The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-20
CITY MAY YET GET
ROCKEFELLER GIFT
Estimate Board Expected to
Reverse Refusal Of Drug
Hospitals.
COPELAND HAD ACCEPTED
Correspondence Published to
Show No String Was
Attached to Offer.

There appeared yesterday to be every
likelihood that the offer of the Rockefel-
Ter Foundation to present thirteen port
able hospital buildings worth s350,000 to
the city for use IN the care of drug ad-
diets has not finally been rejected. de-
spite the refusal OF the Board Of Esti-
mate. at Mayor Hylan's insistence. to
accept the gift.
The buildings. which were used as a
war demonstration hospital until the
need no longer existed, are at Sixty
fourth street and Avenue A. and DR..
Royal S. Copeland. Health Commissioner
wishes the city to accept the gift and
move the structures to Warwick Farm,
In Orange county. The Foundation has
agreed to stand the cost of removal.
The refusal of the Board of Estimate
to have anything to do with the offer at
its meeting Friday was signified by a
vote Of ten to six after the Mayor had
said he was opposed to accepting any
thing from the Rockefeller crowd" and
the Comptroller had charged that the
gift was not made In good faith" Ac-
cording to the provisions of the city
charter any action which the Board OF
Estimate takes, in order to be final, must
have twelve OF the sixteen votes, or a
majority of three-fourths.
When the matter comes UP again al
the next meeting. only nine votes, or a
majority. will be needed to secure the
gift for the city's use. Thus, II the ten
votes in the board that are already IA
vorable to the acceptance do not change
the measure is assured of passage with
one vote to spare at the forthcoming
meeting.
Correspondence Published.
The entire correspondence with rela.
tion to the offer to the city was made
public yesterday by the Rockefeller
Foundation. Its decision to turn the
buildings over to the city or to some in
stitution was first announced by George
Z. Vincent. the Foundations president
when on April he addressed identical
letters on the subject to DR.. Copeland and
to officials OF the Charity Organization
Society, the National Association for the
Study and Prevention of tuberculosis
the Home Service Section OF the Ameri.
can Red Cross. the Association for I'm
proving the Condition of the Poor, the
Department of Civilian Relief OF the Red
Cross and the Public Health Committee
OF the New York Academy OF Medicine
las you may be aware" President
vincent wrote, 1.-THE Rockefeller Founda
ton has been maintaining through tn,
Institute for Medical Research. n tenn
pcrary hospital for demonstrating some
modern methods of war surgery. Tn,
hospital has been maintained on the in.
stitute grounds II was erected in lar
racks form and is capable Of beinl
easily moved from one place to another
THE purposes of the war demonstrs
ton hospital have now been realized
The institute wishes TO clear its ground,
and we are therefore considering tn,
disposition OF the hospital buildings. /
has occurred to US that some Of tn.
institutions doing health work in New
York might be able to make use ofthes,
buildings. II this proves to be the case
We should like to donate the building,
TO that institution which would seen
able to make the best use of them. Will
this in mind. We are sending a lettel
similar to this to a number of institu
lions and organizations in New Yorl
State. We have thought that you NIGH
know OF some institution that would b,
interested in using them?
THE buildings are fifteen In number
OF varying sizes. and composed of hv,
foot units. They include a reception
building. administration building, TIVE
wards. operating room. isolation build
irg. laboratory, kitchen, mess, laundry
store room, recreation building, order
lies quarters, nurses quarters anC
. maids quarters. Plumbing and interior
equipment are complete"