter on
the part of the Monday Evening Club
and others and trust that II may bring
about the result for which we have
worked so hard for more than fifteen
years.
be that which the Commissioners OBJ
tained from Frank Miles Day with any
notifications which experience suggests,
for at the time II was regarded by ali
the experts Of the country as the best
hospital plan that had been devised,
based as II was upon a special study
OF all the hospital constructions of this
country and In Europe. Provision should
be made not simply for the present, but
for years to come in orderly and COM
prehensive way"