Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-11-09
CHAS. A. PARK TELLS
HOW HOSPITAL ONLY
SERVES SALEM PUBLIC
Institution Is Not Operated
For Profit Member Of
Board Declares

Three points with regard to the pro-
ject for new Salem hospital are
brought out in an interview with Chas.
A. Park, member of the hospital board,
which is published for the information
of the public.
1.-THE first is that the hospital cor
poration merely acts for the citizens of
Salem. The second is that q hospital is
operated ideally for service and not for
profits. And the third is that the hos
pital project at this time, is not merely
desirable thing for the city but an alb
solute necessity.
Zone care of the Hospital Board has
always been that our expenditures
should be less than our income. That we
should always have money enough to
meet our bills when due. Our thought
has been that we would relieve the pub
lie of any responsibility for their own
hospital, and we have pursued this pol
icy for II years. Perhaps it would have
been better if we had been constantly
before the people for gifts and dona-
tions. Then they might have understood
that it was an institution toward which
everybody had an obligation, and in
which every one was interested.
AS the matter stands, the public has
forgotten that it owns hospital. They
have drifted into thinking that the hos
pital was the private property of the
board. And somehow, in spite of repeat
ed assertions to the contrary, that the
board was actually deriving dividends
therefrom. The hospital is Incorporated
under definite state law for non-profit
sharing corporations, so that it is i'm
possible that there should be any pro-
fits. Any surplus there has been has
gone into betterments for the institu-
ton. And to suppose that any member
of the board has derived profit, or even
salary, is to charge these citizens with
breach of trust.
We have been able so to administer
the affairs of the hospital, in spite of
the fact that we have handled many
county cases at less than actual cost, so
that the hospital could increase its size
and its equipment, 1t has paid its
paving assessment. 1t has had funds
to purchase property, and to provide
the excavation for the new building. |
All this without asking the public for
a penny. We feel therefore that our
consciences are quite clear in now ask
ing the public to put up money for the
erection of its own hospital.
The board is nothing more or less
than a holding body for the people. The
Articles of Incorporation of the hos
pital provide that nine members shall
constitute the Board, also provides for
the manner of electing the members and
length of the terms of office. For some
time, the Board has felt that its mem
bership should be enlarged so that a
greater number of the citizens of Sal |
EN- would be represented thereon. The
proposed reorganization will make the !
Board more directly responsible to all
the people.
If we attempted to erect this new
hospital and tried to make it pay for
itself from the surplus of the business,
it could be done only by greatly cur
failing the service, or else by exorbi- |
tant rates. Neither method is even |
thinkable. When it is a matter of life
and death, parsimony of service could
not even be considered. Nor could we
fix rates so high as to make them |
anu baO nOSPllaA ihdS
come merely rich mans institution.
1t is not for the rich. 1t is for all. A
hospital is not comparable to an ordin- |
ary business, which is run primarily |
with the idea of profits. Profit is en-
tirely secondary in the hospital to
service.
As matters stand today, the hospital
building is on land owned by the state, !
so that the hospital owned by the citi- !
zens exists merely on sufferanee. The |
last legislature was about to order the |
vacated. If we should be fin |
ally compelled to vacate before new
hospital is erected, 1t will mean cut
ting down Salem 3 hospital facilities
to less than one-half their present mark.
When it is understood that the present /
total facilities are inadequate, it will |
be known how serious would be their 1
further curtailment. 1t is not a ques- !
ton as to whether Salem shall build !
a hospital now, or at some future time.
We have to build it now or not have |
any.