Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-05-23
HOSPITAL PLAN A
SAVING FOR CITY
Success in Campaign to Raise 100000
for 1T. AnthoHy's Economy
for Public
FAILURE MEANS An EXPENSE
New Institution Supported bY Citizens
VII Then Have 20 Be Erect
ed Here.

The proposition 20 raise a fund for
a new building for St. Authony.s nos
pttaI is q good business proposition
for Rock Island t means saving
OF money for the city for many years
to come.
Moline's experience Il enHghtening
10 this matter. a good many years
ago the present Moline city hospital
was built People paid for Il by taxa
t1on Each year since that hospital
was erected the people have paid taxes
for It's support. At present and for
some years past. the hospital budget
has required q 2 mill tax. Last year
it cost the tax PAYERS Ct Moline 10000
10 carry on the work Of the hospital.
The monthly pay roll for salaries and
wages 10 those who are employed IN
the work Of the hospital. amounts to
nearly $1,000
Rock Island, ON the other hand. has
had St Aufhony.s hospital for nearly
. years Except FOR 81 few individual
contributions to its equipment and
support. ( has not received any help
from She community The HCSp1tal
has been maintained without becoming
a financial burden on the community
because company of devoted women
have given their lives and their ser
vice 10 its maintenance without any
compensation except their bare living,
and thus II has been enabled to pay
its way doing q large amount Of char
table work. and rendering most Inn
portant piece o. service, without trou-
bling people I'm general for financial
support
The Franciscan sisters. who estsb-
lished and manage the hospital. are
proposing 70 turn lu their present
property, valued at $13S.049- together
with an additional sI00 600 which they
are able to secure from another source,
against "a fund which the city Will
raise in the coming campo su. in order
that jbe city NAV have an up-to-date,
adequate hospital equipment In ad-
dition. the 26 sisters who are engaged
in the work OF the hospital offer TO
give their own lives and service with
out financial compensation so the
maintenance Of the work in years TO
come
Rock Island must have additional
hospital facilities That is beyond
question 1T cannot continue as a
growing Industrial center without
making reasonable provision for the
care of the sick and injured The only
question is. now shall 1T make this
provision
1t may spend two or three years
arouslng public sentiment 70 the need.
and then get q bond issue voted for
perhaps S209 0G0 with which to put
up city hospital and then It may tax
at the rate or $50 GOO q year to main
tain the institution Many cities have
done this.
Or, ID may throw itself into the ef-
fort to improve ST. anthony's equip
ment raising a fund sufficient 20 make
SIC. #H.
ters offer to invest and relieving the
city Of any further burden for support
OF the work TO be carried on
Latter Ease Advisable.
# really looks as though the latter
course is the wiser and more eConon-
icai one to take Many people have
already expressed themselves in favor
of it. There is a strong and growing
sentiment back Of the movement to
equip ST Anth0ny's with facilities Of
the best and most modern type, and
enable il 70 do the work which Is SO
much needed locally. and which Jha
hospital, IS now organized. Is so well
prepared to handle
The real question, after all, is wheth-
or the city shall take advantage Of the
opportunity TO improve and enlarge an
existing institution. or shall establish
some new and more expensive fnstitu-
ton 10 do the same work in no better
fashion The people must answer the
question