The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-15
PLAN TO ABOLISH
FIXED SUBSIDIES
FOR HOSPITALS
Appropriations Committee
Prefers to Share Funds
According to Pro-
ven Needs.
Especial to The Farmer

Especial to The Farmer.)
Hartford, Feb. 15.-The policy of
the general assembly's committee on
appropriations, this year, in regard to
appropriations for hospitals through
out the state, will be to apportfon to
the hospitals, not fixed sum, but
sums of an amount regulated by the
needs of the respective institutions.
To that end the act of 1909 by which
fixed sums are provided for many
hospitals about the state, will be re-
scinded, by the present general as
sembly. Announcement Of this plan
was made by Senator Boyd, chairman
of the committee, yesterday, when
representatives of many hospitals ap-
peared to file their biennial petitions
for state aid.
Among the institutions represented
yesterday were. St. Vincent's and the
Bridgeport hospitals, Of Bridgeport.
For the former, Attorney Thomas NJ:
Cullinan asked the committee to ap-
propriate $4,000, or at the rate of
$4,000 a year. Bridgeport hospital,
through Attorney David S. Day, asked
dSkou IoI 9AU,OOO, VI d. II1e IdIo VI
$4,000 year.
Mr. CuHinan told the committee that
st. Vincent's hospital had a deficit of
over $4,000 for the fiscal year end
ing Sept. 3d. and pointed out that
aside from such cases which are
chargeable to the state or to the city,
the hospital had cared for ESQ pa
tients during the last year, for which
no payment had been made, and the
average length of these cases was14
days.
He asked for the 5000 yearly ap-
preparation in part, he said, to
equalize the action of the general as
sembly of two years ago which had
provided $4,000 for the two years.
Mr.. Day, speaking for the Bridgeport
hospital, emphasized the social ser
vice that the hospital is doing through
it's expensive pathological laboratory,
the expenses of which are heavy, and
the uses of which extend far beyond
the pale of routine hospital work.
State Comptroller Frederick S.
Chamberlain, questioned each petition
err as to whether the town in which
the hospital is located makes an ap-
preparation for the hospital in its an
nual budget 1t developed that this
custom exists only in Mr.. Chamber
lain's own town, New Britain, which
annually appropriates $4,000 for its
hospital. He questioned the hospi--
tai representatives as to their views
in the matter.
President Scofield of the Stamford
hospital replied that he feared that
if this custom prevailed in Stamford,
the hospital board would be thrown
open to membership by politicians,
and this he asserted, would not be
for the good Of the hospital.
Senator Salmon of estport, a mem
Der of the committee, asked Repre-
sentative Frederick Huxford, who
happened into the hearing, what he
thought of Mr.. Scofields views.
Huxford, a Stamford man, replied
that none could better judge of what
the result of politicians entering the
hospital board would be than Mr..
Scofield. "Hes been in politics all his
life" said Huxford, good naturally.
Nobody in Stamford can run a town
meeting better than Mr.. Scofeld can"
When the Norwalk hospital appro-
priation was considered, Judge John
u. w dlSn SPOKE Luz Lie uOSplIoi oiAA "a
planned that the town is seeking
charter change, this year, which will
allow it to provide funds from the
town budget. There had been consid-
cradle question as to the law on the
proper charge for poor from other
towns in hospital cases, and this sub
ject cropped up. again when Judge
Walsh was speaking
He stated that the proper charge
was SIS, under the law. This was
questioned by the comptroller and
other members Of the committee. But
Judge Walsh recalled the fact that the
town Of Westport had protested
against overcharging by the Norwalk
hospital when. that institution had
charged 81 for the care Of Westport
town dependents.
isn't that a fact, Senator Sail
mon? ' asked the speaker
Eyes, it's true,' said Senator Sail
mon. Judge Walsh was the lawyer
for the town of Westport."
Other hospitals to ask state appro-
priations were the Hartford Hospital:
st. Francis Hospital, Hartford; Gen
eral Hospital Society, New Haven;
Waterbury Hospital; st. Mary's Hos
pital, Waterbury; Grace Hospital, New
Haven; Memorial Hospital Of New
London; Danbury Hospital; Litchfeld
County Hospital, Winchester and the
Dav-Kimball Hospital.