The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-03
EXPERT WILL BE
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HOSPITAL SITE
Immediate Erection of Tuber-
culosis Sanitarium is Dis
couraged at Meeting.

Is Wayne county to build her tuber-
culosis hospital at once, or wait until
prices come down?
This question was discussed Satur-
day morning at a meeting Of the board
of managers of the hospital, with the
county commissioners in the latters'
quarters in the courthouse.
A tentative arrangement was made
to invite Dr. F. N. RJrty, secretary Of
the state board of health, to inspect
the local site in company with the
board and the commissioners, at an
early date
John Mueller, Dr. Louis Ross, head
of the Red Cross, and w. o. Seaney,
present manager of the hospital farm,
strongly advised the commissioners
to wait to start building Of the pro-
posed hospital until prices of mater
ia1s lower, bringing out the fact that
the building would cost 35 per cent
more now than it would have a year
ago.
Other Counties Not Interested.
John L. Rupe, president of the board
of managers. reported to the commits
sioners that he had written to the Of
ficials of the surrounding counties re-
gardtng the several-county plan which
WAS suggested at the last meeting, in
viting them to cooperate with Wayne
county.
He said he had received replies
from only two counties, and that they
showed Indifference and lack Of in
terest in the project. and that he be-
lieved the best thing for Wayne
county to do was to go ahead and
make arrangements later to accommo-
date patients from other counties,
charging them fees.
DR.. Ross, head of the Red Cross,
criticized the sentimentalists who had
said that many soldiers returning from
France were suffering from tubercu-
losis, that many men had been re-
jected for military service because Of
this disease, and those who urged the
building of the hospital at once to ac-
commodate these.
He made special reference to news
paper reports of the county social con-
ference at Centerville several days
ago. He said that he had thoroughly
investigated the matter, and had been
unable to find more than three sol
diers who he thought would be bene-
fitted by the hospital. He said he had
gone over the rejection lists with
Glenn Carr, former head of the draft
board, and believed that the reports
of rejection for tuberculosis had been
exaggerated.
Present Buildings Unfit.
DR.. Ross also said that women,
whom he characterized as "well mean
ing but uninformed," had visited the
proposed hospital site, and had come
/ back to tell reporters that there was
no reason why the present buildings
should not be opened at once for a
temporary hospital.
The present buildings, he said, we're,
on the contrary. quite unfit for pa
| tients, because of the lack of proper
sanitary convenience.
There is no reason why the board
should be stampeded into building the
hospital at once" said DR.. Ross. 1.-The
war has not changed the tuberculosis
situation in the county bit, and there
| is no more need for the building now
than five years ago. 1t is too costly
project, right now"
Transportation a Problem.
w. o. Seaney, manager Of the hospi-
tai farm, said that great deal of the
cost of the building would be in the
hauling of materials. He said lumber
which cost him $45 thousand feet in
Richmond cost $50 laid down at the
hospital, and transportation Of other
materials cost in proportion.
The question of Transporting labor
down and back. while paying the work,
men for free ride of an hour or &C
each way, was also mentioned.
Seaney and Mueller reported that
the work which has been actually done
was to move the superintendent's res
/ idence to a new location, move the
barn, and partially complete Other
work required to make way for the
hospital building itself.