Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-05-27
AUGUSTA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Trustees Explain Why Work OF
Building New Wing Is Deferred


For the information of the public
and especially Of those who have SO
literally pledged money to build the
new wing and improve the present
building, the following facts are OF
great interest.
The board of directors, at a very
early date this spring, appointed
building comittee to so ahead and
build the addition. Plans were
drawn by Edwin F. Stevens. a hos
piial architect in Boston, and the de-
tails were left with William q.
Bunker. m architect in this city. to
see that they were carried out Spec
ifications were made and given out
to differeut contractors in different
parts Of the state, and these bids
were to lie received by the committee
on Saturday. the 25th.
About the time that the first efforts
We're being made to get the building
into shape it came out in the public
press that a war committee known
as the Capital Issues Committee. hav
ing its place of business in Washing
ton, had decided that no building eN-
cept those contributing to war pur-
poses should be constructed, and
everybody was notified to keep this
in mind. The building committee of
the hospital communicated, or at
tempted to with this committee but in
some way the correspondence went
astray ana the thing ran along until
the 10th ot May, when the committee
received the following communication
from the Capital Issues Committee, a
branch Of which is located in Boston.
1T has been brought to the atten-
ton Of the Capital Issues Committee
that the City of Augusta is con
templating making alterations to the
Augusta General hospital, also con-
struCt an additional building at a
cost of approximately $4,000. You
are doubtless aware this committee
was created as a war measure to reg
ulate the use of credit and incident
ally to assist in the regulation and
the use IF labor and materials. 1t is,
therefore. interested in all building
projects involving the amount YOU
propose TO eXpend and would appre-
Ciate statement from you concern
ing the plans of the Augusta General
hospital and detail of the cost to-
gether with the reason why this work
is being undertaken at the present
inoppOrtIne time and particularly
why it caEnot and should not be
postponed until some later and more
favorable Gate
tSigned) Very truly yours,
=. II. KITTREDGE.
Secretary Of the Committee
The chairman of the building COM
mittee Immediately replied to this
that the oh hospital building was
considerably out of repair and the
only feasible way to put Il into
shape WIS to build an addition and
move the PATIENTS over there and then
remodel the old building: that we
had represented this situation to our
people and told them that we should
commence at once the construction of
the new building if the amount asked
fol- was pledged. and this was done.
and that the building committee ard
the trustees of the Hospital felt that
we We're under obligations to carry
out this plan if it was possible. We
further EMPHASIZED the fact that the
hospital was open for the reception
Of soldiers returning from the war
and we had specifie Cd to tho War De-
partmcnt the number we could take,
so. in a sense the construction of this
edition as war measure
In answer to this communication
the committee received another let
ter from tie Boston committee which,
reads as fellows
Your very complete letter of the
18th inst. addressed to me was read
and discussed by this committee at
its meeting yesterday afternoon.
1t is my duty to inform you that
it was the unanimous opinion of the
members Of the committee that your
work should be postponed. want
to assure you that we appreciate Your
laying the facts before us and we
realize the difficult situation which
You have found yourself placed in.