Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-01-09
HOSPITAL BOARD NOT
GIVEN FURTHER TINE
TO VACATE PROPERTY
State Board OF Control insists
On Immediate Removal
From Property.

SINE state bSlrd of control tOdav
refused to recede from its position that
the Salem Hospital association must
vacate the Salem hospital property by
next Monday or ejectment proceedings
will be instituted by the attorney gen
eral.
f. G.. Deckebach, Henry Meyers, G.
A. Parks and Irwin Griffith, repre-
senting the hospital association board,
met with the state board of control
today and urged that the state board
allow the hospital association to con-
tinue to use the property until after
1t has had opportunity to make an
other campaign to raise funds to build
new hospital.
Mr.. Deckebach, who acted as spokes-
man for the delegation, said such a
campaign for funds could not. be made
until after the next liberty loan drive,
which probably win be made in March
or April.
"We are up against it and must
throw ourselves on your mercy said
Mr.. Deckabach.
Both Governor Withycombe and Sec
retary of State Olcott stood firm in
the position that the state has exer-
cised every degree of lenieney and pa
tience that should be expected, as it
has been more than three years since
the state purchased the property and
nothing has been accomplished by the
hospital association in all that time in
the direction of making arrangements
to vacate.
No Effect on Influenza
1t was clearly brought out by Sec
retary of State Olcott, and affirmed
by Mr.. Deckebach and other members
of the delegation, that the question of
vacating the hospital building would
have no bearing on the influenza sit
uation in Salem. No influenza patients
are being admitted to the hospital, and
an average Of only nine vrher patients
have been there during the last sew
eral weeks. All of these patients are
in condition to be moved. Miss Nc
Nary, superintendent of the hospital,
reported to DR.. Steiner, superintend-
ent of the state hospital which desires
to make use of the local hospital prop
erty.
DR.. Steiner also explained that he
had agreed to give positions to all the
nurses employed in the local hospital
so they will not lose the time they
have put in toward securing diploma.
SIT has been three years since the
state acquired that property" said
DR.. Steiner, "and during which there
has been ample time to make provision
for another hospital, but nothing has
been done. If we postpone taking pos
session now, where will it endY
"Mr. Deekebaeh says he wants to
make the situation so clear and fore
ible that it will awake the people of
Salem to the need of doing something.
What more can we do than to demand
possessions If the hospital is closed up,
what more can be done to wake the
people upf
''The state hospital is in dire dis
tress for more room, and We need the
Salem hospital property at once, so
the legislature can make provision for
fitting the. building up for opr use.'
Has Been Lenient
Governor Withycombe pointed out
that up until the recent ejcctment or
der was made he stood with the Aos-
pital association in giving further
time for them to do something.
"But I favored the ejectment or
der" he said, "because with the ses-
sion of the legislature coming on 1
felt it would be trifling with the states
to allow further delay. You
ought to do something. You ought to
step out and vaeate the premises.
Secretary Of State Olcott said, while
he had the highest respect for the mem
bers of the old board of the hospital
association and the new board, he did
not feel that the old board had used
,btain other quarters, and he did not
think it was for the state to give any
more time.
Mr.. Parks argued that more than a
rear was consumed in clearing title
%. the property, so in reality it has
,nly been two years since the state
las had title to the premises, and he
laid during that time war conditions
have prevented the board from raising
funds for a new hospital.